Hi Global Grinders, My name is JoJo Brim. I am a veteran music industry executive with a proven track record of success in the business. Some of you know me from my early days as an A&R at the world famous Def Jam Records and more recently as my role as Senior Manager of KWL Enterprises where I work with R&B superstar, Trey Songz.
Right now, I manage the rising star, Talia Coles. She is one of the smartest and hardest working artists in the business. Her commitment to excellence is unwavering and her desire to be a contribution to our culture is inspiring.
After the success of the documentary Trey Songz ‘My Moment’ people began asking me ‘is Talia gonna have a ‘My Moment?’” The obvious answer was ‘yes’ (our TV production arm Dubose-Liles produced the show). But in reality, Talia is ‘on her way’ but not there yet.
So when Global Grind approached me about featuring Talia Coles on their site, in classic KWL Enterprises style, I have decided to take that opportunity and make it bigger.
So let’s go on the journey together. We will look ahead and back and contemplate the present while we position Talia Coles to be the next.
[pagebreak]
I first met Talia Coles during my time at Def Jam, where she was introduced to me by my good friend and fellow A&R, Irv Gotti.
She was this fly focused and friendly teenager, moving as if she already had a double platinum album and a headlining tour to accompany it!
The way she carried herself wasn’t what drew me to her, in fact in the late 90’s everyone was ‘fly.” Rather it was the ‘focus’ and the ‘friendly’ that did it for me. In other words her ‘way of being’ was the most attractive thing about her. She was powerful yet vulnerable, giving yet assertive.
[pagebreak]
These ways of being made Talia Coles stand out from the crowd. She would always pop into my office very ‘boss’ like letting me know about a song she had written or a stylist she managed or just to pick my brain and I was willing to share.
As much as I was drawn to Talia Coles and wanted to work with her, I was caught in my own world. Def Jam was on fire and I was one of the arsonists! My workload kept me focused on me and less on Talia, and as a result we lost contact.
Fast forward 6 years to February 2006, I’m now post Def Jam and in my own business deal with my mentor Kevin Liles, who at the time was just appointed EVP of Warner Music Group.
I was in the midst of doing a studio run when in the middle of my conversation the door opens and bOnG!: Talia strolls in as if she owned the session.
Her ease and grace at which she approached the gauching of my conversation made it somehow easier to accept, in fact I cut short my convo and began to pick up where I left off 6 years ago with Talia, it was as if time lapsed.
[pagebreak]
Talia had really solid music and ideas but no business structure. She had been with a few big name production companies but none were
