The Industry Cosign

"My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style.”This famous quote by the phenomenal Dr. Maya Angelou drives Tamekia Flowers-Ball and propels her to live out her passions of event planning, personal development, and teaching yoga. This Brooklyn, New York native began her walk along her winding career path the...

DJ Chubby Chub, who once weighed over 400 pounds, has taken his journey into weight loss to another level. With his new lifestyle, he has lost nearly 200 pounds! In this clip, he discusses how people barely recognize him when they see him. That includes a time when he ran into M.O.P. and they had no clue who he was until Tek from Smif-N-Wessun told them who he was, and they were surprised to see h...

Tamekia, CEO of Epiphany Blue, expresses the intricacies of what event planning entails. Many people really don't understand what it means to plan events, especially on a corporate level. Check out the full discussion: https://www.youtube.com/live/KrR0lNWjU74Connect with BIG CED: https://www.youtube.com/@bigced328?sub_confirmation=1https://www.instagram.com/bigced328/ https://www.facebook.com/bigc...

RMR (aka Millimetermac) is an MC that has an extensive hip hop history that spans from 1989 to the two thousand and twenties. The Bronx-raised MC started his career in the group NU-SOUNDS with partner Chaz Rich. The two MCs created the album “Mackin” under MCA Records and Strong City Records. RMR under Strong City Records would be label mates with Diamond D, Busy Bee, Grand Puba, and more, which a...

Leadership in Action is the best way to describe the journey of Wendell Haskins. In an ever-changing world where an organization’s ability to understand and anticipate a broad range of trends and attributes is key, Wendell has spent more than twenty years providing corporations and organizations, unparalleled proficiency and proven strategies in diversity, inclusion and marketing which have yielde...

Attika J. Torrence, 2025 Black Author’s Festival Trailblazer Award Honoree, founder, author and CEO of At The Top Publishing LLC, began his publishing company during the lockdown of the Coronavirus pandemic of 2020 and attempted a feat that many thought was insane. That feat was to sell and distribute 500 copies of Attika’s SPECIAL LIMITED EDITION novel at the price point of $100 each. The book is...

Join BIG CED for an in-depth conversation with Molaundo Jones—artist, educator, entrepreneur, and author of "Art and Algorithms: Marketing Strategies and Tools for Artists."In this episode, Molaundo shares his journey from fine arts painter to marketing expert, his work with The Clever Agency, and why he wrote a book to help artists navigate the complex world of self-promotion. We dive deep into A...

Jackie O. Asare, Founder, Publicist, Jackie O & Co. LLCAtlanta, GA Marketing | Publicity | Brand Strategy | Creative Consulting | Activation & Ideation Red Carpet & Event Coordination & Management | Media Training Founded in 1997, Jackie O & Co. is a boutique public relations, marketing, and event coordination firm with over two decades of expertise in publicity, new media, bra...

Kevin Davis, founder of Investment Dojo started his career as a recording artist in 1989 when he signed a recording contract with Warner Bros. Records. He had a hit under the name of K-YZE titled, "Stomp." The infectious hit combined his rapping skills with the sound of house music. Fast forward to 1995. He became a stockbroker honing his skills to make, not only himself money but his clients as w...

The Industry Cosign caught up to Treach at the official grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony at The Medicine Woman Jersey City. The Naughty by Nature lyricist is an investor along with Ice-T, Charis Barrett, Mick Benson, and Taylor Kinney. He discusses his involvement in the dispensary, which is located at 660 Tonelle Avenue, along Route 1&9. This took place on April 19#hiphop #themedicin...

Mahogany L. Browne, a Kennedy Center's Next 50 fellow and MacDowell Arts Advocacy Awardee, is a writer, playwright, organizer, & educator. Browne received fellowships from All Arts, Arts for Justice, Air Serenbe, Baldwin for the Arts, Cave Canem, Hawthornden, Poets House, Mellon Research, Rauschenberg, Wesleyan University, & UCross. Browne’s books include Vinyl Moon, Chlorine Sky (optioned...

With an impressive career spanning over 25 years in the realm of public relations, Tony Ferguson is a distinguished professional renowned for his exceptional leadership, profound industry insights, and unwavering commitment to shaping the trajectory of the field. As a dedicated PR pro, he has consistently demonstrated his knack for aligning business strategies with the intricacies of public relati...

