BLACK: Future. Now. 2023

We’re continuing our Black: Future. Now. series, where we highlight Black rising and established stars, executives & creatives in their respective fields. These incredible individuals are paving the way for the now and generations to come! We’re honored to highlight each and every one of them.

Andre Cisco

Andre Cisco is a serial entrepreneur with more than 10 years of entertainment, international logistics, and merchandising experience. Invested in building wealth through ownership and community, he co-founded P.A.C.E. Infinite, a real estate investment and educational organization committed to community development in his hometown of Cleveland, OH.

Andy Kabamba

Born & raised in Congo, Africa, Kabamba is obsessed with success and being part of history. After first learning business from Birdman, DetaiL & Mack Maine at Cash Money Records, he went to Tycoon Music working as a Manager/A&R for Mario, Dre Moon, A1 Bentley, & more. A1 Bentley recently received a Grammy for “Best Melodic Rap Performance” for his song “Wait For U” Ft. Drake and Tems. He is a close friend & partner with Dre London & London ENT/London Music Group, where he works on projects & brands including Don Londres Tequila, SKRT, & AUX Live.

Alaysia Sierra

Alaysia Sierra is the new Head of R&B at Spotify, previously Head of R&B at Apple Music. Alaysia made their way to Apple shortly after college (and a few internships) as a coordinator to the larger editorial team. Not too long after, Sierra moved into the role of interim Hip-Hop and R&B programmer and ultimately Head of R&B where they were able to bring artists like Summer Walker, Victoria Monèt, GIVĒON, Tems and more to the forefront through Up Next and playlisting. Alaysia plans to continue pushing R&B forward through empowering the leading voices (past and present) and creating more meaningful opportunities for emerging artists globally.

Aurielle Brooks

Named as one of the few entertainment attorneys to make Forbes 30 Under 30 list & one of the youngest to make Billboard’s Top Music Lawyers, Brooks devotes herself to representing and providing opportunities to creatives across the board. She represents & works with a wide variety of high-profile clients & companies, award-winning entertainers, multi-platinum recording artists/producers like NBA Youngboy, Rome Flynn, Kevin Gates, Chi Chi, TnTXD, Gucci Mane’s artist BigWalkDog & more. Aurielle secured a joint venture with Atlantic Records in partnership with renowned photographer Cam Kirk to sign & develop visual content creators & serve as its full-service creative division through their company Collective Gallery, which has a partnership with Athlete’s Foot and represents photographers & places them in high quality positions to work. A few of the clients they have worked with include: Megan Thee Stallion, Cardi B, Halle Berry, Latto, One Music Fest Atlanta, Taraji P. Henson, Big Boi, Jack Harlow, & more.

Anastasia Walker

Anastasia Walker is an LA & NY-based fashion stylist and costume designer, who has worked with a wide array of celebrity clientele, such as G-Eazy, Courtney Love, LeBron James, Morgan Freeman, Ty Dolla $ign, N.E.R.D, and Sydney Sweeney. Walker has consulted and sourced for Yeezy and Kanye West, collaborated on Madonna’s Rebel Heart Tour, worked with top fashion publications including Vogue, Interview, W, and Glamour, and styled campaigns for brands such as Adidas, Nordstrom, Call of Duty, and NBA All-Stars.

Krystal Miles

Krystal is a true Jack(ie) of all trades. This LA born & raised native is a mom of 2, manager to DOMi & JD Beck and other creatives, occasional stylist and was recently promoted to GM of Anderson .Paak’s label APESHIT

Sevn Thomas

Multi-Grammy nominated producer and songwriter Sevn Thomas has rightfully earned his spot as one of the most influential collaborators in the Hip Hop, Trap and R&B scenes today. Some of Thomas’ most notable production and writing collaborations include Rihanna’s “Work”, Drake’s “Pop Style” & “Chicago Freestyle”, Travis Scott’s “Wake Up” and Giveon’s “Heartbreak Anniversary”. He mentions 2018 to be his breakthrough year in which he collaborated on Travis Scott’s Astroworld (“Wake Up”, “Houstonfornication”), Nicki Minaj’s Queen (“Run & Hide”), The Carters’ Everything is Love (“Friends”) and Lil Wayne’s Tha Carter V (“Let It Fly”). In 2020, he contributed to Drake’s Dark Lane Demo Tapes (“Chicago Freestyle”) and Giveon’s Take Time (“Heartbreak Anniversary”). Today, Thomas is finding new approaches to communicate and express himself through sound & his current intentions are focused on continuing to invest in the future’s talent as well as contributing more for the generations to come.

