Did Ya Know

On this episode of the Did Ya Know Podcast, Adrian is joined by Ammo Talwar MBE. A man who started life selling vinyl at his specialist record store, which became a local hub for DJs and artist’s with the infamous punch records in Birmingham, becoming an award-winning music agency. Currently chairman of the UK Music Diversity Task Force. He's been a driving force for change. Hosted on Acast. See a...

On this episode of Did Ya Know Podcast, Adrian is joined by Jasmin Bodkin, VP of Label Management at The Orchard.  Jasmine has had an amazing career so far, which has seen her go from BMG Street Team Coordinator to one of the most respected people in label management.   In this conversation, Jasmine talks about the realities of making sacrifices when juggling work and motherhood, th...

On this episode of Did Ya Know Podcast, Adrian is joined by Kay Wrate, Managing Director at Warp Music Publishing.  In this conversation, Kay talks about her early ambitions of journalism, the importance of data entry behind the scenes in the music business, and why she’s passionate about mentorship, guidance and giving back. Kay also shares why she initially felt A&R wasn’t for her, how...

On this episode of Did Ya Know Podcast, Adrian is joined by Yaw Owusu, Creative Director at Nothin But The Music.  Yaw was instrumental in designing and developing Power Up, the long term initiative which supports Black music creators, industry professionals and executives.  In this conversation, Yaw talks about his early ambitions of playing professional basketball, recalls the summer t...

On this episode of Did Ya Know Podcast, Adrian is joined by Stacey Tang, Co-President of RCA UK.  Stacey is widely recognised as one of the most influential women in music, having spent time at City Rockers, Atlantic, and Columbia, before landing her roles at RCA.  Stacey recounts her experiences working at different labels, and the lessons learned at each. She also emphasises the import...

On this episode of Did Ya Know Podcast, Adrian is joined by co-founder and president at All My Friends, Mike Ajayi.  Mike talks about having success away from the mainstream, the mentors that changed everything, and his own personal blueprint for success. From an internship at Sony to multi-award winning music exec, Mike shares why he dropped out of law and politics at uni and forged his path...

On this episode of Did Ya Know Podcast, Adrian is joined by Lorna Clarke, Director of Music at the BBC.  Lorna has had an impactful career which has included stints at Kiss FM, Metro Radio, as well as an incredible and varied time at the BBC.  In this episode, Lorna shared how a wide range of genres shaped her life and love of music, how it was instilled from an early age that she could...

On this episode of Did Ya Know Podcast, Adrian is joined by Preye Crooks, co-head of A&R at Robots and Humans and co-founder of Strawberries and Creem Festival.  Preye talks about what it takes to build a successful brand, how his entrepreneurial spirit has developed over time, and the many milestones he has reached in the music business to date,    Hosted on Acast. See acast.co...

With 25 years under her belt, there isn’t much that Jasmine hasn’t already done!   In this episode Jasmine shares why working in music and the arts was always her destiny, how her background in dance gave her the foundation of discipline for her future career, how she was a champion for diversity long before it became a buzzword, and why it means so much to be able to thank the mentors w...

On this episode of Did Ya Know Podcast, Adrian is joined by YouTube’s Head Of Black Music & Culture, EMEA , Sheniece Charway.  Sheniece talks about how making herself indispensable changed her career, the importance of faith in her story of success, what she gained from working on different genres, and why her work feels like part of her purpose.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/priva...

On this episode of Did Ya Know Podcast, Adrian is joined by President and Head of Creative at Umbrella Songs, Lunick Bourgess.  Lunick shares his story of escaping civil war, how he used his pain to fuel his success, his journey to being an A&R scout, and talks about some of his biggest signings to date.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode of Did Ya Know Podcast, Adrian is joined by radio DJ and tv presenter Trevor Nelson.  Trevor shares how he got his start in radio, why he fell in love with music as an artform, and when he realised the music business was not the right fit for him   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Adrian Sykes is back with season 4 of Did Ya Know Podcast, kicking off with multi-award winning singer-songwriter, and President of the PRS for Members Council, Michelle Escoffery Michelle and Adrian discuss working with family, her time as an artist, dealing with loss and the importance of empowering the next generation of artists.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information...

