Ilias, dubbed as “100 Must-Watch Entrepreneurs in 2024,” celebrates the 6-year anniversary of TCC Entertainment.

I am sitting down with Ilias Anwar in Hudson Yards, New York. We’re inside a Five Guys; originally, we requested to meet in a Dunkin’ Donuts, but he preferred Five Guys next door. Not sure why he didn’t want Dunkin’ Donuts, but I was eager to start the interview.

I had heard about his story from a colleague and was keen to sit down with him to hear about his U.S. journey over the past year.

He’s been buzzing on social media in the tech space with his recent involvement in Buildspace and Antler, programs that accelerate and develop early startups.

This year, he’s been constantly on the move from LA to DC, NYC, Virginia, and Texas.

So, my first question was, why all this travel?

He replied, “I have been working on TCC Entertainment and Tapped for a couple of years now. I want to work on these for the rest of my life. I have a small window to chase my dreams and work on my companies, so I will do whatever it takes. If I need to take a plane to Japan tomorrow for Tapped, I will drop everything and go if it’s for the betterment of the company. I want to do this for life, because it doesn’t feel like work to me.”

The next question on my notebook was about what he actually does, as it was hard to pin down from my research.

He answered, “I don’t really know how to classify what I do either. I suppose people describe me as an entrepreneur, creative or a creator.”

Ilias has executively produced songs, designed for musicians and streetwear brands, directed music videos/commercials, released a book, livestreamed on Twitch, runs a tech startup, acted in small gigs, and much more.

Here is the breakdown of the different companies he’s working on

TCC Entertainment- a media company specializing in event/video production and digital marketing.

Tapped Ai- a tech startup helping independent artists get more bookings.

Cheat Codes- a book series teaching skills for the internet age.

Blank Kanvaz- an independent record label focusing on global talent.

The three things he wants to focus his professional career on are entertainment, education, and technology. He believes that those industries will never go away no matter how advanced we get.

He also wants to model his career after the likes of Childish Gambino or Mark Wahlberg, who can create any form of art while running multiple businesses.

“Gambino can run a marketing campaign with his creative agency, drop a song, act in a tv show, direct a movie, and drop a book all in six months. That’s a superpower,” he said.

What is a regular day for you?

“To be honest there is no stability. I can’t sit here and tell you I wake up at 5am every day. Some days I might wake up at 7 am and have a super productive day in NYC hopping from meeting to meeting. Then link up with my best friend Kenny who’s a DJ out in NYC and we’ll grab food from the bodega then go to one of his sets. One day, I might wake up at 10 am and spend all day with Phil, Niral, and Bryan in my hometown. Then come home and hop on discord with Charles and just play Madden.”

Here’s a fun question: you’re at a 7/11 and have $20. What are you buying?

he said “with $20 he said he’d buy cashews, a white macadamia protein cookie, topo chicos, and mango slices.”

What do you have coming up that people can be excited about?

“I’m starting an agency with Ali Aljundi from Dubai and others he has gotten close with, where people can donate to the needy by watching YouTube videos. The agency will be named “Hayat.”

What is this Tapped Ai thing you’re working on?

“It’s a platform for independent musicians, helping them find places to perform at. While focusing on creating world tours from your iPhone, offering opportunities to open for artists like DaBaby, Lil Wayne, Bobby Shmurda, and Meg Thee Stallion.”

“If you are looking to get booked and make money and you haven’t download “Tapped Ai” on the App Store you are messing up. It’s free to make an account and apply. Artists don’t have the connections to be able to find performances and there is a lot of gatekeeping.

We just had four artists headline a festival and get paid the most amount of money they have ever made within the past year. This app was made in mind of the artists first, not the music execs who are supposed to make money off them.”

Are you scared of Ai?

“If you look back decades ago, people were scared of computers in this very way, and it is a natural human instinct for us to be afraid of something new. But, I don’t want to sit here and be fearful of it, I am going to embrace it and use it in the way that it can help me and people around me. Computers can be scary, cellphones can be scary, it just depends on how you are using it.”

What is TCC Entertainment?

“TCC is a media company that does digital marketing, video production, and throws events. I have been working on this company for the past six years and it is my baby. It is the vehicle that brought me to do all the fun things I am working on now.”

What did you do to celebrate six years of TCC Entertainment?

“Nothing too crazy. All I did was go to RVA and link up with Charles and Johannes. Next year we will celebrate the right way and enjoy, but as of right now we are too caught up with work for Tapped.”

Do you ever think about anything that isn’t work related?

“I don’t commend myself for this but I am non-stop thinking about work. Do not glorify me for this, I wouldn’t recommend anyone else to work this much. This is only for myself, and to be honest I find “hustle culture” stupid. But, I am in a blessed situation to do what I love so how do you not expect me to think of it 24/7?”

What is your focus in 2024?

“A majority of my career has been helping others in the limelight but 2024 I want to prioritize myself and further my own personal brand to elevate Tapped Ai and TCC Entertainment.