Ryan Butler

Ryan Butler serves as Vice President of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion for the Recording Academy® where he leads diversity, equity and inclusion internally and externally for the Recording Academy and its affiliates. He is responsible for enterprise-wide diversity and inclusion efforts and ensuring the Academy's core value of diversity, equity and inclusion remains embedded throughout all aspects of the organization, including internal staff culture, Membership, Awards, Advocacy, and related programs. He also sets national and Chapter goals to accelerate outcomes for underrepresented communities and creators. Within DEI, he's led various efforts including the launch of the Academy's first-ever Black Music Collective and the podcast of the same name, the Women In The Mix® Study alongside Berklee College of Music and Arizona State University, and the implementation of an Inclusion Rider for the 64th Annual GRAMMY Awards®. Butler also was instrumental in launching a series of partnerships including Color Of Change and GLAAD. During his tenure as Senior Advisor, Butler simultaneously served as the Founding Executive Director of the Warner Music/Blavatnik Center for Music Business at Howard University.
Butler holds a bachelor's degree in strategic, legal & management communication from Howard University and a master's degree in music business, with a concentration in entertainment, media & technology from New York University.

Ricky Lyon

Starting as an intern for the GRAMMY Foundation in 2015, Ricky has worked his way through the Awards and Facilities department before joining the Executive Office in 2018 and now managing all projects for the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion team. Once a GRAMMYU student, he has shown his versatility while working with multiple Presidents/CEOs.
Ricky currently co-leads the Recording Academy’s Black Music Collective under DEI - which hosts the Recording Academy Honors event during GRAMMY Week and honored Dr. Dre, Missy Elliott, Lil Wayne & Sylvia Rhone to kick off the Academy's celebration of Hip Hop's 50th Anniversary. One big step in the Recording Academy's fight for change. Ricky continues to advocate for inclusion and education by helping the Academy give out multiple scholarships to HBCUs and students across the US. Providing twelve scholarships in 2022 alone.

Xavier Champagne

After graduating college, entrepreneur/executive Xavier Champagne got his start in the music business as manager for producer Charlie Heat, helping Heat ascend into a multi-platinum success, crafting records for Kanye West,Lil Uzi Vert, and Madonna. Champagne then joined the J.Erving Group, riding herd over the day-to-day operations of the management company while also serving as an A&R consultant at APG. During this time he founded One Away Management, a firm whose roster includes Grammy nominated artist/songwriter Sevyn Streeter, and Washington D.C. hit maker Shy Glizzy. With an on-the-ground approach to cultivating new talent, his management prowess was recognized by Warner Chappell President Ryan Press who brought Champagne over in 2021 as Senior Director of A&R.

Saint Harraway

Multi-Grammy and Grammy-Awarded nominated producer and songwriter Sevn Thomas has earned his spot as one of the most influential collaborators in the Hip Hop, Trap and R&B scenes today. Some of Thomas’ most notable production and writing collaborations include Rihanna’s “Work”, Drake’s “Pop Style” and “Chicago Freestyle”, Travis Scott’s “Wake Up” and Giveon’s “Heartbreak Anniversary.” He mentions 2018 to be his breakthrough year in which he contributed on numerous venerable albums including Travis Scott’s Astroworld, Nicki Minaj’s Queen, The Carters’ Everything is Love and Lil Wayne’s Tha Carter V (“Let It Fly”). In 2020 he collaborated with Drake’s Dark Lane Demo Tapes and Giveon’s Take Time and executive produced on Giveon’s Give or Take in 2021. In 2022, he collaborated on Beyoncé’s Grammy awarded RENAISSANCE. Today, Thomas is finding new ways to invent new things to bring into the game as well as approaching creation differently while also finding new ways to communicate and express himself through sound. His current intentions are focused on continuing to invest in the future’s talent as well as contributing more to the generations to come.

