LAS VEGAS – Rhymes N’ Dimes co-owner Big Joe Sherman has a real problem with some of the urban porn that’s out there.
“When you look at most of the urban stuff out there today, you don’t see that unique element, you don’t see one hundred percent beautiful women, you don’t see a classy format,” Sherman told AVN. “What you do see is ‘Yo, what up man, these are our big booty bitches, yo,’ and that’s not what we’re about. What I wanted to do as a business man was to put something together something that was deep, that wasn’t just sex; something that was classy and that looked good!”
Rhymes N’ Dimes’ modest booth at the back of the AEE show floor was no indication of the company’s popularity. Swarms of people crowded around to catch pictures of their talent line-up. Recent releases from the New York-based studio include Sizzup The Movie, House Party and Casting Call Beauties.
“Both Joe and I have about a twenty year history in the music business,” said co-owner JD Evans. “And we’d be watching videos with all the beautiful women and the rappers and that’s a multi-billion dollar industry, so it only made sense to try and bring these two industries together. That’s what these movies are about: You have well known rappers woven into the storyline and then the beautiful dimes …it all works out really well.”
“These are multimillion dollar recording artists like Juelz Santana, Camron, Joe Buttons,” said Sherman. “And we also include bonus discs where you can just listen to the whole soundtrack. Hip-hop and porn have been going hand in hand since they started. You turn on a rap video and you’re going to see a video vixen…and they’re doing the same porn that we’re doing, but with their clothes on. Mainstream America needs to accept the fact that sex is here to stay, and we’re just trying to find a format that makes it acceptable.”
Sherman related the story behind the company's 2007 launch: “One day I was sitting around watching videos and I thought, I’m going to be together a company with beauty, good rap…and it had to be something that made some sense to it, something that was put together right,” Sherman said. “I decided that to make this work, I’m going to have to put together the best team possible. So I went to JD and told her what I was thinking about, and told her that I’d like to do it in a classy format, and she said she was on board.”
Sherman said the beauty of the company’s talent is key. “We really built this company, talent-wise, around Beauty Dior…and then she brought all of the rest of the top talent to the table like Kapri Styles, Cherokee, Angel Eyes, Cherokee D’Ass…she brought them all in and helped me understand what porn was really about.”
Sherman and Evans made a conscious decision to self-produce and distribute their own project. “I didn’t want to sell my company to anyone. I worked my company from the ground-up…my first movie coast me over $30,000,” said Sherman. “I hired a production company who shot music videos and pulled out all of the stops for my first movie. I’ve made some changes in production since then and really started to figure out the format, but it’s always top quality product.”
Sherman and Evans have also taken a different financial approach with their growing operation by giving their talent half of the money made from the movies they star in. “These girls are getting involved. It’s not like we’re just hiring you and then you become this separate thing from the movie after it’s done…you’re going to get a cut from it. We’re creating a family, and that’s really what it’s all about. We’ll keep on making better movies and creating a family.”
For more information, see the company’s booth during AEE, or go to www.rhymesndimes.com.
Pictured: Big Joe Sherman, Angel Eyes, Beauty Dior, Kapri Styles, Hypnotiq, Skyy Black, JD Evans, Shorty Mac.
