We’re absolutely thrilled to present our intriguing celebration for Black History Month. This event for Black History Month brings together a diverse array of individuals who have made their marks in the music industry. From visionary managers who’ve navigated the industry’s landscape to innovative DJ’s who’ve set new trends and marketing `agencies that have pushed boundaries, we have it all covered. Our incredible speakers are here to guide you on a journey toward diversity within the modern-day music industry, empowering you to be a catalyst for progress. Don’t miss out on this interesting event to broaden your horizons.
Raphael Adekunle (Rax Productions)
Born in Nigeria, Raph’s family relocated to Swindon - where he attended school and then the town’s New College, before reading law at Coventry University. In 2018, he used studios at his college’s music faculty to record tracks for the artist S1MBA - creating a local buzz in Swindon / Oxford, including a debut play on SBTV, which led to recording sessions in London and creation of the track Rover. Released independently in November 2019 and promoted by a viral TikTok campaign (#mulachallenge) Rover was eventually licensed by Parlophone and became a global hit with over 600m streams - pushing S1MBA to number 3 in the UK singles chart alongside placings in Australia, New Zealand, Greece, the Netherlands, Sweden, Denmark, and Ireland. The track received a nomination for Song of the Year at the 2021 Brit Awards, and has now accrued 2 x Platinum status. He signed his second artist, the Oxford-based Brazilian rapper S1LVA, to the Sony imprint Since ‘93.
Over the past two years, Raph has focussed on building a management business developing artists from his hometown and surrounding areas, whilst also opening a studio (Rax Studios) in East London and building connections in the Capital. Artists currently releasing music under Rax include S1MBA, Kawali & ZT.SWITCH, while the company also works with a range of producers. As a collective, Raph’s goal is for Rax and its artists to surpass a billion streams within the next year.
Reece Stewart (Sony music)
Reece started his journey in 2017 freelancing at WePluGOODMusic as a blogger/Music Journalist, doing album reviews and articles for artist releases, before joining Link Up TV’s writing team. At Link Up TV he grew as a journalist, achieving his own column for big interviews called “Get 2 Know”, interviewing the likes of Aml Ameen, Maaly Raw, Sneakbo, Cadet and C Biz. After that, he was recruited by House of Solo Magazine to be the Music Editor, responsible for honing in the music talent to be included in the print and online features for the magazine.
He then joined Black Butter as a Marketing Intern in 2018, where he assisted the team across the whole roster (J Hus, Zara Larsson, Bakar, French Montana and more). After showcasing his strong marketing capabilities within the first half of the internship scheme, he was then given the responsibility of Campaign Lead for both K-Trap and Young T & Bugsey, where he achieved a Top 40 album and Top 10 platinum selling single respectively. Reece has worked across a roster of exciting UK talent, such as NSG, BackRoad Gee, Giggs, Chip, WSTRN, Cashh, B Young, Nippa, DoRoad, D Double E and more.
During his career he had helped achieve a Top 10 album with Chip (Snakes & Ladders), multiple OCC Afrobeat Chart #1’s with NSG, and has played a key role in the incredible growth of MOBO Award Nominee BackRoad Gee. Reece is now a Senior Marketing Manager at 5K Records, most recently and notably leading the campaign for the global hit ‘People’ by Libianca, which peaked at #2 in the Official UK Charts, has over half a billion streams and is also certified Platinum in both the UK & US.
Komali Scott-Jones (Black Music Coalition)
Komali Scott-Jones is an A&R Director at AWAL. Formerly A&R at Parlophone Records, she is also co-founder of The DEBRIEF; a growing community and quarterly event established in 2019, which was created to empower, connect and celebrate Black Women and Women of Colour music executives, while they navigate an industry that largely overlooks their unique experiences.
Komali is also a founding member of the Black Music Coalition, an organisation launched in 2020 as a direct response to the death of George Floyd, which breathed new life into the Black Lives Matter movement. It is dedicated to eradicating the racial disparities and systemic barriers affecting Black employees / executives, including freelancers and independents across all sectors and at all levels of the UK music industry.
Uplifting, supporting and connecting young people, particularly women and empowering fellow black execs is an integral part of Komali's brand. With a desire to keep pushing our culture to higher heights, Komali believes starting with future game changers, trailblazers and tastemakers is the key to achieving this.
Joce wavy (DJ)
Joce Wavy is an international DJ and producer based in the UK. With over 200K followers on TikTok and 100K on Instagram she has built a brand around pretty girls liking all sorts of music. Joce has DJ for the likes of Bape, Hugo Boss and Wireless. Internationally she has a residency in Ibiza and has DJ in Istanbul, Vienna, Berlin and Germany. As a producer she has been in the studio and had sessions with the likes of Kodak black, D block Europe , Mhuncho and Headie One. In her spare time, Joce enjoys travelling and fashion. She plans to release her own t-shirt line soon to support and empower women DJs and producers.
Tumisha Balogun (Tag agency)
I’m a founder of Tag Agency, a youth culture agency that focuses on telling better stories of young people for brands. Worked with the likes of Google, Spotify, JD & Nike to amplify stories from marginalised communities. I am also a connector, who works with world-class talent across music, entertainment & football to grow their social presence & connect authentically with brands. I am the manager of Jocewavy, an international DJ who has played across Europe. I am a producer who works with global brands to amplify their story through creative campaigns, content & brand strategy. Lastly, I am a speaker, I share my thoughts, inspire & educate the young gen on all things marketing.
Event details
8pm-9pm: Discussion
9:15pm: Q&A