Adrian Sykes is back with season 4 of Did Ya Know Podcast, sharing the untold stories of the executives of colour who are leading the way in the UK music industry.  https://www.didyaknowpodcast.com/   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode of Did Ya Know Podcast, Adrian is joined by Aaron Hercules, who has manager, football agent, A&R man as well as many other titles under his belt. Aaron talks about his early music inspirations, learning invaluable lessons on the job, his move into football, and his hopes for the  future of the music business.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more informatio...

"The beauty of this industry is that there are no rules” - Jazzie B Soul II Soul became the biggest sound system in the world. They redefined contemporary culture. Along the way the way they accumulated number one singles, Grammy Awards and sold millions of records and had ‘that sound’ -often imitated, but never bettered and heard around the world Jazzie B and the sound of Soul II Soul showca...

Kwame “KZ” Kwei-Armah Jr. is one of the next generation of fearless young producers. He’s already worked with Stormzy, Arrdee, Cat Burns, Wretch 32, Stefflon Don, Ray Blk and counts his contribution to the soundtrack for Marvels ‘Black Panther ‘Wakanda Forever’ among his long list of credits  His music he says “is inspired and motivated by my childhood and the music and melodie...

On this episode of Did Ya Know Podcast, Adrian is joined by manager, A&R man, and founder of The Future Is, Travis Beckford. Travis talks about his early love of football, turning his life around after making some mistakes, the chance encounters that changed his life for the better and so much more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Did Ya Know team are proud top be a part of the Google Arts and Culture series 'Union Black' with three very special episodes.  UNION BLACK is an online multi-format content series across YouTube and Google Arts & Culture, featuring a curated collection of videos, audio documentaries, podcasts, stories and photographs taking us on a journey celebrati...

The Did Ya Know team are proud top be a part of the Google Arts and Culture series 'Union Black' with three very special episodes.  UNION BLACK is an online multi-format content series across YouTube and Google Arts & Culture, featuring a curated collection of videos, audio documentaries, podcasts, stories and photographs taking us on a journey celebrati...

On this episode of Did Ya Know Podcast, Adrian is joined by Shani Gonzales, Managing Director of Warner Chappell Music UK and Head of International A&R. Shani talks about her early music influences, the importance of being connected to her roots, what New York means to her, and the differences she has observed working in the US vs UK music business. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for m...

On this episode of Did Ya Know Podcast, Adrian is joined by producer and artist manager Marc Williams, who has had an incredible career in the music business to date. Marc talks about the harsh realities he faced in his early career, how letting ego impact decisions can be a costly mistake, how making library music saved him and working with genre defying Labrinth.  Hosted on Acast. See acast...

On this episode of Did Ya Know Podcast, Adrian is joined by Nick Eziefula, Partner at Simkins. Not only is Nick one of the top media and entertainment lawyers in the country, he is also an artist in his own right. Nick shares how he discovered his passion for music, how he manages to pursue two careers simultaneously, and how he gives back to the next generation. And listen out for an exclusive sn...

On this episode of Did Ya Know Podcast, Adrian is joined by Executive Vice President at Atlantic Records UK, Austin Daboh. Austin shares how he fell in love with music via UK garage, how a random question about German politics got him a job at the BBC, and he even drops a bit of exclusive news about his upcoming work.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode of Did Ya Know Podcast, Adrian is joined by DJ and radio presenter MistaJam. MistaJam talks about his past experiences in acting, how he broke into radio, and why he’s always felt like an outsider.  Due to a tech issue on the day of recording, we’ve used backup audio for Adrian!  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.