Patrice Wilson of Ark Music: 'Friday' is on his mind [Updated]

Patrice Wilson of Ark Music just wanted to write a ‘kind of sweet' song for Rebecca Black.

Last summer, Rebecca Black's mother paid L.A.-based production company Ark Music Factory a reported $2,000 to write and produce a song, and shoot a music video, for her 13-year-old daughter to sing and star in. The result, “Friday,” a track about having friends and being young and how rad it is that it's the end of the school week, was posted on YouTube about a month ago.

The song has logged more than 64 million views, peaked at No. 19 on the iTunes charts, spawned much disdainful online commentary (such as, “I have a replacement for the death penalty — this song”) and inspired countless mockeries. Black has appeared on “Good Morning America” and “The Tonight Show With Jay Leno,” been the subject of a parody music video from Conan O'Brien and been declared by Lady Gaga to be “a genius.”

The man responsible for all this hoopla, for “Friday's” unapologetically inane lyrics and infectious beat and the high-gloss gleam of Black's video, is Patrice Wilson, a hitherto unknown musician and producer who arrived in Los Angeles in 2007 from Spokane, Wash., to build a company that he says “was based on the idea of Noah's ark. In other words, a place to gather people together, where they could be safe.”

Wilson, who has a rapping cameo in “Friday,” has remained a mysterious “man behind the curtain” throughout much of the Black brouhaha. Until Friday, that is, when he released an Ark Music Factory-produced “press conference” which consisted of a wide-eyed young woman asking him questions such as “Who are you?”

In the video Wilson comes off as slick, stiff and perhaps a little defensive, a stance that has reinforced a notion that he is a kind of Suge Knight of the preteen schoolyard, harnessing young girls' dreams to his own financial advantage.

But in person, blinking in the white sun outside a Melrose Avenue Starbucks, Wilson is soft-spoken and sincere, with a sad-eyed baby face and a neatly pressed suit and tie. He seems slightly dazed by the chaos and not at all the cutthroat music biz stereotype. On the contrary, he presents himself as a well-mannered, well-traveled and well-educated man — utterly confounded by the wave of hate that his nursery-rhyme-simple, but very catchy, song has recently elicited.

“I remember writing ‘Friday,'” Wilson says. “It was on a Thursday night, but I finished it on Friday morning. And I knew it was silly, you know?”

And here Wilson quotes his own song with his gentle British-inflected African accent:

“‘Tomorrow is Saturday, and Sunday comes afterwards.' I mean, everybody knows that, obviously, but I wanted the song to be simple and kind of sweet. People talk so much about how silly or stupid the lyrics are, but pop songs, they're meant to be catchy and to tell things in a simple kind of way. I feel bad that Rebecca has been getting so many people criticizing the song. Because it was me that wrote it.” Black declined to comment for this story.

Raised in Africa by a minister mother and a chemical engineer father, Wilson sang in his mother's church as a child and helped out with youth programs at the local Christian school. Later, he says, he attended medical school in Europe and trained in track and field events for the 2000 Olympics. But he dropped it all in pursuit of his music, an endeavor that would lead him to tour as a backup singer with Eastern European pop star Ibrahim Maiga, to study the business side of entertainment at Whitworth University in Spokane, and, finally, to come to Hollywood.

[Updated, Friday, April 1: The original version of this post said that Patrice Wilson attended Whitman College in Walla Walla, Wash. In fact, Wilson attended Whitworth University in Spokane, Wash. We have fixed the text above.]

“If you're going to try to make a dream in music happen, Los Angeles is where you need to be,” he says. “If your music is heard in America, it will be heard everywhere.”

It's just this sort of dreamy-eyed conviction that inspired the founding, in 2010, and fuels the day-to-day function of Ark Music Factory. A vanity label of sorts, Ark auditions young talent, many of whom approach the company through their parents. For a fee, usually between $2,000 and $4,000, hopeful celebs-in-the-making are given a song to record as well as time with a producer-engineer (Wilson's partner in Ark, Clarence Jey), a photo shoot, image consulting, a music video and promotion. The singer owns the rights to the master recording, and Ark owns the publishing rights to the song. Considering that low-end costs for major label music videos start around $10,000 or $15,000, Wilson's fees are a bargain.

“I'm getting a lot of criticism saying I'm exploiting rich kids and their parents,” says Wilson, “but find me another company that would do all this at a cost this low. I don't promise anyone fame. In fact, if someone approaches me with their only goal to ‘get famous,' I tell them they're not in this for the right reasons.”

Wilson works with the family to find a song that works for the budding singer, and that isn't profane or age-inappropriate. “I want to give these kids who love to sing and perform a chance to work in a studio, a chance to be in front of a camera and in front of an audience. I'm not in this to make millions. I just want to help these kids make their dreams come true on some level. And I'm not trying to exploit anyone.”

In fact, when “Friday” started to climb in views, Wilson says he asked Rebecca and her mother if they wanted him to take the video down.

“But they said ‘no,' even though we knew it might mean a lot of attention and a lot of criticism online,” he says. “And in the end, there was criticism, but Rebecca has been great in handling it.”

Wilson shakes his head, looks up into the L.A. sun and suddenly cracks a wide smile. “And the truth is, if you look at the numbers … even though people say they hate the song … really, they love it.”

RELATED:

Viral star Rebecca Black says she's not 'the worst singer,' is working on new single

Rebecca Black talks about 'Friday' on Friday

About (Late) Last Night: YouTube sensation Rebecca Black performs 'Friday' on 'The Tonight Show'

-- Jessica Hundley

Photo of Patrice Wilson of Ark Music. Credit: Katie Falkenberg / For The Times.

