By Lola Sims & Shana Laye
Living by the credo “Loyalty is Royalty”, David Leeks treats each client’s career with strategic care ensuring the fastest route to the individual end goal. For this Business Manager the proof is in the pudding. As a member of the Atlanta based management company Street Executives, that he runs alongside his partners DJ Teknikz, Allen Parks, and Charley Jabaley, he is one fourth of the driving force behind the successful campaigns of explosive hip hop acts 2 Chainz and Travis Porter.
As an Atlanta native and 2008 graduate of the historic Morehouse College, David Leeks was born for the business of music. Taking the reigns of FLAVOR 450 radio, a station he started along with a group of classmates, Leeks was able to up the ante at FLAVOR 450 radio. By staying on the scene as a college event promoter he developedthe keen ability to keep not only listeners, but his comrades, in the know. With his nonstop work ethic and perseverance, he has propelled through the ranks and now makes up 1/4 of the management and entertainment marketing powerhouse Street Executives, giving D. Leeks the opportunity to pool all of his talents for the benefit of many.
Honing in on his skills as a marketer and brand architect through his management title, D. Leeks works diligently with Street Executives to educate artists on the rise by providing consulting services to help guide them away from potential pitfalls on the path to stardom. With his daily tasks ranging from arranging tours to client consultations, creating college and street promo strategies, to tweeting about his latest project- collaborations with his partners, he is someone in the know and a person to know.
You’ve been able to revive artist like Bobby Valentino in the past and you are presently guiding the careers of two of the hottest acts in the industry right now- Travis Porter and 2 Chainz… Howdid this all come together?
D. Leeks: First and foremost, nothing is done without a team, so I want to make sure that’s clarified. It’s definitely a team effort. I just play a part of the actual team known as the Street Executives. 2 Chainz was definitely instrumental in helping his own career. I think it was hard work and persistence that really made it possible for us to be able to get 2 Chainz back on top.
Did that hard work and persistence include you having interactions directly with people at that label, or was it the label came to you because you guys worked so hard to get that street buzz back up?
D.Leeks: We got the street buzz back up. S/O to 2 Chainz for knowing how important it is to invest in his career because without him understanding that business is practice, I don’t think we would have been nearly as far as we are now. So 2 Chainz is definitely taking a role of reinvesting in his career. So that way we wouldn’t have to run and try the get an outside investor or rush and get a quick deal. Like I said, if we build the demand, go through our relationships with people in the industry, it was easy to help.
When you go for that quick deal then what? Is that when the artist doesn’t get the things that they’re really looking for?
D.Leeks: You don’t get the things you’re looking for as far as label stock, support, and respect. Taking the short cuts is a sure way to get cut short in a deal.
Tell us how the 2 Chainz project came about and also how, in general, you bring a new artist onboard. Do you pick the artist or do they pick you?
D. Leeks: DJ Teknikz use to do a lot of 2 Chainz mix tapes. 2 Chainz and DJ Teknikz had the relationship by the time we were pushing Travis porter. Teknikz was the visionary behind the 2 Chainz project. He saw the vision went to 2 Chainz telling him he wanted to manage his career. At the time 2 Chainz really didn’t think it was in that facet of the business, we were pushing Travis porter at the time; and everybody looks at Travis porter as being a younger demographic. He felt like for his niche, that we probably didn’t have the network connects to push him in his niche. We had to show and prove to 2 Chainz what we could do and push him through several of different networks.
For an artist that is modeling their career after 2 Chainz or an artist who is new to the scene, but feels like they need a team would that artist be able to come to you saying “Hey D. Leeks, here’s what I have done but I need a team.” Is that an appropriate way to approach someone like you?
D.Leeks: Yes and no. Everybody with any team plays a role in that team. If I like the music I get very excited quickly. That’s why I have partners in the business that are better at that such as Charlie. Charlie is the person that is the visionary and techniques is about finding the artist and who the right person is for our situation.
You don’t just take on random artists; you take on artists that make sense for the family in which you’re already building?
D. Leeks: Correct, we do marketing promotions for up and coming artists to give them a starter kit. There’s different pot holes you may fall into when you’re new in the business. There was nobody when we were getting up in the game saying no don’t do this, don’t do that, do this. We do consulting, for a lot of new and upcoming artists, we give them a startup kit and try to teach them what some pit falls are and how to avoid them.
