SelectConversations

Some people beat the system, others create their own. This episode of SelectConversations features LaRussell, the Vallejo, California rapper sharing the table as an independent artist who offers ownership to his supporters. UnitedMasters Head of Brand Strategy and Editorial Damien Scott sits down with LaRussell to break down his algorithms, fan equity, merch strategy and the importance of building a team. Tune in for more gems from UnitedMasters SelectConversations, presented by Ally. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode we sit down with visual disrupter, multidisciplinary artist and designer D’ana Nunez a.k.a. COVL. D’ana has established herself as a titan of design, illustration, and fashion while notching collaborations with iconic brands like Billionaire Girls Club, Nike, Foot Locker, Instagram, Samsung, Chillhouse, Red Bull Sound Select, and many more.Whether you are a painter, graphic artist, musician or art lover, this conversation contains gems for you about how to bet on yourself, how life can imitate art, and what it means to create the future you want to live in.#unitedmasters #selectconversations Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As an Entrepreneur, Manager and Grammy-winning Creative Executive, Kei disrupted the Atlanta music scene and paved the way for some of your favorite artists.Whether you are an artist, future executive or music lover - Kei drops insight on honing your own and developing your skills, following your passion and why her pronouns are “winner.” During this discussion, Kei dives deep into real questions: Are labels lazy?!  What does it take to run a label? What does it take to manage an A-list artist?Tune in, you will be sure to learn and laugh! Welcome to #UnitedMasters SelectConversations, presented by Ally. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Students, class is now in session! You are now entering Independent Artist 101. On this special episode of #UnitedMasters SelectConversations presented by Ally, we are live from Brooklyn, New York with a studio audience with the multifaceted artist, brand and activist - Chance The Rapper.Chance shares insight on his career, building a team, launching a festival, brand collaborations, and navigating as an independent artist. Oh, he also shares his favorite shower vocal warm-up and background harmonies?!Stay tuned to the end, for a special performance of his new single “The Highs & The Lows." Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We’ve heard “words have power,” but what if your words lead you to a successful career in poetry? Welcome to #UnitedMasters SelectConversations presented by Ally. As we continue to empower the next generation of creators and entrepreneurs, we are channeling into your passions and creating room for your purpose and bank accounts. On this episode, we are talking to Award Winning Poet, Recording Artist, Songwriter and Author - J. Ivy. We dive into his career, Grammy nomination, Chicago roots, connection to hip hop culture and how one phone call with Ye changed his life. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"How you gon' win, when you ain't right within?”, to quote the great Lauryn Hill. On this episode, we are tapping into new rules of Money, Power and Respect with hip hop royalty and power couple Styles P and Adjua. Styles P (rapper extraordinaire, entrepreneur, one third of the multi-platinum recording group The Lox) and wife Adjua (entrepreneur, baker, author, and mom), give us gems for LIFE! This is a dynamic discussion of the mind, body, soul and business. As successful artist and business owners of “Farmacy for Life” and “Juices for Life,” they share everything from culture, music business, nutrition, what’s in their medicine cabinet, marriage, loss and wins. Turn up the volume and tune into #UnitedMasters SelectConversations presented by Ally. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to #UnitedMasters SelectConversations Season 2 presented by Ally. As we continue to empower the next generation of creators and entrepreneurs, this episode is a must listen! Host Rachie Jackson dives into A$AP Ferg's Harlem upbringing, fashion DNA, money, artistry and how supreme confidence is true peace. The gems dropped are priceless, and you will learn that "proper preparation prevents poor performance!" Get ready to take notes. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#UnitedMasters SelectConversations Season 2 is finally here. Our host Rachie Jackson is kicking off the season with special guests: the award-winning dynamic director duo of Coodie & Chike, the masterminds behind the Kanye West Netflix documentary “Jeen-Yuhs,” - live from Brooklyn, New York at SelectCon 004. The vibes were right, the sunshine was hitting at our first live event in over two years, and the gems were dropped. On this live taping, we got a chance to discuss all things on the making of the Netflix documentary “Jeen-Yuhs,” the directing duo's future projects, divine alignment, and more. SelectConversations Season 2 is presented by Ally. #DoItRight Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this very special