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23 Mar 2023

Future Primitive Announces Los Angeles Summer Series Featuring L.A. Debut of DJ Tennis & Carlita’s Astra Club & More

While Los Angeles has most recently been experiencing a rain-soaked winter and spring, the heat of summer is officially on the horizon with the announcement of Future Primitive’s annual summer series.

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The Los Angeles dance event producer will host a crew of house and techno greats in locations around the city this summer, starting with Guy Gerbers’ Rumors event — which launched nine years ago in Ibiza — at Gin Ling Square in Chinatown on May 6.

That show will be followed by Lee Burridge‘s All Day I Dream in downtown’s Pershing Square on May 20, with this L.A. stop being part of a global 2023 tour that includes shows in Brazil, Dubai, Switzerland, Canada, Ibiza and more.

This same location will host Jamie Jones‘ Paradise In the Park on June 3-4, with that longstanding event — launched at Ibiza’s famous DC10 in 2012 — expanding to two days for the first time in its six-year history.

Finally, the Future Primitive team will return to Chinatown for the debut performance from Astra Club, the white-hot duo composed of DJ Tennis and Carlita at Gin Ling Square.

Full lineups for each of these shows will be announced in the coming months.

Future Primitive is a Los Angeles-based independent promoter that’s become the West Coast partner for a flurry of European brands and artists. The company is focused on bringing the hottest parties and players from the global dance circuit to the City of Angels, placing them in urban setting that have been transformed into dazzling outdoor clubs.

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23 Mar 2023

Corridos Artist Peso Pluma on His Quest for Global Domination: ‘I’m Up for the Challenge’

Peso Pluma is 10 minutes early to his Zoom interview with Billboard.

It’s not super common for an artist to appear on the screen right on time, much less earlier than expected — but the Mexican corridos performer is eager to start the interview and talk about “all the crazy” stuff that’s been happening in his short but rapidly ascending career. “Everything is happening so fast,” the 23-year-old artist says. “I’m as excited about everything as I am scared. I’m just enjoying the moment. I think I’m doing all right.”

It’s safe to say that Peso Pluma is doing just fine. In the past year alone, Peso signed with indie label Prajin Records, his first record deal, and has so far placed nine songs on the Hot Latin Songs chart, including three top 10s: corridos anthem “AMG” with Natanael Cano and Gabito Ballesteros, his slowed-down sierreño track “Por Las Noches” and “PRC” with Cano. He scored his first global chart hit, with the Luis R Conriquez-assisted “Siempre Pendientes,” it reached No. 155 on Global Excl. U.S. and No. 174 on the Global 200.

“It took me a while to assimilate what was happening,” says Peso, who has 216 million on-demand official streams in the U.S., according to Luminate. “To see my name on the charts, to see my name next to really important artists, I always dreamed with this. I know it’s all happening so fast, but that doesn’t mean that we’re going to stop working hard. On the contrary, I feel obligated to continue delivering hits.”

Born in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico, Peso Pluma (who prefers not to share his real name) doesn’t come from an artistic family and learned to navigate this complex world on his own. Inspired by artists such as the late sierreño icon Ariel Camacho, Peso learned to play the guitar at age 15 by watching videos on YouTube. Then he started writing.

“Ever since I was a kid, I would write down my emotions because it was like therapy for me,” he explains. “I used to have a diary and my friends would make fun of me — because that’s considered ‘girly’ — but it worked for me. That’s where I’d write how I was feeling, then I realized some stuff would rhyme. I kept practicing and became better with time.”

Showcasing his blunt style of writing corridos about the highs and lows of life and his ability to also be vulnerable in a song, has caught the attention of Argentine rapper and singer Nicki Nicole and Colombian hitmaker Ovy on the Drums, who’ve recently teamed up with Peso for collaborations.

“Those that know me know that I love reggaetón, it’s what I listen to the most,” he says. “I was positive I’d do a reggaetón song with Ovy, but then they told me that he wanted to do regional Mexican. I was shocked, because he’s a renowned producer who wants to do Mexican music. I added my style, he added his and I love the song.”

