In its fifth year, the “Business of Hip-Hop/Urban Music Symposium,” is an annual knowledge sharing event hosted by Berklee College of Music that puts music industry professionals on the hot seat so that members of the panel’s audience can ask questions about the ins and outs of creating, promoting and earning income in the music business.
Dubbed the “Ladies First Edition,” this year’s panel convened earlier this month and featured five female music industry executives who have played a major part in hip hop and urban music, including Nina Packer, GM of Bryant Management (which guides the careers of music megastars Lil Wayne and Drake); Lynn Scott, VP of Marketing at Universal/Motown; Rose Daniels of MusicIndustryOnline.com; Shanti Das, president of Press Reset Entertainment and former VP of Universal/Motown and Columbia; and LaTrice Burnette, cofounder of Game Media and former Atlantic Records marketing manager who has coordinated campaigns for Jay-Z and Diddy.
Berklee alumni and event co-producer Darcie Wicknick said the symposium presented an ideal opportunity to “highlight the value and the level of leadership among female executives in hip hop and urban music,” and dispel the myth that mostly men manage the music industry.
“This is not an old boy’s club,” Wicknick said. “I think that’s a misconception. Hopefully, [this event] will encourage not only prospective female executives in their pursuits, but also help prospective male executives understand that they have different kinds of role models they can look up to.”
It made perfect sense then that panel moderator Sharon Heyward kicked the discussion off with a shout out to a woman music industry executive whom many considered the mother of hip hop. “It would be wrong if we didn’t take a moment to throw up a peace sign and say rest in peace to Sylvia Robinson,” said Heyward, who herself was once a top executive, having worked as GM of Virgin Records and president of Perspective Records.
Robinson, who was responsible for bringing together pioneering hip hop group Sugarhill Gang and releasing their classic record “Rapper’s Delight,” passed away less than a month ago at the age of 75.
As the panelists delivered engaging anecdotes and expert pointers on everything from helping entertainers build a buzz to workplace gender politics, it became increasingly clear that the six women on stage were doing their best to live up to Robinson’s legacy while encouraging the audience to do the same.
The dialogue involved plenty of information about the attitude and atmosphere of the music industry as a workplace, as well as repeated reminders that etiquette, personal image and branding, and a tireless work ethic were important ingredients for creating a successful career in any industry.
But the panelists were also clear that even with a good grasp on industry protocol, a strong skill set and years of experience, being a woman in what some believe is a male-dominated industry can make working in music entertainment challenging. They encouraged young women interested in music business careers to stay focused on their responsibilities and goals, find common ground with male colleagues, and look at other ladies as their cohorts rather than their competition.
published in The Bay State Banner