The Industry Cosign

Meet Rachel Noerdlinger — founding equity partner at ACTUM, one of the top 10 fastest-growing public strategy consultancies in the world, and one of the most powerful crisis communications strategists in the country. With 35 years in media and PR, Rachel has been behind some of the most historic civil rights cases of this generation. In this candid conversation with BIG CED on My Friends Are Bette...

In this episode of “My Friends Are Better Than Yours,” BIG CED sits down with powerhouse entertainment attorney and professor Bernie Lawrence Watkins, Esquire to talk about her 26‑year journey in entertainment law, her roots in Queens and at NYC’s legendary Music & Art (LaGuardia), and how Howard University and law school prepared her to build a respected practice in Atlanta. From watching her...

Join BIG CED on My Friends Are Better Than Yours as he sits down with Hawaii Mike—entrepreneur, cultural curator, and advocate for wellness. From breaking into hip-hop in the early ’90s to pioneering cannabis advocacy and embracing holistic health, Hawaii Mike shares his incredible journey, insights on community, and why gratitude and authenticity matter more than ever.✅ Topics Covered:Hip-Hop’s...

Hip‑Hop legend T‑Money — DJ, artist, member of Original Concept, and MTV’s Yo! MTV Raps pioneer — joins BIG CED for a powerful, unfiltered conversation about the culture, the history, the growth, and the future of hip‑hop. From Long Island’s influence to his days at WBAU and MTV, T‑Money speaks on the evolution of the culture, the transition from local tapes to global domination, and the obstacles...

What does it take to jump from the music industry to the high-stakes world of Wall Street wealth management? In this episode of "My Friends Are Better Than Yours," we sit down with Terron Tidwell, a seasoned Wealth Manager at Hudson Point Capital with 17 years of experience. Terron opens up about entering the finance world during the 2008 crash, the reality of "babysitting" high-net-worth athletes...

From Temple to W&W: Aaliyah Crawford on 35 Years of Entertainment PR, Building Legendary Brands & Breaking BarriersJoin BIG CED of The Industry Cosign as he sits down with Aaliyah Crawford, Senior Vice President at W&W Public Relations and newly elected Vice President of the Recording Academy's Philadelphia Chapter. In this candid conversation, Aaliyah shares her journey from Temple Un...

The Jungle Brothers were honored with an induction into the National Hip Hop Museum on Aug. 23, 2025.Mike G and Baby Bam of the legendary Jungle Brothers reflect on their earliest memories of Hip‑Hop, the power of manifestation, the Bronx and Brooklyn roots that shaped them, and the brotherhood that carried them through decades of culture‑shifting music. From childhood rhyme games and pause‑tape e...

BIG CED sits down with Tanisha Colon-Bibb, a Harlem native who went from an intern at The Source Magazine to running PR and talent management companies across two continents. This conversation covers everything from navigating rejection as a publicist to building businesses with "delusional confidence" to the cultural differences between doing business in New York vs. South Africa. Tanisha shares...

"No matter what you think you know, you really don't know nothing at all, which is the first step towards knowledge."In this episode of My Friends Are Better Than Yours, BIG CED (The Industry Cosign) sits down with a long-time friend and industry titan, Life Griffith (Life Allah). With over 30 years in the game, Life’s journey is a masterclass in evolution—from the Golden Era of NYC Hip-Hop to mil...

One of the most revered DJs in the world, Kool DJ Red Alert, was honored last August in Washington, D.C., when he was inducted into the 2025 National Hip-Hop Honors. The ceremony took place at the Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company. He was joined by Kid ‘N Play, Jungle Brothers, Dana Dane, Kwamé, Sweet Tee, DJ Hollywood, and Antoinette. This video was taken that night in celebration of several legenda...

Tomika Anderson Greene is the founder and CEO of Manifest Greatness Media (MGM), a 5-star-rated, full-fledged marketing, public relations, and communications company that specializes in helping clients in both the commercial space as well as across federal, state, and local government. MGM helps visionary entrepreneurs and mission-driven organizations turn powerful stories into national headlines,...

Rev. Nicole Duncan-Smith is a dedicated bi-vocational minister whose theology is firmly rooted in the Baptist tradition and Hip-Hop culture. Embracing inclusivity akin to Jesus' universal love, she employs contemporary pop culture and technology to illuminate the path to spiritual enlightenment. Founder of The Sunday School Dropout, Rev. Nikki, as she is affectionately called, champions a ministry...