Promising to deliver more star-studded collaborations, Peso also has his eyes set on global domination. “I feel like Mexican Music has come close to really going international, but it hasn’t fully happened yet. The United States isn’t everything. I want to go to Brazil, Spain, Argentina. I’m up for the challenge. The regional Mexican artist is emerging — we’re growing within the industry, you can’t deny that anymore.”

Below, meet this month’s Latin Artist on the Rise:

Age: 23

Recommended Song: “If you want to know all about Peso Pluma, listen to ‘AMG.’ You’ll then want to listen everything else.”

Major Accomplishment: “What a good question. I hadn’t thought about this. I think everything. To see my name on the charts. These past few days have been crazy because I keep thinking about all that’s happened. I’m really excited to show everyone what I can do but all in its time.”

What’s Next: “We have more collaborations coming. There’s one that I’m super excited about. You guys are going to love it, and I’m sure it’ll hit No. 1.”

23 Mar 2023

LA Fitness Staff Rushed Tekashi 6ix9ine To A Safe Room After He Caught The Hands & Feet

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Tekashi69

Source: @JustInMyView / R1 Digital

A few days ago Tekashi Snitch9ine finally got the comeuppance that the culture has been so patiently waiting on for the past few years, respectfully. Now new video footage appears to show that the men involved in the attack didn’t just so happen to run into the “Gummo” rapper by coincidence.

TMZ is reporting that the surveillance video from the LA Fitness where Tekashi was brutally beatdown shows the two men enter the gym before being joined by a third, briefly speaking to the desk employee and then ultimately making a beeline directly to the sauna where Tekashi was enjoying life as a free man.

It certainly looks like the two men were in on some sort of plan … but it’s still unclear if they knew Tekashi was going to be at the gym all along, or if one man possibly saw 6ix9ine and called his buddy to help.

What followed was a beatdown for the ages. Leaving Tekashi bloodied up, bruised and battered, the men left the infamous Hip-Hop snitch with coloring on his face that actually blended in with his rainbow wig piece. Though everyone wondered where his security was at during the assault, Tekashi probably felt it wasn’t necessary as TMZ says he’s frequented the South Florida gym in the past without any kind of problems.

Our sources tell us if Tekashi is ever approached or recognized, most of the interactions are peaceful … and he’s usually accommodating and willing to pose with fans. Of course, he’s clearly got enemies out there — no doubt still lingering from the infamous RICO case.

Well, Tekashi found out that day that the streets eventually catch up to everyone. Usually working out for 20 minutes on the stair master at that particular location, Tekashi must’ve thought he was safe in Florida as he’s never beefed with any rapper in Trump country in his career, that we know of. He obviously wasn’t.

Luckily for Tekashi, LA Fitness staff reportedly intervened to help get him to a safe room and keep the men from inflicting more damage on his body.

No word on whether the men involved in the assault are being sought for questioning by authorities, but given the brazenness of their actions, they could probably care less about getting cuffed up for the assault. Heck, Boosie Badazz is already calling for fans to start a GoFundMe page to support his new snitch-beating heroes. Even Gunna is getting heat due to Tekashi’s plight.

What do y’all think of the situation? Let us know in the comments section below.



23 Mar 2023

TikTok CEO Faces Grilling By Congress Over Security Fears

The CEO of TikTok faced a grilling Thursday from a U.S. congressional committee in a rare public appearance where made his own case for why the hugely popular video-sharing app shouldn’t be banned.

Shou Zi Chew’s testimony came at a crucial time for the company, which has acquired 150 million American users but is under increasing pressure from U.S. officials. TikTok and its parent company ByteDance have been swept up in a wider geopolitical battle between Beijing and Washington over trade and technology.

