32 years ago I was born in the wonderful city of New York, specifically in the borough that birthed the Hip-Hop genre, the Bronx. A city that is known for its fast-paced energy, tall skyscrapers, and fields of dream makers. Naturally, when you aren’t from New York, you may believe that living in a big city like NY would make breaking into the entertainment business a piece of cake. One may even think that if you look deep enough in your Rolodex of associations, you’ll find someone who knows someone who styles Cardi B or cuts the hair of P. Diddy. However, living in NY while pursuing a career in the Industry has been the most depleting, yet satisfying adventure I could ever experience.
Myself with Rapper Jack Harlow
I have met many wonderful and positive people in this industry, as well as some of the most clout chasing and negative people. During my career, I have worked with some of the smartest people I’ve ever known and yet I felt as though they only loved the way I articulated my thoughts for their platforms. Not showing any appreciation for the writer of the articles, just making sure that I kept pushing out high-quality articles for their audience. There truly is a balance of who you will come across while you network within this business, and it is your energy that will present itself first. The industry is not an easy field to get into, you will meet people who will use your talent for their own benefit and at times you will feel like giving up on your dreams. It is a dog-eat-dog world out here, but you will have to be prepared to get bitten.
I know a lot of people dream of what a career in the entertainment industry would be. I know I have. The dream of working side-by-side with your favorite actor, becoming a business partner with your favorite musician, or even standing in the limelight yourself. It can make a person believe that if their idol can do it, then they can too and at times that may be the case. I have always been a lover of words, poetry, and short stories, and that love led me to accomplish one of my biggest dreams, to work for Vashtie Kola. Maybe more of working with her instead of working for her. I put it out into the universe and I believed that in divine timing, I would learn the business from her and I could watch my career as a writer flourished. After applying for an internship on her website twice, I became the latest content intern for Vashtie.com, working on her site for almost a year. While working on her site, I came across some obstacles that I wasn’t necessarily prepared for. I dealt with unprofessionalism from the content manager, jealousy among colleagues and a boss that was unreachable. No one told me that the harder you work towards your dreams, the more difficulty you may face. No one informs you that there will be people who will pretend to be your friend while cursing your accomplishments, or working with gatekeepers who will prevent you from prospering in your job. These things aren’t always shared with you when you are pursuing your dreams, but this is only a part of the course, the race to the finish line.
My introduction to the industry was through social media, during the peak of Twitter’s popularity. At the midst of an era where the accessibility to celebrities was addictive and consistently shoved in our faces. The excitement that came we from it served as a powerful motivational tool for our dreams and careers. It was with the help of social media that I received the acknowledgment from people whose careers that I followed, Janet Jackson, Kid Cudi and even Kanye West. It was while freelancing for 1 AM Creative, a company created by YesJulz, I was assigned to an event thrown for Kanye’s latest album, “Ye”. Although Kanye was not going to attend because it was not a certified label album release party, I didn’t want to miss this opportunity because it was an exclusive three-part event held in Chicago, Miami, and Brooklyn, NY. After attending and writing about the event, I shared the article with the content manager of the 1 AM Creative site. It was the following week when I informed that my article was sent to Kanye directly and he was appreciative of me covering his event. It is because of social media, celebrities are easier to reach, opportunities to enter the industry are more accessible, and even the effects of fame are visible to those who dream of being famous.
Project Wyoming in Brooklyn, June 2018
As a New Yorker, pursuing a career in the Entertainment Industry has been a rollercoaster ride for me. I have worked with some great and not-so-great people. I have been let go from jobs that I really enjoyed because I had to choose between speaking up for myself and being degraded for a job title. I can only speak of my experiences of pursuing my dreams while living in a big city, like New York. Even if you do not live here, mastering your craft, gaining valuable experiences, and networking are the key steps to accomplishing your goals in this field. When pursuing your career, whatever it is, remember to always believe in yourself, tap into your life purpose by being honest about your dreams, don’t be unafraid to ask questions about things that you don’t know, and always stay highly motivated.
