Matthew Knowles Shares Details About Strategic Beyonce Split

Mathew Knowles is a tour de force. Twenty years ago, the founder, CEO and President of Music World Entertainment’s passion for music planted the seeds for his vision and success for Destiny’s Child, the best selling R&B group of all time, and eventually the No. 1 female R&B solo artist Beyonce. Although often exalted for his accomplishments with his daughter’s career, Knowles has a proven track record of more than 200 million worldwide records sales. BlackEnterprise.com caught up with Mathew to discuss his meager beginnings, his new commitment to gospel community and life after Beyonce.

After 20 years working as a successful team, you and your No. 1 artist—daughter Beyonce—decided to part ways. As her father and manager; will not having her under your wings be a difficult transition for you?
Interesting enough the transition started way before the official announcement. If you’re strategic, which we are, you don’t make a decision like that before you start dialogue. That dialogue started nine months ago. At the end of the day, I’m Beyonce’s father first and her manager second. Remember, this is 20 years I’ve been doing this. She’s almost 30 years old and if she says, "I want to run my business," I think she’s smart enough that she will get the right team. Beyonce is smart enough to know what she knows and what she doesn’t know, and that takes an even smarter person to admit that. And she knows she can call me anytime. It takes a lot of hours and a lot of staff to run the business of Beyonce. (Laughs)

How has Beyonce’s departure affected Music World’s momentum and relevance?
To give that comparison, I evaluate my email activity, which has gone up 100 emails today. Now I’m really focused and I have activated myself in such a way to embrace new opportunities. I’m so grateful and blessed to have had so many successes. I pinch myself sometimes to think of this country boy who has accomplished so much from my career at Xerox to be the No. 1 sales rep, have talented daughters and a wife, the creation of Destiny’s Child, a No. 1 female artist. And I don’t know if folks know this but of all the artists in the world in a decade, Destiny’s Child and Beyonce are on that Top 10 list. I’ve achieved and accomplished more that I could have ever dream.

Read the full interview over at → Black Enterprise