“Mr. Chew, you are here because the American people need the truth about the threat TikTok poses to our national and personal security,” Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers, a Republican, said in her opening statement. “TikTok has repeatedly chosen a path for more control, more surveillance and more manipulation.”

Chew, a 40-year-old Singapore native, told the House Committee on Energy and Commerce that TikTok prioritizes the safety of its young users and denied allegations that the app is a national security risk. He reiterated the company’s plan to protect U.S. user data by storing all such information on servers maintained and owned by the server giant Oracle.

“Let me state this unequivocally: ByteDance is not an agent of China or any other country,” Chew said.

On Wednesday, the company sent dozens of popular TikTokers to Capitol Hill to lobby lawmakers to preserve the platform. It has also been putting up ads all over Washington that tout promises of securing users’ data and privacy and creating a safe platform for its young users.

TikTok has been dogged by claims that its Chinese ownership means user data could end up in the hands of the Chinese government or that it could be used to promote narratives favorable to the country’s Communist leaders.

In a rare, bipartisan effort to reign in the power and influence of a major social media platform, Republican and Democratic lawmakers pressed Chew on a host of topics, ranging from TikTok’s content moderation practices, how the company plans to secure American data from Beijing, and that it admits spying on journalists.

Watch the Hearing Below:

In 2019, the Guardian had reported TikTok was instructing its moderators to censor videos that mention Tiananmen Square and other images unfavorable to the Chinese government. The platform says it has since changed its moderation practices.

ByteDance admitted in December that it fired four employees last summer who accessed data on two journalists, as well as other people connected to them, while attempting to track down the source of a leaked report about the company.

For its part, TikTok has been trying to distance itself from its Chinese origins, saying that 60% percent of its parent company ByteDance is owned by global institutional investors such as Carlyle Group. ByteDance was founded by Chinese entrepreneurs in Beijing in 2012. Responding to a Wall Street Journal report, China said it would oppose any U.S. attempts to force ByteDance to sell the app.

But Chew pushed back against the idea that TikTok’s ownership was an issue in itself.

“Trust is about actions we take. We have to earn that trust with decisions we make for our company and our products and potential security, privacy content, manipulation concerns raised about TikTok are really not unique to us” Chew said. “Ownership is not at the core of addressing these concerns.”

A U.S. ban on an app would be unprecedented and it’s unclear how the government would enforce it.

Experts say officials could try to force Apple and Google to remove TikTok from their app stores, preventing new users from downloading it as well as preventing existing users from updating it, ultimately rendering it useless.

The U.S. could also block access to TikTok’s infrastructure and data, seize its domain names or force internet service providers like Comcast and Verizon to filter TikTok data traffic, said Ahmed Ghappour, a criminal law and computer security expert who teachers at Boston University School of Law.

But a tech savvy user could still get around restrictions by using a virtual private network to make it appear the user is in another country where it’s not blocked, he said.

To avoid a ban, TikTok has been trying to sell officials on a $1.5 billion plan called Project Texas, which routes all U.S. user data to domestic servers owned and maintained by software giant Oracle. Under the project, access to U.S. data is managed by U.S. employees through a separate entity called TikTok U.S. Data Security, which employs 1,500 people, is run independently of ByteDance and would be monitored by outside observers.

As of October, all new U.S. user data was being stored inside the country. The company started deleting all historic U.S. user data from non-Oracle servers this month, in a process expected to be completed later this year, Chew said.

Generally, researchers have said TikTok behaves like other social media companies when it comes to data collection. In an analysis released in 2021, the University of Toronto’s nonprofit Citizen Lab found TikTok and Facebook collect similar amounts of user data valuable for advertisers.

To block such tracking, Congress, the White House, U.S. armed forces and more than half of U.S. states have banned the use of the app from official devices.

But wiping away all the data tracking associated with the platform might prove to be difficult. In a report released this month, the Cybersecurity company Feroot said so-called tracking pixels from ByteDance, which collect user information, were found on 30 U.S state websites, including some where the app has been banned for official use.