The award-winning Morris Team has graced the pages of real estate publications: Brownstoner, Brick Underground, and Curbed. Their presence has also expanded to broader publications such as The New York Times, The New York Post, The Wall Street Journal, and national publications, Elle Décor and HGTV. With an 88% repeat customer and referral rate, they are in demand and proven. Their commitment to c...

Bio of Bernie Lawrence-Watkins Bernie Lawrence-Watkins is a powerhouse attorney and the visionary founder of B. Lawrence Watkins & Associates, P.C., a premier law firm specializing in Entertainment, Intellectual Property, and Business Law. With a career spanning more than 25 years, she has built a stellar reputation representing some of the biggest names in hip-hop music, seamlessly navigating bot...

Introducing Jason WallaceBorn in Panama and raised in Brooklyn, Jason Wallace has been a storyteller since childhood—back when G.I. Joes embarked on cinematic adventures through the living room battlefield. His talent for narrative and performance first emerged through athletics, earning varsity honors as a student-athlete at Brooklyn Technical High School and later competing at the Division I lev...

Ken Gibbs Jr. is one of the foremost digital executives in the content space and has held leadership roles at Spotify, Amazon Prime Video, BET Networks, and numerous other media brands throughout his 25-year career. Gibbs Jr has a passion for entertainment, technology, and content creation. He began his digital career as part of the original staff of Henry Louis Gates’ Africana.com and remained wi...

Revered as a legendary Hip Hop artist, Dana Dane helped pioneer the rap genre in the early 1980s. His 1987 debut album, Dana Dane With Fame, was the first rap album by a solo Brooklyn artist to be certified gold, thanks in part to his landmark story raps on songs such as “Nightmares” and “Cinderfella Dana Dane.” The project also garnered him a Soul Train Music Award nomination for Best Album of th...

BIG CED sits down with Bobbito Garcia for a powerful, culture-rich episode of My Friends Are Better Than Yours. From NYC playground basketball to hip-hop radio history, sneaker culture, filmmaking, and his groundbreaking new memoir Bobbito's Book of B-Ball Bang Bang, Bobbito breaks down decades of influence, firsts, and stories that helped shape New York culture. In this conversation, Bobbito shar...

Aria F. Wright is a highly accomplished marketing executive with over two decades of expertise in developing and executing innovative consumer experiences for luxury brands. Her impressive career spans the entertainment, technology, and consumer packaged goods (CPG) sectors, where she has consistently leveraged integrated marketing strategies to drive brand growth and deepen customer engagement. A...

Zulu Williams is currently the Senior Creative Director at Devil-Dog Dungarees, a men’s lifestyle brand known for specializing in denim. Prior to that, over a 16-year tenure at Macy’s Merchandising Group, he held several leadership roles from Design Director to Design Vice President and led teams in Men’s and Kids private brands. Zulu Williams began writing graffiti in High School, under the monik...

Rashuan Hall serves as Vice President of Streaming & Partnerships at a global entertainment company, Fuse Media, the leader in the creation and distribution of inclusive, purpose-driven stories and experiences for culturally diverse young adults. Hall is responsible for spearheading growth across the company’s digital footprint, which includes subscription service Fuse+; mobile & CTV app developme...

Larry “The Blackspot” Hester was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, where he developed a deep love for hip-hop music from an early age. His passion led him to intern at a local radio station, the “Kevin Keith & The Dirty Dozen Show,” providing him with valuable insights into the music industry. Vibe Magazine Era: In 1994, Larry secured a position as an intern for Vibe Magazine’s Special Events...

DJ Chubby Chub, New England’s most powerful DJ and ON-AIR personality, has come a long way from the Boogie Down Bronx. Born and raised in New York City, the Heavy Hitter SmashSquad Representative was influenced by Hip Hop pioneers like Grand Master Flash, the Cold Crush Crew, and the DJ Kid Capri. At the start of his career, Chubby Chub began mastering the turntable by playing at local halls, jams...

Darnell "J.D." Williams is an acclaimed American actor, cultural contributor, and storyteller, widely recognized for his nuanced portrayals of emotionally complex and socially resonant characters across film, television, and stage. A Newark, New Jersey native, Williams emerged from the city’s rich cultural fabric and performing arts community—attending the prestigious Newark Arts High Sc...

Chanel is a Public Relations, Branding, Events, and Media Specialist for top brands across multiple genres, including music, fashion, and technology. She is the co-host of a new podcast for the millennial mom, “Our First Time; AMommyCast, which has been mentioned on Hot97, Bossip, VIBE magazine, and more. She is also a writer for Mirren (an advertising consulting firm) and was the recipient of the...