Content creation is also going to be huge for me. Podcasts, live streams, vlogs all coming very very soon.

I am also excited for Buildspace season 5, I think we can make it far this upcoming year in January. Big fan of Farza and Alex and what they are doing with Buildspace in general. It is a school for ideas and this upcoming one I am going to be the first person to go in with 4 different ideas instead of just one. ”

Is there anything you want to focus on that isn’t work related in 2024?

“This year I prioritized getting closer with distant relatives and spending more time with my direct family. I would say I do a good job at spending time with them and talking to them but you can always do better. What is all this success and work for If I don’t have anyone to share it with? Spending time with family is great, because it also gets you to turn off your mind and not think about how you can solve problems or work on certain things.

When I spend time with relatives, I actually never even look at my phone. If you know me as a colleague, as a friend or an acquaintance then you know I am glued to my phone on calls or texting someone for work. But, when it comes to family I know where to set the line and adopt a healthy balance.

Artists you are excited about?

“I am gonna have a lot of people mad at me for this answer if I don’t consider them here.

But off the top of my head Zoe Gabrielle, Maya Soufi, and Niral Desai. ”

Is there someone who does more than you?

“Infamou$ G. That man is a Swiss army knife, he can do everything and he does it with quality. He’s like the best kept secret but give him 2-3 years he will be doing some high level sh**. Most importantly like an older brother to me. He actually recently did a song with Mardyny and he dropped this crazy verse. If you have time I’ll have you listen to it after this. “

Who are your inspirations?

“This answer always changes for me but it’s always the people around me. I’d say my co-founder Johannes is definitely one of them. He is one of the smartest guys I know and just being able to work with him and pick his brain has been massive for me. I got thrown into the tech/Ai world and having him around has helped me assimilate very very fast.

Alongside my other co-founder Phil who is also a nut when it comes to analytics and being on top of trends. Statistically and culturally speaking, that man really has his finger on the pulse.”

Who is a young founder you are excited about?

“Mo Bamby and Arib Khan. I haven’t caught up with them in a long time but those kids are mad young and already figuring it out. I think in a couple years they are going to tear up the tech world.”

Favorite clothing brand?

“I really mess with Artificial Fever. It’s workwear with a touch of streetwear intertwined with internet culture. What I’m wearing the most right now though is Godsend, StuckUp, and Vain Studios which are all brands that originated from Northern Virginia.”

What is one thing you think people don’t know about you?

“I spend a lot of time talking with my mentors. They are much older than me, and I know that whenever I talk to them I learn so much. I try to have a mentor in a different field like one for music, tech, media, and personal. One of my mentors recently passed who put a battery in my back when I came to LA. He introduced me to so many labels, music execs and really furthered my music career. The first year of knowing him was by cold dming him on LinkedIN because I saw that he had worked for Universal, Sony, and Warner. I was hoping to get a job at one of the three and one day we got on a call. What was supposed to be a 15 minute convo turned into 4 hours. The TLDR of the convo after I had told him everything I was working on was that I don’t need to join a label. It was better for me to grind it out with TCC and Tapped over the next couple of years and build it on my own.

There were times where I doubted myself but he always spoke so much confidence in me and was sold on me. He always said that when I became super successful he wanted nothing from me.

Just a subway franchise because it was his favorite restaurant. So that he could stop spending all that money on subway sandwiches.

So one day I will own a Subway shop in his honor.

My other mentors include Damian who owns one of the biggest media agencies in Washington D.C. and that man is one of the best dudes I have ever met at communicating. I learned a lot of negotiation and partnership skills from him.

Dave, who is the CEO of Blank Kanvaz Records and a music exec who owns a multitude of other companies. His business sense is impeccable and I’m honored to even sit in some high level meetings with him.

Then Chibu and Mic who are some of the most plugged people in the music industry. In terms of connections, and making shit happen those two are their respective rulers in the LA and NYC scene.

Then I would say my cousins Sal and Aaron as well when it just comes to guidance on personal stuff or tech.”

Where do you see yourself 10 years from now?

“I will own multiple different businesses in the tech, media, music , fashion space and rent out a couple properties so I could live through financial freedom. A majority of my time I want to dedicate to making art and working on different projects that fuel my passion and interests. I want to build my family as well and be settled in my own property.”

Wrapping it up, this interview went way differently than I expected. Ilias seemed really driven and I bet money this kid is gonna go far. There was something about how passionate he sounded every time he spoke. When I left the meeting, I thought to myself that this is what conviction sounds like. I’m curious to see where he goes, but I would be lying if I didn’t say he got me hooked.

I also felt like he didn’t really talk about himself, the whole interview was just him shouting out other people. Which leaves me with a lot of homework to find out who half all these people are.

Nonetheless, if you are interested in finding out more about his companies check the websites out here:

www.tapped.ai

www.tccentertainment.com

Purchase his recent book here: https://tccentertainment.com/products/the-art-of-social-media-success-building-your-brand-as-an-entrepreneur-content-creator-or-musician