Geoff Ogunlesi

Geoff Ogunlesi founded and runs his own music management company, The Ogunlesi Group, which manages Young Thug, Yeat, Mariah the Scientist, and Charlieonnafriday, amongst others. As Geoff and Young Thug have continued to innovate, Geoff co-founded the clothing brand, SP5DER, and also leads Thug’s record label, Young Stoner Life Records - both having massive success in their respective industries.

Courtney Couch

Courtney Couch is a businesswoman who is passionate about many things, but these three top her list: making meaningful connections, building quality brands, and strengthening her community. After graduating from UNC Chapel Hill, Courtney earned her Masters at NYU in Corporate Communication + PR then later moved to LA where she launched c.luxe creative. c.luxe creative focuses on business + creative strategy, branding, marketing and activations. Her agency has provided services to corporations such as the NFL, Adidas, Puma, Marvel as well as A-list talent such as Travis Scott, YG, Rajon Rondo, and MoneyBagg Yo. Most recently, Courtney served as the Director of Marketing at Atlantic Records where she managed 12 artists including multi-platinum rapper Don Toliver. She has currently resumed her work at c.luxe creative full-time and founded Crown Luxe Ventures, a SPV inclusive of athletes, entertainers and entrepreneurs investing in private companies— proudly bringing the culture to the cap table.

Donny Flores

Donny Flores is the multi-hyphenate music mastermind who is responsible for some of the most recognized songs of our generation. Known to his industry peers and friends as “Dizzy,” Donny Flores is an award-winning songwriter, producer, manager, and A&R executive. Donny is also the founder and CEO of ‘We Good’. Dizzy works with such acts as DJ Snake, Shenseea, Rvssian, Ink and many more. Donny also lends his expertise as a consultant to some of the biggest labels/agencies in the world including Universal, Warner Music Group, RocNation, SalxCo, and many more.

MeLisa Heath

MeLisa Heath is the founding owner of MeLisa Chanele LLC., a talent management agency revolutionizing and refining the creative management experience for Black artists. Through utilization of tech in the creative space, innovative marketing strategies, and a true love and appreciation of art, the agency has aided Black creatives across artistic disciplines. The current roster embodies Black excellence across diverse creative channels; Fred Saint Foster, a designer, stylist, and creative director; ThankGod4Cody, a Grammy-nominated record producer and artist; and SZA, a multi-platinum Grammy-winning singer and songwriter.

Cambrian Strong

Cambrian Strong is a prominent music industry manager, label owner, and investor from Memphis, TN.
He got his start managing Tay Keith while simultaneously studying advertising at Howard University. During his junior year, his client took the world by storm creating global hits such as “Sicko Mode”, “Look Alive”, “Non Stop”, “Never Recover” & many more. Five years later, his label he Drumatized, an independent record label he co-founded with Tay Keith, has become very successful. Drumatized, has signed and developed upcoming artist and as well as multi-platinum record producers like Banbwoi, Denaro Love, Dj Meech, & Grayson. Recently, he has launched Reflection, a management agency designed to develop the values, branding, business, and story of creatives.

Rashaad Lambert

In an industry where diversity and racism have become part of the narrative among high-profile pro athletes, Rashaad has been immersed in creating pathways for addressing racism, equity and inclusion for their success during and outside of competition. Today, the Strategic Partner of Social Impact at TD Bank is leading diversity initiatives targeting entrepreneurs for media titan Forbes as its Senior Vice President. Through his For(bes) The Culture #CultureTalks platform on Instagram, Rashaad has galvanized a collaborative online thinktank committed to improving access to more revenue and impact opportunities for communities that are marginalized when confronted with uphill climb against bias or discrimination. The multicultural engagement inroads made by this proud Philadelphia native and Temple University “alumnus” have been recognized by the NAACP, Forbes, the US Congress. He holds the distinguishing Lean Six Sigma Black Belt certification for coaching and organizational change leadership.