Other countries including Denmark, Canada, Great Britain and New Zealand, along with the European Union, have already banned TikTok from devices issued to government employees.

David Kennedy, a former government intelligence officer who runs the cybersecurity company TrustedSec, agrees with restricting TikTok access on government-issued phones because they might contain sensitive information. A nationwide ban, however, might be too extreme, he said. He also wondered where it might lead.

“We have Tesla in China, we have Microsoft in China, we have Apple in China. Are they going to start banning us now?” Kennedy said. “It could escalate very quickly.”

23 Mar 2023

Bag Secured: Telfar Rolls Out New Pricing Model

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TELFAR X EASTPAK

Source: TELFAR / Telfar

One of the hottest accessory imprints is trying to change the game again. Telfar is rolling out a new pricing model.

As spotted on Business Of Fashion the New York City based label is changing their approach on how they sell their uber popular bags. This week the company announced they are restructuring their pricing model with a goal of empowering their consumer base.

Starting with their forthcoming collection, all of their bags will be released at the wholesale price. From there pricing will increase depending on the demand. Once an item sells out of inventory it will remain at that final price for all future drops. Founder Telfar Clemens explained their strategy in an exclusive interview with Fast Company Magazine. “Many brands use price as a barrier to entry. I never wanted that for my brand,” he stated.

This is just yet another move in Telfar’s approach to disrupting the luxury category. Previously Telfar launched their “Bag Security Program” where consumers can pre-order bags prior to production and receive their piece months later. The initiative is a direct response to the difficulty of purchasing bags upon launch (they sell out quickly). In 2021 they launched their “Telfar TV” feature on the Telfar app to combat bots.

Photo: TELFAR

23 Mar 2023

Selena Gomez Celebrates ‘Lose You to Love Me’ Reaching 1 Billion Spotify Streams

She needed to lose you to gain streams — one billion, to be exact. Selena Gomez has surpassed a billion Spotify listens for her blockbuster 2019 track “Lose You to Love Me,” a milestone she celebrated on Instagram Wednesday (March 22).

The streaming service announced the news on social media, tweeting, “All the love for
@selenagomez ❤️ Congratulations for 1 Billion streams on Lose You to Love Me #BillionsClub.”

Spotify also posted about the landmark on Instagram, which the “Calm Down” singer re-shared on her Story. “Grateful,” she wrote, adding a heart emoji.

“Lose You to Love Me” isn’t the first song Gomez has landed in Spotify’s billion streams club, but it is her first solo effort to reach the mark. Previous entries include collaborations on “It Ain’t Me” with Kygo, “Wolves” with Marshmello and “Taki Taki” with DJ Snake, Ozuna and Cardi B.

Released as the lead single off the Only Murders in the Building star’s third studio album, Rare, “Lose You to Love Me” marked Gomez’s first No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. It was a streaming powerhouse from the very beginning, becoming the singer’s first song to top the Streaming Songs chart shortly after its release.

“When I wrote the song ‘Lose You to Love Me,’ I was kind of a mess,” she told Billboard in early 2020. “It was really difficult for me. And by the time we shot the music video at the end of the year, it had a completely different meaning, and it was so freeing. It was actually fun for me – I think, because I let it go, it actually meant that I let it go within myself as well. And I couldn’t have asked for a better way to close a chapter in my life.”

Join a billion other listeners in streaming Selena Gomez’s “Lose You to Love Me” below:

23 Mar 2023

BLACKPINK Playing 2023 BST Hyde Park Summer Festival With Sabrina Carpenter, The Rose & More

BLACKPINK will have some serious back-up when they take the stage at the BST Hyde Park concert series in London this summer. The official poster for the K-pop group’s headlining slot on July 2 in London revealed that they’ll share the stage with “Nonsense” singer Sabrina Carpenter, as well as South Korean indie rockers The Rose and up-and-coming English pop singers Caity Baser and Mae Stephens.

The poster for the event revealed on Thursday (March 23) promised “many more” support act to be announced.