episode of SelectConversations we’re honored to have Swizz Beatz, the legendary record producer and creative entrepreneur behind No Commission & Verzuz, and Steve Stoute, Founder and CEO at UnitedMasters and Translation. In this conversation, Swizz shares valuable insights and advice on the job of a producer and his growth in the industry from being a creative to a businessman with Verzuz & No Commission.We also cover:- How Swizz got started in music as a producer- Understanding personal finances as a creative- Being boxed in by the industry coming up and learning the ropes of business- How Verzuz started and what it means to the cultureTo tune in to more episodes of SelectConversations, be sure to subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts by following the link here: https://selectcon.unitedmasters.com/selectconversationsPresented by @ally. #doitright Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this very special episode of SelectConversations we’re honored to have AJ Ramos, US Latin & Latin America Artist Relations Manager at YouTube, Snow Tha Product and Jimmy Humilde, the CEO of Rancho Humilde. In this conversation they share valuable insights and advice on the future of independent music in Latin American culture and the idea of an artist owning their future.We also cover:- How to create your own personal lane in the music industry- How to use music as a way to overcome personal adversity- How to own your future as an artist- How to deal with rejection and closed doors- The value of staying positive and dealing with a "no"To tune in to more episodes of SelectConversations, be sure to subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts by following the link here: https://selectcon.unitedmasters.com/selectconversationsPresented by @ally. #doitright Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this very special episode of SelectConversations we’re honored to have Shanti Das, the Founder of Silence The Shame, Inc, Byron Wright, Executive Director, Creative at BMI, Dr. Stallworth, CEO at Applied Learning Solutions Group LLC, and Mavi, an artist from New York Lab. In this conversation they share valuable insights and advice on mental health, building healthy habits, being intentional with how you spend your time, the importance of self care and more!We also cover:- How to build healthier habits- Anxiety & Depression Vs. Sadness- How to build long term solutions to our pain instead of turning to drugs- The importance of a therapist or life coach in one’s lifeTo tune in to more episodes of SelectConversations, be sure to subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts by following the link here: https://selectcon.unitedmasters.com/selectconversationsPresented by @ally #doitright Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this very special episode of SelectConversations we’re honored to have Arjun Mehta, the Founder of Moment House, Shauna Alexander, Global Director, Brand Partnerships at SoundCloud, Yves C. Pierre, Agent at ICM Partners and Co-Founder and Host of Club House Global, Jasmine Solano. In this conversation they share valuable insights and advice on creating opportunities, raising monetization and capitalizing on assets such as merchandise and meet-and-greets, innovating and complementing the music industry with new ideas and more!We also cover:How to pivot and innovate off of successful aspects of the music industryHow to analyze and expand off at home and virtual experiencesHow to find unique and groundbreaking opportunities within the music industryHow to make virtual musical experiences more interactive and immersiveTo tune in to more episodes of SelectConversations, be sure to subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts by following the link here: https://selectcon.unitedmasters.com/selectconversationsPresented by @ally. #doitright Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this very special episode of SelectConversations we’re honored to have J1, the Director of Hip-Hop at Pandora, AJ "El Kallejero" Ramos, the Latin Artist Relations Manager at YouTube, Albert Cooke, Senior Manager at SoundCloud and Anisa Brenne. In this conversation they share valuable insights and advice from all playlist curation, the importance of creating an online presence for playlist availability, and the prioritization of heat, soul and numbers within your music. We also cover: How you can make yourself visible to playlistingHow to build an online presence on multiple streaming platformsHow to prioritize distribution and streaming availabilityHow to build playlists from a variety of platforms and originsThe importance of quality over quantityTo tune in to more episodes of SelectConversations, be sure to subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts by following the link here: https://selectcon.unitedmasters.com/selectconversationsPresented by @ally. #doitright Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this very special episode of SelectConversations we’re honored to have Jamil Davis, the CEO of the Revels Group, Terrence “Snake” Hawkins, the CEO of Marki Management, Courtney Stewart, Founder of Right Hand Co / Keep