Bella Smith

Bella Smith is a Director of A&R at Interscope Records. After relocating from Elizabeth, NJ, to Los Angeles, Bella began working as a Project Manager for The Ayars Agency with Ashaunna Ayars. After strong mentorship from Ashaunna, Bella found herself working as the Membership & Awards Coordinator at The Recording Academy. With her hustle and dedication, it wasn’t long before she gained the attention from EVP/ Co-Head of A&R Nicole Wyskoarko. Shortly after, Nicole offered her first position as and A&R Coordinator at Interscope Records. After her heavy involvement with CMG as A&R coordinator, she worked her way up to a well-deserved promotion to Director of A&R. Bella is currently A&R lead on Yo Gotti, GloRilla, Shenseea, Lehla Samia, Moneybagg Yo, EST Gee, 42 Dugg, Mozzy, Lil Poppa, BIG30, and more. Bella is very dependable and valued for her dedication. She is most proud of being a team player and overcoming all obstacles to come her way. She quickly became your favorite artist’s favorite go-to person. #BellaaWorks will get it done! Not to mention she is an active voting member of the recording academy.

Jenna Tyson

Jenna Tyson is a fashion based creative, who attended FIT & The Misa Hylton Fashion Academy in NYC. She has worked as a fashion stylist for the past 10 years on the creative teams of Misa Hylton , Eric Archibald, Bobby Wesley and Zerina Akers. Most recently she has worked alongside Ebonie Ward curating looks for James Harden and Flo Milli which has landed her the position of CMO at Wards new Management Company 11th & CO.

Josh Marshall

Josh Marshall, also known to some as J Mogul, is a music executive, artist manager, and serial entrepreneur. He’s the Founder & CEO of Mogul Vision, a multifaceted global music company that manages and develops artists across several genres. He recently expanded Mogul Vision via a joint venture record label partnership with Interscope Records. Some of the artists on his roster are D4VD, Lil Mosey, Rubi Rose, KennyHoopla, Latin artist Aleesha, and gigi.

Outside of music, he’s heavily invested in a vast array of start-ups ranging from Ai, Blockchain, and Distributed Ledger Technology. He’s currently also a founder of the first Augmented Reality digital asset and merchandise marketplace built specifically for recording artists called, Vision AR, set to launch this summer of 2023.

Matthew Baus Adesuyan

Matthew Baus Adesuyan is the creative director and co-founder of Bad Habit, a company that started as an outsider with the perspective of a passionate fan looking for what's new and next where others wouldn't. Adesuyan grew up in a Los Angeles melting pot, where he was exposed to a wide array of genres and creative cultures. He started a creative agency called I Vs. Eye in 2011, which allowed him to work with some of L.A.'s most cutting-edge artists while simultaneously taking on big corporate clients. In 2015, Adesuyan became The Neighbourhood's full-time creative director, working hand-in-hand with Kirk Harding to A&R, executive produce, and market The Neighbourhood's sophomore album, Wiped Out!. He celebrates his first success as partners with gnash's multi-platinum "i hate u, i love u," which they discovered, developed, and took to the top of the charts. Adesuyan and Harding's sensibilities gel quickly, forming a philosophical bond that built a company that exists outside of the big buildings, fueled by lessons learned in the belly of the beast.

Bri Marie

Bri Marie is a Celebrity Hair Designer who firmly believes that true commitment and desire is found through strict perseverance and faith. She started her journey in 2019 working out of her garage while waitressing, before committing to hair full time as a braider at a barbershop, where she gained her first celebrity clientele. In 2020, her career took off. Now she’s opened up her own location, serving A-list clients such as Drake, James Harden, Swae Lee, Pardi and many more. With perseverance and faith, she was able to trust Gods plan, believe in herself and create a successful business with passion at its center. She is a true mogul in the making.

Lamont “Mont” Brown

Lamont “Mont” Brown is an A&R at Columbia Records, working with young rising stars such as yvngxchris & Zai1k. Aside from that, Mont is a Humanitarian, Creative Director and Visionary coming from South West Philadelphia, who believes in the power of unity. He uses his story to inspire and help the youth that go through similar challenges in their lives. He is an example that regardless of your surroundings you are still capable of living out your dreams. Mont’s primary goal was to have one day without violence within his (South West) community and he has achieved that 10 years in a row, with his annual “KickBack Festival.” He values the importance of sharing ideas, talents, resources, and time in order to help youth and creative individuals reach their full potential.