The massive summer series has already announced a a special edition of P!nk’s Summer Carnival outing with Gwen Stefani (and more guests to be announced soon) on June 24 and 25, a June 30 show with Guns N’ Roses (and special guests to be announced), beloved British boy band Take That with The Script and Sugarbabes on July 1, Billy Joel and Daryl Hall on July 7 and Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band on July 6 and 8.

BLACKPINK’s members have been making plenty of news outside the group lately, with Jisoo teasing her upcoming solo album, ME, with a second teaser in which the singer poses in a black crop top and billowing skirt and gazes intently at the camera until the title of the album and its release date pop up in red text. Earlier this week, Rosé shared some footage of her and bandmate Jennie enjoying Harry Styles’ Love n Tour stop at Seoul’s KSPO Dome and singing along to Harry’s “As It Was” before grabbing some snaps with Styles backstage after the show.

Check out the poster for BLACKPINK’s BST Hyde Park show below.

23 Mar 2023

3LAU Nears Settlement Deal to End Songwriter’s Lawsuit Over Profits From $11M NFT Auction

3LAU is close to a settlement to end a lawsuit claiming the DJ refused to properly share the earnings from an $11.7 million NFT auction with a musical collaborator.

Citing the fact that the two sides were “near a settlement in principle,” a New York federal judge on Monday tentatively dismissed the lawsuit filed by musician Luna Aura over the huge proceeds from the much-publicized NFT auction of his album Ultraviolet.

Aura (real name Angela Anne Flores) launched the lawsuit last fall, claiming 3LAU (real name Justin Blau) offered her just $25,000 from, even though she said she was owed a 50 percent recording royalty from one of the songs on the album called “Walk Away.”

“Despite this financial windfall, defendants only offered Luna Aura a flat one-time payment of twenty-five thousand dollars as compensation in connection with the sale of Ultraviolet and ‘Walk Away’ NFTs,” her lawyers wrote at the time. 3LAU strongly denied the allegations, with his manager saying they would “vigorously defend the lawsuit.”

Specific terms of the tentative settlement were not disclosed in public court records, and neither side provided additional details when contacted by Billboard. If the deal is not finalized within 30 days, the judge said the parties could reopen the case and resume litigating.

Even during 2021’s fever-dream craze for NFTs (non-fungible tokens), 3LAU’s Feb. 2021 auction stood out as notable. By selling 33 collectible tokens linked to his 3-year-old album Ultraviolet — the NFTs gave the buyers access to vinyl copies, unreleased music and other special experiences — the DJ-producer raked in $11.7 million. “It was one of those moments in my life where I was like, ‘Holy s—,’” 3LAU told Billboard at the time. “‘I think we just changed everything.’”

But according to Aura’s November lawsuit, he didn’t share those profits with a key person who helped create the album. She says her contract guaranteed her a 50% recording royalty on “Walk Away,” and that she also owned 30% of the underlying musical composition. The lawsuit did not specify exactly how much moneys he believed she was owed from the auction.

In a statement to Billboard after the case was filed, 3LAU’s manager Andrew Goldstone strongly denied the allegations: “These claims are without merit, and we will vigorously defend the lawsuit that was just filed yesterday without any prior notice. There are no set standards for how to approach an NFT project like this, which involved much more than just the music. Justin’s team tried for months to reach a deal with Flores in good faith, but she stopped responding and instead chose to file a lawsuit.”

Goldstone declined to comment on Monday’s order announcing the near-settlement. Aura’s attorney, Moish E. Peltz, did not return a request for comment.

23 Mar 2023

J. Cole Talks Smoking Cigarettes As A Kid, Love Of Basketball & More With Bob Myers

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Dvsn Concert After Party

J. Cole keeps a healthy distance between his adoring fanbase and his personal life, so the rare chances to get a deeper glimpse into his life are a welcome moment. In a new interview, the Dreamville Records honcho shared details about his life few knew such as getting caught smoking cigarettes as a boy, his love of basketball, and more.

