We were lucky to catch up with Shayla J. recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Shayla , thanks for joining us today. We’d love to hear a story from back when you were an intern or apprentice. What’s a memorable story you can share with us?
The very first internship I took on was at a studio in Atlanta, GA called Uptown Studios, now known as Soho Studios. At the time, I was a freshman in my second semester at Clark Atlanta University. I was still feeling out who I wanted to be coming into the music industry. My mentor during this internship, Jennifer really helped put into perspective who I seen myself being. She carried herself with poise and definitely dedicated a lot of time to her clients and her work. Seeing her work and the respect that she gained in every interaction is what did it for me every time. Her opinion was always valued and it made me respect women in the music business even more because it is not an easy career to take on. Especially coming into it knowing how male dominated such an industry has been for years. Being an intern at this studio was probably one of my favorite experiences starting out because it brought me into who I am. Voicing my opinion, sharing my ideas, expectations for my artists in sessions, and so much more. Even as an intern, my opinion and talent was valued.
Shayla , 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?
To those that don’t know me, my name is Shayla J. I started managing artists at the age of 19 and it has been a journey and lesson all in one for the last 6 years. I got into the music industry at such a young age, while starting out in college managing small artists and producers from my hometown Detroit. At one point, I even managed a few models booking them for music videos for both independent and mainstream artists. I’ve landed placements for past artists and producers with the likes of Rod Wave, Dej Loaf, NBA YoungBoy, etc. In 2019, I started my own independent label Relay Music Group, formerly known as Most Def Music where I housed my own artists, producers and a creative team. When I’m not managing my artists, I offer an artist development program to a handful of artists every quarter and hosting panel events for aspiring music professionals and artists. My biggest success yet has been project management and seeing the birth of concept and completion for both R&B and Hip Hop/Rap projects through. What sets me apart from other managers, I would say is my ability to be a creative and a manager at the same time. I’ve delivered some of the craziest creative concepts for project covers, photoshoots, and video treatments. My clients value my ideas and around the clock dedication to seeing the vision for their music career through. I’m most definitely most proud of my growth as a manager and advocate for independent artists. One of the reasons why I have decided to turn my label back into a management company. I want to provide growing and buzzing artists with the type of team they need and deserve, as they see their careers take off. This.. this is my return to the game. The comeback will be harder than ever.
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
In the music industry, I feel like a lot of artists lose site of the responsibility of a manager and what it takes to get to the top. A lot of artists look for us to make them famous overnight which I don’t look at as impossible, but damn near unreasonable. I’ve watched people (successful people) I’ve worked with shift careers in this industry because of the hassle and the irreconcilable differences they have when it comes to being management. Full transparency, I’ve had an artist tell me I’m not doing enough or they don’t feel they’ve made it anywhere only after a 12-18 months worth of work. Fresh into the game! Do you hear me? Not considering bookings they’ve gained because of management, major placements, or money made when there are artists out here 5-10 years in and have never had a booking, income or viral moment from their career yet! Which as a manager, you take all this time out from branding yourself to build another person up whether it’s from the ground up or you’re coming in when they’ve done SOME of the work. Some artists can turn what’s suppose to be a journey taken together into a one sided “You do all the work” experience. I know artists get discouraged, but as managers we do too. Especially when we are over invested in our talent. I have had some artists who have made me want to quit, but for me, it never overshadowed the ones that show up and want this more than anything in life. Their hunger is what has kept me from quitting on what I know I do WELL. The resilience that I have to keep going and see it through has changed me. My team that I have built and the relationships I’ve established have kept me from saying “I’m Done”.
Do you have any insights you can share related to maintaining high team morale?
One phrase that I live by: “Be the boss you would want to have lead you”. I give my entire team an open door where there is room to express themselves both personally and creatively, When I look for people to work with or join my team, I look for ways we can both benefit from it and help each other out. There is no one side to things. Everybody career is important to me. Important to the success of the talent and the business. From the artists, to the producer, to my photographer, the engineer, my publicist, and so on. My team respects who I am as a leader.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @TheRealShaylaJ
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Madison.Jordn
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shayla-j-36b7715b/
- Twitter: @TheRealShaylaJ
Image Credits
@Bmars_shotya @Portraitsbyelexis