Comments

[JPM]

People need to get a life. So a child of 13 is singing a kid's song. Worst song ever? Maybe, who cares, have even listened to Justin Bieber songs?! The world needs a really big chill pill, and to let her be. I don't get this annoying tendency of everyone to judge - what is it to you anyway? Did it ruin your lunch or something? Try this: you start listening to the song, you don't like it - pause the video, close the tab. Done! I'm ashamed of all the cyber bullying a 13 year old is getting, and I'm even more ashamed of all those "musicians" who, with much gnashing of teeth and rending of garments, declare that they are done with it! You are done with it?? Why, because yet another kid became famous before you? If being famous is why you were doing it in the first place, then you are doing it for all the wrong reasons.

[Derek]

I'm ashamed that he graduated from my university. We will never be able to live this down.

[Susan Isaacs]

I was early to trash this video and the people who made it, but this changes my mind. for one thing, if he only charged $2,000 for his work, he gave them a real bargain. Go Patrice!

[Jim R.]

The song is pretty catchy, hype or no hype.

[Daryl McCrea]

Well done brother, much respect and success !!!!

[Rocker CC]

Funny... This article has so many incorrect facts! Which part of Africa?

It mentions he was behind the infectious beat whilst the RB YouTube itself now mentions the other fella produced the song... Not sure why there are so many inconsistencies....

I can't believe any of this now.

[Esol Esek]

He isn't exploiting anyone. HE WROTE THE SONG. Hello, does anybody know that REbecca Black would be NOONE without this guy, who took a barely talented girl who has looks and turned her into a megastar overnight.

WHatever, they both got lucky and have huge names now. It's definitely a pretty crappy song lyrically, but in terms of melody it's not half bad.

People need to contain their envy and get over themselves. Fact is, the producer is probably going to have a longer career than Black will.

[yew]

thumbs up if your watching this because of the tsunami in japan

[FunWideWeb!]

"We dropped Rebecca Black Off At The Pool."

Geared up as FWW!Artist of the week, she was quickly replaced and all traces of her and her mother, removed.
A quick flush, and we're done.

Never bite the hand that helps you up off the ground...

She has no real talent. Lets see her write a song, this was a 1 hit wonder, written by someone else!

[Tony]

@Chris
"If he is really sincere in just wanting to give kids a platform to do what they like, why bother auditioning? Obviously, he wants to accomplish something through these kids. Worst still, he made a joke out of Rebecca Black. Anyone can tell from this incident that Patrice Wilson failed as a music producer"

You are so stupid that i can't believe you figured out of to leave a comment here. The fact that he chooses singers trough audition is the proof that he really wants to make some good music. If he only wanted to make some money, he'd not even bothered to make auditions: he would have just taken the money from the kids. Failed as a producer? Well, a video that costs 2000$ with almost 100 milions views...i don't see that as a failing

[Anon]

I dont care what he says, the song sucks and everyone knows that, things like, "I have a replacement for the death penalty - this song." isn't bad enough, this song has to be the worst song ever written, and Rebecca Black, for singing it, deserves some hating aswell!

[Anon]

@BV - I hate it when people refer to where people are from as simply Africa. There are so many different beautiful countries in Africa, and they all have their own national pride. What country is he from? That's like saying someone is from Europe... or Asia... a little block-headed if you ask me.

You know russia is in asia right? :D

[Monkey Business]

Are you serious? He's not trying to exploit these young singers? Then why does he feel he has to appear as a rapper in all of the music videos he produces? If he truly just wants to help these kids find a creative outlet, then he should stop insinuating himself into all their videos! Now I've heard he's launching his own music career as Pato...sounds like exploitation to me...

[what???]

I can totally believe that all the people like this song. Who in their right mind would go listen to a song if their friend says it sucks? Go to any other song and try it. Tell your friend that some other song sucks and they should really go check it out. Even if they did, they wouldn't "jump on the bandwagon to slam it". They'd just come back and say it wasn't good. I think that people really like it but are afraid to look corny by saying so. They, then, have to slam it. I think the lyrics are kind of corny, but hey, it's a 13 year old's song and video. The tune is really good though! You all couldn't pull this off half as good as Rebecca did. She does have a good singing voice and the tones to stay on tune. So just admit it, kit wasn't a bad song, it is pretty good actually.

[Mazza]

I have way more respect for Patrice Wilson after reading this article and I reckon that his intentions are good. I also reckon that the parody videos should kinda stop, but especially videos of 'rebecca black driveby shooting'. I mean, yeah I don't like the song, but she's 13. If you don't like it don't watch it. I actually admire Patrice for what he does - a place where people can record songs in a safe environment, it's really cheap compared to other places, and where the content is age-appropriate, if you just look at Miley Cyrus - ugh! But as a musician I reckon 'Friday' could have been vastly improved had it been more tuneful, the lyrics not overly simple and the weird rap cameo in the middle not there, I also thought the 13 year old driving a car was weird. And if you compare this song to something like 'Tip Drill" by Nelly or "Right Thurr" by Chingy, no way is it the worst song ever released.

[Lyrics]

For those asking where in Africa he is from - he was born in Nigeria. I really dislike the fact they disabled comment section on Youtube - although when this whole saga started it was really sickening reading all those lame comments. We all know haters gonna hate, anyway.

For me, to be frank; this is my honest opinion... I admire the song, Rebecca Black is so beautiful when she smiles. Her voice sounds remarkably good! :)