Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Oboi Jones. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Oboi, thanks for joining us today. Risk taking is something we’re really interested in and we’d love to hear the story of a risk you’ve taken.

One of the biggest risks I’ve taken to date is developing an independent label from scratch. In the initial phase of starting the label, you may have to wear many caps. One day you can be the investor, next day website developer and the following day the tour router. Execution can come in many forms with many different titles. Our independent label was developed in 2015 on the backs of creatives with a dream to live off of their passion. When you’re surrounded by like-minded individuals with a plan, the risk seems much less, but when you sacrifice bill money for action items within the label the risk becomes more visible. I specifically took the risk because I believed in those around me as much as I believed in mysefl. Thrones of Greatness LLC has given us all the opportunity to display our talents on a global level. With over a million streams later, placement on video games, films etc., the risk has paid off.

Oboi, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

My name is Oboi Jones and I am the owner/operator of Thrones Of Greatness LLC. My first look into the industry was making beats and producing. As many creatives before me, I moved to LA to get the experience and knowledge and sharpen my skills as a producer. Growing up around music, being in the marching band, and receiving collegiate offers for music, I had great knowledge of music within itself but not the music business. Making this jump to LA got me familiar with the industry very quickly due to the spaces and people I was able to be around. I later moved back to Wisconsin to finish out my Bachelor’s degree and while I was in college, Thrones Of Greatness LLC. was established. With the knowledge and networking opportunities I gained from being in LA, I was able to apply these resources to my own business. Singer/Songwriter Rob K, was the first artist to give me a shot at applying this knowledge and helped develop Thrones of Greatness. This became a team effort and trickled down into more branches of the Thrones of Greatness brand throughout the years.

To date, Thrones Of Greatness has toured independently, been placed on NBA 2K, generated over a million streams and even put on a red carpet event for our hometown of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. We are most proud of the development and the opportunity to create as a team. As mentioned previously, there are some days we have to wear multiple caps but it’s always worth it to see the impact our art creates. As our business expanded, so did our headcount. We are home to Artist/Poet/Songwriter “GhettoPoetry”, Production Duo “The Royal Waev”, Artist/Singer/Songwriter “Rob K soon to come, Shawn Buford’s podcast “The GOAT”.

Any advice for managing a team?

My advice for managing a team is to realize everyone is human. Especially with creatives, there are times everyone isn’t in tune with their creative side and need to take a step back to themselves. Embrace the breaks and never force anything. The benefit of having a cohesive team is being able to hand the work off and get inspired by the work your fellow creative brings to the table. As expectations are developed and a standard is set in place, everyone gets familiar with what wave length our brand produces at and it becomes second nature. Based on my experience, communication is what keeps a team invested and always work ready. Communicate with your team and allow 1 on 1 time for things to be discussed/divested rather than always in a group setting.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

In 2018-2019 Thrones of Greatness took a drastic turn when distance got in the way of work. With a few of our core creatives being separated and taking on great new opportunities, time, location and availability slowed down the pace in which we were creating as a team. In 2019, we were able to create The Royal Waev Production Duo which consisted of Naeem Nelson and myself (Oboi Jones). The Royal Waev partnered with IshDARR and BoodahDARR of CCM to release their 1st single “Checks & Balances”. The single sparked extreme attention and generated over 500,00 streams in its’ entirety. This single solidified The Royal Waev’s role within TOG. The duo released another single called “Passport” featuring J. Plaza and Partyat4. This single landed the label’s first major placement on NBA 2K. Within a year of being developed, The Royal Waev accumulated hundreds of thousands of streams, major placements and major label attention. To date, The Royal Waev holds the crown to the most streamed entity of Thrones of Greatness.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thronesofgreatness/?hl=en
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ThronesofGreatness/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdzY3eIquOPN4rYiR-P2QXg
• Other: [email protected]

Image Credits
All photos owned by Thrones of Greatness LLC.