Black Execs and Artists Making Music Moves — Part 2
Following our celebration of 10 Black British Women Making Music Moves, this February for Black History Month we are highlighting 10 Black Music Execs and Artists making serious movements in the US and Canada, as recommended by our shesaid.so members.
Blxck Cxsper — Producer and Rapper
Named one of CBC’s Black Changemakers, Blxck Cxsper is a non-binary Montreal-based Producer and Rapper inspiring others and making a huge impact. After often finding themselves the only Black trans person in the room, Blxck Cxsper reached out to other trans people and produced a mixtape called Trans Trenderz, which they then grew and developed in to a record label, Trans Trenderz. The label’s mission is to help transgender artists achieve mainstream success whilst feeling empowered and respected for who they are.
Brianna Agyemang — Senior Artist Campaign Manager, Platoon & Co-Founder of The Show Must Be Paused
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Jamila Thomas — Senior Director of Marketing, Atlantic Records & Co-Founder of The Show Must Be Paused
In addition to senior roles at major music businesses Platoon and Atlantic Records respectively, Brianna Agyemang @bri_anna and Jamila Thomas Co-Founded #TheShowMustBePaused, which literally brought the music industry to a halt for a day, and made an impact way beyond that day. The pair issued a formal list of demands to music companies in September designed to “gain more room for growth opportunities for Black people” through transparency, accountability and recruitment, among other initiatives. Featured in Rolling Stone and more, Agyemang and Thomas recently noted after being named Billboard’s Women in Music 2020 Executives of the Year: “We’re in this for the long haul”.
Binta Niambi Brown — Co-Founder/Co-Chair, Black Music Action Coalition (BMAC); Founder/CEO, oma lilly projects
The BMAC launched last year with a goal of bringing permanent change and to make sure that the music industry’s anti-racist work is a constant and sustainable movement beyond 2020. “We organized and united a [200-plus] community of artist managers, attorneys and other industry professionals who have historically competed against one another to instead collaborate, share information, help one another and stand together in the face of injustice,” says Brown. Follow Binta Niambi Brown @batnib on Instagram
Chayce Cheatham — Music Label Partnerships TikTok
Having previously been featured in Forbes for her work in streaming, last year Chayce joined the TikTok team. In 2020 Chayce spoke at the WorldScout Virtual Music Expo. Her advice to people in the early stage of their career? “start building your network now… The advice, knowledge, and opportunities that I’ve received from mentors throughout my career have been invaluable.”
Tiffany R. Warren — Executive Vice President, Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer, Sony Music Group
Last year Tiffany R. Warren became Sony Music Group’s first ever Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer, in a newly created role to expand equity and inclusion activities and policies across all of Sony Music’s companies (featured in MBW). She is also the founder of ADCOLOR, an organization which promotes greater diversity in advertising, marketing, media and tech; and launched the Most Promising University within the American Advertising Federation, which has mentored more than 350 multicultural students from across the country since its founding in 2013.
Camille Hackney — Chief Partnerships Officer, Brand Partnerships & Commercial Licensing at Atlantic Records and Head of the Global Brand Partnerships Council for Warner Music Group. President, Advisory board, Warner Music Group/Blavatnik Family Foundation Social Justice Fund
Camille Hackney, who works with the employee resource group of the Atlantic Black Coalition, is also President of the Advisory Board of the $100 million WMG/BFF Social Justice Fund announced in June 2020. “Helping change makers — like Desmond Meade at the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition and Alicia Garza at Black Futures Lab, who fight every day for racial justice and social change — is incredible,” she says.
Suzi Analogue — Producer, Songwriter and Creator of Never Normal Records
Suzi Analogue is energetically pioneering the new wave of women producers in electronic music & beyond. A prolific artist, writer, producer and creator of Never Normal Records who draws from house, footwork, rap, reggae & film to make conceptual music that amplifies her special personal stories. True to her name, Suzi releases much of her music on formats like tape & vinyl on Never Normal Records, which have found success from the Billboard charts to BBC Radio playlists, Boiler Room to New York Fashion Week shows, like the widely-celebrated designer CHROMAT S/S18 Serenity collection for which Suzi composed the live score. @suzianalog @nevernormalrecords
Candace McDuffie — Music Writer/Journalist
Candace McDuffie is an acclaimed cultural critic and music journalist whose writing approaches the intersection of race, gender and entertainment. Her written work has been featured on digital platforms such as; Rolling Stone, MTV, Forbes, Grammy.com, Paper Mag, Entertainment Weekly, Glamour, Vibe, Tidal, Marie Claire, The Christian Science Monitor and Boston Magazine. McDuffie’s book ’50 rappers who changed the world’ came out last year: check it out! @candace.mcduffie
Yves Pierre, Concert Agent, ICM
When ICM employees began making donations to organisations supporting the Black Lives Matter movement, Pierre was instrumental in getting ICM Agency to match each contribution. Pierre is also a founding member of Diversify ICM, which was created to combat internal inequities and foster participation in initiatives that support underserved Black communities. Pierre was recognised in Billboard’s Women In Music 2019. @yvescarmelle
In case you missed our previous post, we highlighted a selection of Black-owned businesses and communities you should follow.
And read our UK Edition celebrating Black British Women Making Music Moves.