What is it that a good manager does from the public side? But on your end what does it take to be a good manager to get an artist to pop like that?
D. Leeks: A manager has to be charismatic, open to criticism, and have the network. A manager is not a person that invests in your career; you as the artist invest in your career. A manager should consult you on things that you should and shouldn’t do; as well as provide you with an avenue and a network to get you to the next level.
What is it that you insure your client? Do you insure them that we can get you to the network?
D.Leeks: We always under promise and over deliver, because as a manager firm and marketing firm people pay money or do things they feel and their opinions are jaded. They more so think like if I pay ten or five thousand, or if I get with this team or whoever I get with, I’m going to the next level; and that’s not the case. As a manager of a firm we like to look at it as your trainer, like you’re working out. We would be just spotting your lift, giving you your nutrition’s diet. It’s really up to you to follow these practices. But if you don’t that’s on you, however the results will reflect of that. A manager is only supposed to go as hard as you go.
Do you have any advice for artists who are looking for a team?
D.Leeks: Get people that you feel comfortable with. Loyalty is royalty; when you get with that team, make sure that you’re in it for the long haul. Don’t let a big name person come along and persuade you to leave your team that you been working with from the ground up. Now if you leave that team, make sure it’s for a valid reason, not just because you want to go to the next level. Because everybody can go to the next level together. You don’t need to leave the people that were working with you when you didn’t have anything. Make sure you have loyalty around you, people that you can trust and people who are goal oriented like you. But don’t want to do the same thing as you do, because that’s where it can get complicated. You got artists trying to be management, and management trying to be artists; everybody have to play their part.
As an artist, would you suggest getting a team around you that is able, and has proven themselves so that you as an artist can concentrate on your craft?
D. Leeks: Not necessarily, when we took on Travis porter we didn’t prove ourselves. I was doing online radio and college promo events. Charlie was working with Soulja boy and the Vistoso Bosses. Alan and DJ Teknikz were doing mix tapes and working with Gorilla Zoe. I feel like we a bunch of rejects that came together and have a point to prove. I wouldn’t necessarily say you have to have a team proven, but one that’s passionate about going to the next level.
What is a day in the life of D.Leeks like? What does that look like?
D. Leeks: Hectic, I try having some structure, but it always changes. I get up at 8 in the morning go to the gym, start my task ideas, go to the bank, go to the office, there’s meetings, phone calls. Every time I feel like I want to call someone back, another person calls me then we have staff meetings between everyone on our team as far as street executives concern. Then we do it all over again almost until one in the morning.
Specifically at one in the morning are you booking shows, talking to media, or what?
D. Leeks: That’s why I wanted to expand upon what I do. I couldn’t give myself a whole lot of exactly what I do; just because when we first started, people had different talent. My talent was college promo; Charlie’s was internet, marketing and promotion, Alan and DJ Teknikz were street marketing practice. On a daily basis I may be online tweeting from several of pages, we just started a new flex phone company from the new 2 Chainz song. So I may tweet from the flex phone pages or I may be gathering my databases, researching or reading books to educate myself.
Talk a little more about the flex phone.
D. Leeks: It’s more of a revolutionized of the mobile game. The idea came from 2 Chainz we just put a business behind it. The actual phone itself is use for an older generation, but basically the flex phone is more of a stylish old school like retro phone that we bringing back putting a trend behind it.
Is that a product that’s available now?
D. Leeks: It’s available now online at flexphones.com it will also be available in stores in the next couple months. It was also debuted on 106& park by 2 Chainz, and at the all-star game as well.
Is there a wish list for D. Leeks and Street Executives of artists that you really want to touch and work with?
D. Leeks: I don’t think there is really a wish list because like I said, we have great clients now. Travis Porter is excellent in their lane; 2 Chainz is excellent in his lane. Travis porter has an album coming out June 5th and 2 Chainz album will come out this year as well.
How can people reach out to you?
I can be easily contacted on twitter @dleeks. That is honestly the best way. We can go from there.
Thanks for your time.
No problem and thank you.
Interview provided to IndieHipHop.net by Lola Sims
