Today we’d like to introduce you to YaYa In The City.
Let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
About 7 or 8 years ago, a friend of mine was in the middle of negotiating his NBA contract and was wanting to throw a celebration party once he entered the league. I connected him to promoters in Houston and negotiated his fee and demands for the event. I was really just trying to put him in touch with the right people for his party. Next thing I knew, I was handling appearance contracts for nearly the entire Rockets team. Word spread that I was booking major talent, and the next thing I knew, I had started a full-service booking and concierge company. I got kind of burnt out on being in nightclubs so much, so I began focusing on producing panels and networking events where I could meet other business creatives. I started working with major music moguls on these events and one thing led to another… music had always been my first love, though, so a friend from one of these events recommended me for a job over at Def Jam Records about five years ago. I began working with them directly on lifestyle and promotional opportunities for a lot of their artists. Over the years, my knack for being able to identify new talent on their rise to superstardom kind of grew, so I started a blog where I could highlight new and upcoming artists. My goal was really to help merge the cultural divide in music and entertainment awhile blogging about what artists I thought were next to blow. Little by little, I began consulting with established labels and music festivals who have expressed interest in the booming Latin music market.
Most recently, though, I have begun working with Big Fish Entertainment, a full-service content production company that produces for television networks including: Discovery, VH1, A&E, TLC, MTV, WE, E!, National Geographic, Oxygen, Planet Green, Travel Channel, Spike… I’m working with them on casting the next big rapper for a competition series on a major network. I also work with my good friends over at Scoremore Shows who most recently have been acquired by Live Nation. I work with them on everything from festival coverage to event activation. They’re responsible for producing a huge majority of the Hip-Hop concert tours in Texas as well as JMBLYA, Neon Dessert, Astroworld and Mala Luna Fest.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
It hasn’t been an easy road… being a woman in a male-dominated and cut-throat industry is hard. I work with a lot of men, so trying to balance everything that entails being a female with making sure you get taken seriously was definitely trying at first. But I’ve learned to stand on my word and follow through with things. You have to be able to navigate through it all and work well under pressure. I learned a long time ago that you have to take the emotion completely out of it and just make things happen no matter how everybody else wants things to be done. It’s taken about ten years, but I never thought major companies would be coming to me and paying me for my opinion on new talent and new music. Seeing checks coming in from companies like Universal, Puma, Live Nation, and Viacom has definitely been surreal for me.
Please tell us more about what you do, what you are currently focused on and most proud of.
I’m most proud that I’ve done things my way without having to succumb to the pressures that a lot of female entrepreneurs in the entertainment industry deal with. I don’t think women get enough credit for balancing all the things we have to balance, and I give so much credit to mothers, and wives who are able to handle it all. I also love being bi-lingual because I’m able to work in the Latin music industry as well. It’s two different worlds that I definitely enjoy being a part of.
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
I would have never moved away from Houston. I wanted a change of pace and moved to Dallas, and two years later realized that there is no place like home. I love Houston so much. Everything about it… the food, the people, even the scorching hot summers, lol.
Contact Info:
- Email: info@yayainthecity.com
- Instagram: @yaya.in.the.city
- Twitter: yayeezy
Getting in touch: VoyageHouston is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
