Money-B: Porn on the Job

by Garrett Caples
January 2005

The original “Freak of the Industry,” Money-B has long been known for Talkin’ Dirty, as the title of his 1999 solo disc put it. And it’s not just talk; along with cousin and fellow Digital Underground member Cleetis Mack, Mon is the mastermind behind Sex in the Studio, an adult dvd series featuring some of the biggest names in hip hop. Chingy, Xzibit, and Ludacris headline Episode Two, which includes a 17-song cd by the likes of Planet Asia, the Outlawz, Numskull, Yukmouth, and Bun B. For our opinions issue, we caught up with the Larry Flint of rap at a recent DU gig, to get his take on porn, from the other side of the camera.

We envisioned Sex in the Studio as a celebrity-based adult music video magazine. What we do, our lifestyle, our experiences, the wild parties we go to, the wild shows—we have a lot of outrageous happenings going on. So we just felt like, man, we should share this with the world. Who wouldn’t want to see it? Even though I did it I still want to see it again.

We go out and interview celebrities. The fact that they’re our peers makes them comfortable being candid about themselves; they know we’re going to put shit on there they like. So you’ll probably hear them say things that you’d never hear on Clear Channel or Rap City or any other video show.

We have interview segments, then between each segment we have XXX hardcore scenes. And we have your favorite adult stars. Getting involved with porn stars, for us, it’s a natural progression. We hang out, keep the same hours, hang out at the same clubs. So we know each other. And so I tell them I’m doing this thing; do you want to interview Redman? And they already know Redman. So it’s like that.

Working with Ron Jeremy [on Episode One] was cool. We’ve known Ron for a long time; we’ve done a lot of shows with him, at the porn convention and whatnot. And it just so happened when we got our deal at Metro, he’s actually signed to Metro, so we’re almost like labelmates. Company colleagues. He’s real open and he enjoys what we do, and we definitely enjoy him. He’s always got something funny or nice to say. He’s a real good person to hang out with. Sometimes too much so.

What are the ingredients of good porn? I think you gotta do things that people want to see. A lot of people who watch porn, or a lot of companies, they think, the nastier you are the better. But there’s some things that are just too nasty; I don’t think people are going to want to see it. I don’t think you have to do the most outrageous thing.

But you definitely want beautiful women; that’s the most important. The other thing that’s important is that the women either be into it, or act like they’re into it and be convincing. And a lotta times, more times than not, you want to have a dude with a big dick. And to get really tight, clean shots without a lot of shadows. You definitely have to light it well. That’ll tell you that somebody’s really putting in the time and shooting it well. You know, you get shadows, you can’t see the hole.

The thing I learned, I always thought rappers were late for places. You know how they say, “colored people time”? There’s definitely a porno time. If you want to start at 2, you tell a porno chick it starts at 10.

And you know a porn scene is about 12-15 minutes. But you have to shoot for like three hours. And you know, a lot times you see the same guys in all the porno films; it’s because they can do it. You gotta be able to keep it up for 3 hours. I can’t do that shit, especially with people watching you, and then, “Cut!”—change positions. You have to have it in you. So I would say, it’s definitely a talent.

You treat them like artists. You have to. And it’s wild because, I don’t give a fuck if you’re a man or a woman, you watch pornos for the women. And so the women get paid the most, but it’s the men who really do the most work. It is what it is.