Guy “Optimus” Primus is a dynamic technology executive with over 20 years of experience fusing media, innovation, and Hip Hop culture to drive explosive growth for companies, from groundbreaking startups to Fortune 100 giants. Renowned for his strategic acumen and inventive mindset, Guy has consistently turned bold ideas into reality, all while expertly managing risk. He is the lead inventor on tw...

Big Ced sits down with independent publisher and Black media leader Devon Christopher Johnson (Bleu Magazine, Black-owned Media Equity & Sustainability Institute) for a real conversation on building our own platforms, surviving this political climate, and why supporting Black-owned media is not optional anymore.​We talk about Devon’s journey from selling lollipops in 3rd grade to Def Jam, Univ...

Mathematics took time out of his schedule to meet with fans at Rock and Soul Records in Manhattan to sign limited edition Vinyl LPs of the latest Wu-Tang Clan release, 'Black Samson, The Bastard Swordsman' from the 'Wu-Tang the Saga Continues.'While at the iconic record store, Mathematics did a DJ set as Wu-Tang Clan's Cappadonna made an appearance and blessed the mic as an add...

Adrianne C. Smith is SVP, Senior Partner, and Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer at FleishmanHillard (FH), a leading global marketing and communications agency. At FH, she guides its mission to become the most inclusive agency in the world. Before joining FleishmanHillard, Adrianne was named the first Global Director of Inclusion and Diversity at WPP.  Adrianne is also the Founder and Visionary...

Despite Ivory Scott’s ascension as a much sought-after songwriter, penning hits for Beyonce, Trippie Red, and other artists that span across the diaspora of music, Scott believed that the next greatest hits he had yet to write should be for an artist that he knew best. Emboldened by the story he has not heard and motivated by the ability to create music that connects to a fanbase looking for somet...

In this powerful episode of My Friends Are Better Than Yours, BIG CED sits down with Christopher C. Williams—Founder & CEO of Heart Body and Soul, a nonprofit committed to improving Black men’s health. Chris shares his remarkable story of surviving four heart attacks and stage 3 appendiceal cancer, and how those experiences pushed him into advocacy. Together, he and CED dive into:Why Black men avo...

Yolanda Wyns is an innovative music educator, veteran performer, and creative force among senior leaders, rebuilding the Harlem School of the Arts. As Music Program Director, Ms. Wyns has boosted enrollment, attracted students of all ages, and forged partnerships with New York City’s top arts organizations by refining the department’s strategic vision. She’s executed classes and programming across...

Hailing from Bucktown, a borderless place where otherwisewarring Brooklyn neighborhoods find peace, hip-hop duo Smif-N-Wessun, aka Tek and General Steele, are recognized and respected worldwide for their steady lyrical control. Their presence commands with simple Timberlands, and since their debut in on Black Moon’s Enta Da Stage, and an appearance soon after on Mary J. Blige’s “I Love You” remix...

Most of us know the legend of Queensbridge-bred icon Roxanne Shanté. She is a legendary emcee who grew up in Queens, NY, battling boys and being undefeated amongst them, leading to her becoming a protege of hip-hop producer Marley Marl. Brooklyn group U.T.F.O. released a record about a neighborhood girl that they each admired and stepped to for the chance at romantic pleasures and was turned down....

With the recent announcement that Nia Long and Lorenz Tate will be hosting The 29th Annual American Black Film Festival (ABFF) as ambassadors for the annual film fest, the audience still wonders and hopes that they will reprise their roles as Nina and Darius from their romantic movie, "Love Jones" which came out in 1997. As both actors have done so much since the iconic love story was to...

Corey “CL" Llewellyn is a seasoned music magnate with more than 25 years of experience as a leader in promotion and marketing within the music industry. CL's extensive resume boasts directorial positions at numerous major recording labels and reveals a go-getter attitude that propelled him into the music business at the young age of 17. Elektra/Warner Music GroupSony/Crave RecordsCornerst...

DJ Hard Hittin Harry, born in Port-Au-Prince, Haiti, and raised in Montreal, Canada, and Newark, New Jersey, has had a remarkable career spanning over 40 years in the music industry. He has showcased his talent in clubs, through mixtapes, the internet, and television, establishing himself as a versatile and accomplished figure in the world of DJing. Harry's skills and contributions were recognized...

Rob Love is the Chief Executive Officer of Launchpad Worldwide Inc. which is a Marketing & Promotions Company that creates “ Organic Strategies and Solutions “ in Sports, Entertainment, and Technology. Rob Love is a music industry veteran and considered one of the most brilliant minds in multicultural lifestyle management. He founded the world-famous Def Jam Street team and has worked with the...