Cool, and Rachel Jackson from Youtube Music. In this conversation they share valuable insights and advice from all facets of the music game, the importance of mindset in navigating the peaks and valleys of success, and the value of maintaining relationships from the ground up. We also cover: How you can maintain strong relationships in the music industry from the ground up.How you can build a constructive mindset going into interviews, auditions and performances.How to navigate the managing side of the music industry.How to foster strategic partnerships with artists that you manage. How to properly budget time to get the most out of the artists you manage. How to operate a tour that plays to the artists strengths and weaknesses. To tune in to more episodes of SelectConversations, be sure to subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts by following the link here: https://selectcon.unitedmasters.com/selectconversationsPresented by @ally #doitright Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this very special episode of SelectConversations we’re honored to have Grammy award winning producers & songwriters Johntá Austin and Bryan Michael Cox. In this conversation we speak through how they got into the music business and continued to grow to a point of mastery and become some of the most well respected individuals in the industry for their craft. We also cover: - How Johntá Austin and Bryan Michael Cox got into the music industry and grew to the point of becoming Grammy winning songwriters & producers- The pros and cons of producer tags and when to use and not to use them- The work ethic, dedication and consistency required to grow and prosper in the music industry- How to hone specific skills to build leverage vs. trying to do everything- How to grow into a master of your craft- The biggest lessons from Johntá Austin and Bryan Michael Cox about how to thrive in the business side of musicPresented by @ally #doitright Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Photographers, videographers, and all other visual creators play a major role in defining an artists’ brand. How well you’re able to curate their vision and blend it with your own ideas is essential. In this episode we break down everything it takes to create timeless art, be recognized for your work and build your own brand as a creative, behind the lens. That’s why we’re grateful to have a panel of true experts on the topic for this episode including Jonathan Mannion, Sammy Approved, & Cam Kirk. In this episode we cover:- What it takes to become an in-demand creative- Advice from photographers on how to align their vision with an artists’ vision- How to network, the right way- The keys to building your legacy even behind the scenes- The importance of defining your vision for your career- How to get access to the people you need Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Curation plays a major role in defining taste and amplifying talent. How well you’re able to curate your brand, and get noticed by playlist curators at major brands and streaming platforms ties directly back to your ability to reach new fans and develop a long lasting fanbase. That’s why we’re grateful to have a panel of true experts on the topic for this episode including Ebro Darden (Head of Hip-Hop & R&B at Apple Music), Mikey Yi (Content & Artist Relations at Genius), Maurice Peebles (Editor In Chief at Complex Media), and Mika Sunga (Manager of Programming & Curation at Vevo).In this episode we cover:- What is curation and how you can use it to your advantage- Advice from playlist curators on how you can get featured- How to approach curators, the right way- The keys to building a groundswell of community support- The importance of owning your content & music Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In our third episode of SelectConversations, we’re honored to welcome A$AP Ferg, Frank ‘The Butcher’ Rivera, Joel Rodriguez, & Arby Li. In this episode they cover a range of topics including the relationship between consumers and brands, brands and artists, making natural partnerships, how artists can get on brands radars, when it makes sense to find partners and more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In our second episode of SelectConversations, we’re honored to welcome Russ into a fireside chat with our very own, Steve Stoute. In this episode Russ and Steve Stoute cover a range of topics including Russ’s most valuable lessons learned in the music business, principles of success, how to be independent, owning your brand and likeness, balancing business & creative pursuits, and more.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In our first episode of SelectConversations, we’re honored to welcome Pharrell Williams into a fireside chat with our very own, Steve Stoute. Pharrell needs no introduction and in this episode Pharrell and Steve Stoute cover a range of topics including Pharrell’s most valuable lessons learned in the music business, principles of success, his nonprofit organization Black Ambition, balancing business & creative pursuits, and more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.