We recently connected with Jamea Kollie and have shared our conversation below.

Jamea, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Let’s talk legacy – what sort of legacy do you hope to build?

I hope I’m remembered for being a Jill of all trades and never compromising my character for it. There is a difference between evolving and changing. Some people change when positive traction happens to them, and take action to validate their ego. I want to continue to evolve and be confident in my abilities but remain curious, getting uncomfortable when necessary, and trying something new until it’s time to pass a torch, whenever that is.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I’m jamea., a DJ, event curator, and overall creative focused on music born and raised in Detroit, Michigan. Coming from Detroit is a music center for me, especially living in the birthplace of techno, Motown, and a unique punk scene I knew the music business was what I wanted to be in. Currently, I have my brand, “a jnk. curation – for all things creative,” a commitment to push boundaries and explore diverse forms of expressions that result in impact. I’ve been able to bet on myself with this brand by curating events around an open format of music and book artists for shows independently that embrace their creative direction without stressing about selfish business deals. As a recent graduate of Tennessee State University, my journey at TSU and the music industry in Nashville was nothing short of divine timing and accomplishments. I was a part of the Music Business Accelerator Program which resulted in me becoming more motivated and landing 8 internships, a membership into GRAMMY U, a co-founder of a music business organization on campus, and more. Being in those positions made me realize I want to continue to be a sponge while putting creatives at the forefront of it all and curating their spotlight. I want to continue to curate experiences that put creatives in the spotlight to receive their flowers while they can smell them.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect is seeing community. It’s always nice seeing artists enjoy themselves on stage and engaging with their audience, panelists meshing and feeding off one another, and even seeing DJs recognizing each other’s tastes and mixes. If I hadn’t built my community and created my village, I don’t think I would have continued my creative journey.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?

It’s not all partying or being outside. The perks of experiencing shows, parties, and the overall aspect of being in an extroverted industry like music are exciting to non-creatives because outside looking in, it’s a different and more “glamorous” side of what a 9-to-5 or 5-to-9 could be. However, the reality is that the outings are not always enjoyable, but it’s a part of the job. Working in entertainment is about who you know, not just what you know. That was hard for me to understand and break out of my shell to become a networker. Generally, I am an extroverted person, but when it came to networking, I found it harder because I was afraid of being wrong when it was about learning.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://ajnkcuration.my.canva.site/
• Instagram: heyyyjamea & ajnkcuration
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamea-kollie/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@ajnkcuration
• Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/heyyyjamea

Image Credits

(Picture in the theatre) – sh0t_by_brando on Instagram
(Picture on top of the couch) – dondeluxee on Instagram
(every jnk. photo) – a jnk. curation