J. Cole sat down with ESPN’s Lead By Example with Bob Myers, hosted by Golden State Warriors GM, Bob Myers. As one of the top executives in professional sports, Myers’ program might not seem like a likely spot for J. Cole but the interview was wide-ranging, revealing, and full of heart.

Early in the chat, the North Carolina artist born Jermaine Cole shared a story of how he was sneaking around at the age of 6 with friends and got into a pack of cigarettes. While Cole was trying to embody the cool of his older neighborhood pals, his older brother didn’t approve of his actions and told their mother.

Cole went on to say that the moment changed his life and that he learned how to model better behavior and began correcting himself whenever he strayed off his path. In a bid to not disappoint others, Cole says be became a “self-corrector.”

Later in the chat, Cole talks about being passed over at the Grammys in earlier parts of his life, his creative process, and much more.

Check out the discussion between J. Cole and Bob Myers below.



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Photo: Getty

23 Mar 2023

Like Peanut Butter and… Ludacris? Meet the Former Sony Music Exec Who Matches Artists & Brands

Bettie Levy remembers “all kinds” of music playing in her parents’ Washington, D.C., household while she was growing up. And when she was finally allowed to go to the local shopping mall by herself while in middle school, she kept up the family tradition.

“I would take any dollar I earned anywhere and come home with singles and cassette tapes,” Levy recalls with a laugh. “Ultimately every birthday, I always wanted something relating to music. Then after CDs came, tower racks took over my room. So I think it was pretty much a given that I was going to do something in music.”

And she did. After several career-evolving stints at Sony Music, in 2009, Levy affixed her initials to her own enterprise. Focusing on live events and brand partnerships, New York-based BCL Entertainment encompasses all music genres, as well as A-list talent ranging from artists and Broadway stars to film/TV actors, athletes and influencers. And it’s all in service to a client roster that includes brands, hospitality companies, TV/digital production companies and charitable organizations.

Last year, according to Levy, BCL Entertainment logged the most events in the company’s nearly 14-year history. Its string of multiple talent-production projects commenced in January 2022 with the launch of the ongoing national ad campaign for Folgers coffee, featuring Grammy-winning artist Trombone Shorty. Last fall marked the second season of BCL’s collaboration with sports apparel company Fanatics and its merch line from Grammy-winning country artist Darius Rucker and the NFL. According to Levy, the Darius Rucker X NFL By Fanatics clothing line was among the top five NFL men’s apparel lines during the football season throughout the Fanatics network of websites. In association with Fanatics’ in-house event planners, Levy was also a producer of the company’s 2022 Super Bowl party performances featuring Doja Cat and other artists.

BCL Entertainment kicked off 2023 with Levy again working on Fanatics’ 2023 Super Bowl Party, which showcased performances by J Balvin, Travis Scott, The Chainsmokers and A$AP Ferg, among others. Coming soon is a new national ad campaign for Meow Mix — featuring *NSYNC’s JC Chasez and a feline boy band created by the cat food brand — that will air across broadcast, cable and digital outlets. Meanwhile, Calissa Sounds, a summer concert series staged in the Hamptons that BCL co-created with the Civetta Hospitality Group, will return this year (last year’s event included Fat Joe and Wyclef Jean). BCL is also looking forward to another season of Darius Rucker X NFL By Fanatics in the fall.

Still running is the award-winning ad campaign done on behalf of The J.M. Smucker Co.’s Jif peanut butter brand, for which BCL Entertainment served as talent producer. Featuring rap icon and Atlanta native Ludacris, the 2021 commercial spun off several offshoots including a TikTok campaign that has generated 7 million campaign-related views to date, an original song (“Butter ATL”) released on all DSPs, a limited-edition necklace and a charity partnership with the Boys & Girls Clubs of America. The Jif team went on to win four awards at the 2022 Cannes Lions ceremony for the campaign.

