Words by Chakara Conyers and Ron Fisher
Interview conducted by: Dennis Byron (EIC)
Hip Hop Enquirer just got back from an action packed weekend at SXSW. A lot of the action was due to a hugely successful event that was produced by The Skool Boye Agency.
Tenisha P., Founder & CEO of The Skool Boye Agency, sat down with our very own Dennis Byron at the College Mix Show Sound Stage in Austin, Texas. The two spoke about everything from the success of the recent SXSW event to advising up and coming artists.
Tenisha P., a woman whose been known to carry hip hop on her back, started out in the industry as an intern for Def Jam at the young age of 14. She worked with the label until the age of 18. She then attended Hampton University where she became a Def Jam college rep and eventually landed the position of National Director of College Marketing, at just twenty-four years old. In this position, Tenisha was responsible for Def Jam, Def Soul, Roc-A-Fella Records, and pretty much anything that came from under the Def Jam umbrella. Her main goal in this position was to launch and create college marketing campaigns for artists on these labels. This ultimately led Tenisha to start her own company, Skool Boye Agency, which is the parent company for the CollegeMixShow.com.
Nowadays, Tenisha is having her cake and eating it too. One of Tenisha’s earlier successes was producing Kanye West’s first college tour 10 years ago, and the icing on this cake is that she recently celebrated her own birthday in a VIP suite at his concert.
During this interview Tenisha P., while rocking classic hip hop attire, almost reminiscent of the vintage MC Lyte era states, “I don’t know how to do anything else but be a protector of the culture.” She goes on to say that as much as it is important to be an influencer of the culture it is just as important to protect it. Tenisha also took the time to recognize those who paved the way for her. Tenisha cited Shanti Das, Sylvia Rhone, and Debra Antney, as women that she looks up to as trailblazers that led by example.
Tenisha P. spoke briefly in this interview about the background on The Skool Boye Agency, which just turned seven years old. She mentioned that the company works with labels like Epic, Atlantic, Def Jam, Sony, and Universal. This work was highlighted with the recent success of producing a college tour for Grammy nominated recording artist B.O.B.
What is great about this interview is the passion that Tensiha P. displays, especially when speaking of the artists that graced the College Mix Show Sound Stage. Tenisha P. mentioned how Snootie Wild had captivated the entire crowd, almost shaking the building with his “Yayo” single performance. Tenisha also gives a shout out to Loaf Music and Wave Chappelle, while she similarly applauded the other artists that hit the College Mix Show Sound Stage like B. $tacks, Shorty Da Prince, Marcus Canty, and Taylor J. Tenisha mentioned how impressed she was with B. $tacks unplanned performance for the College Mix Show, and how he came in and “did his thing”. She also thanked Paigion for hosting the event.
The music industry is changing and The Skool Boye Agency is embracing it under the watchful eye of the trendsetting and visionary young woman.
With over 1,500 college reps across the nation, Tenisha P. keeps her ears to the streets finding those up and coming artist with a drive to be successful.
Hip Hop is definitely not dead and Tenisha P is a witness. Make sure you check out this refreshing interview. If you think you have what it takes to be a part of the College Mixshow Tour, visit them on the web at www.collegemixshow.com and remember to mention HHE when you chat with them.
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Founder and Chief Executive Officer The Skool Boye Agency Inc., which organizes collegiate tours and campaigns, services 1200 schools across the United States and has expanded internationally to Europe, Canada and China.
The company has managed college tours and events for Grammy Award Winning artists like Chrisette Michele, The-Dream Miguel, B.o.B., Kendrick Lamar, Dom Kennedy, Melanie Fiona and others.
The Skool Boye Agency Inc. current clientele includes Warner Bros. Records, Def Jam Records, Atlantic Records, Epic Records, Universal Records, Fontzworth Bentley, and Miss Free.
Tenisha P. also manages Shorty Da Prince, DJ Babey Drew, Marcus Canty, Phillana Williams, Kyle James, Pagion through Daily Bread Management.
Source: The Skool Boye Agency
Photo credit of SXSW: Dennis Byron (c) 2014
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