BCL’s steadfast mission, says Levy, is to “authentically match talent with brands and events. Then the rest is simple. The best brand/event and talent relationships are the ones that aren’t forced.”

A case in point is the Folgers commercial with Trombone Shorty. The process began with two key questions: Who could vibe well with the ad’s theme song — a reworking of the Joan Jett & the Blackhearts classic “Bad Reputation” — utilized in an effort to prove the 170-year-old coffee product is still cool to drink? And, in turn, who could also bring a New Orleans flair, given that the brand, also part of the Smucker family, is headquartered in The Big Easy? The ensuing chemistry between Folgers, NOLA native Trombone Shorty and Jett led to BCL pitching, closing and structuring Folgers’ sponsorship of Trombone Shorty’s Voodoo Threauxdown Tour in 2022, as well as the musician’s one-off show in New Orleans last April with special guests that included Jett herself.

“Jif and Folgers are examples of multi-dimensional campaigns in which one thing leads to the next between events and brand partnerships,” says Levy. “When you’re touching all the creative points and everything comes full circle like that, it’s pretty incredible.”

Besides authenticity, agility is another component of BCL Entertainment’s operational philosophy. As it was from the start, Levy continues to utilize a team of four to five key people, allowing her to “flex up or down as needed, bringing in staff and partners for different projects, as well as using local vendors to keep costs at bay.” That agility, Levy adds, came in handy during the pandemic: “When everything pivoted to virtual, we were able to move swiftly and adapt; meeting clients, brands and entertainers where they were in that moment.”

BCL’s ability to move quickly and adapt is tied to one more foundational component: Levy’s long-term industry relationships. While attending Boston University, Levy interned with Sony Music. Literally the day after graduation, she started working full-time in the radio promotion department at Columbia Records in New York. A gig as the label’s video booker followed, as did a more senior booking role at Epic Records. Then in 2007, Levy joined former Sony Music Label Group CEO Don Ienner’s label and production company, IMO Entertainment, as director of business development.

“By being at Sony, I built relationships on steroids,” says Levy. “It was just so exponential between the people and talent that I was meeting and working with. Going from that corporate environment to the entrepreneurial space at IMO, along with having been taught at home that anything is possible … the combination of all those experiences put me in the position to take the risk and start BCL Entertainment. What forever holds true and allows me to continue to succeed — no matter the evolution of the industry — are relationships.”

SPOTLIGHT:

What’s changed most in my line of work is that after having BCL Entertainment for nearly 14 years, I feel surrounded more regularly by female executives. As a matter of fact, there are a few companies we partner with where all the executives are women. That’s awesome to see as well as be part of. Also, the prevalence and importance of events and brand partnerships have grown exponentially over the past 20-plus years. Every event and brand partnership today has — and often needs — talent attached, particularly for press and social media reasons. The latter has become invaluable and is a very different form of promotion than when I started in the business.

What most people don’t understand about what I do is they often think it’s easy because every day looks like so much fun. And it is fun because I love what I do. But there are usually 752 things going on in my mind at once and it’s all hard work. Each and every client is my No. 1 priority — at the same time.

I would tell people coming up in this industry that it’s tough. But keep your head high; operate with transparency and class; and build and nurture relationships, because it’s the business of “know who” more than “know how.” Also always remember, one opportunity leads to the next. Explore every opportunity, as you have no idea where it will take you and who you will meet next.

The best advice I received is from my dad; I quote him all day long. Some of my favorites: “You only need one ‘Yes’; and no means ‘Not now.’” “Don’t give up. Ever.” “If you want to get something done, ask the busiest person you know. Busy people get everything done.”

I’ve learned it’s important to be loyal, be honest and be yourself and you will always win. Also, if you aren’t learning, you aren’t growing.

Spotlight is a Billboard Business series that aims to highlight those in the music business making innovative or creative moves, or who are succeeding in behind-the-scenes or under-the-radar roles. For submissions for the series, please contact spotlight@billboard.com.