Music Label Entrepreneur Brittney Boston Says What She Looks For When Signing An Artist
Brittney Boston is a rising music media mogul who’s ready to take over the industry. From working as an A&R at Capitol Records, to co-founding her own independent music label (Living Legends Entertainment), Boston is dedicated to ensuring the success of her artists.
We got a chance to sit down and speak with Boston about her journey, and how she got to where she is.
Please introduce yourself to our readers and tell us what you do.
My name is Brittney Boston. I currently manage a few dope artists and run an indie label called Living Legends Entertainment with distribution alliances through BMG and Ingrooves (Strange & RBC).
With regards to music, an artist named Dax is my main priority. We’re building something special and I’m proud to be his manager and business partner. I also manage a violinist known as THMPSN, who is about to put out a Hip-Hop/EDM project. I am also consulting for a few artists and in addition to working with the Grammy Award Winning songwriter Lil Eddie and Latin artist Yung Raf, I’m excited about another artists named Terrell Mackey.
How did you get involved in the music industry and what has your journey been like?
My career has evolved tremendously. I started out as an intern, conquered my dream job of A&R for Universal Music Group, to now helming an indie label and managing the careers of some rising stars.
What does being an A&R actually consist of?
Traditionally an A&R goes to clubs/bars, and shows in order to scout for artists and sign them. Back in the day, there was artist development so the A&Rs would spend time cultivating the artist’s sound and image, while putting them in the studio with writers and producers. Thanks to the internet and social media, a lot of that process has been fast tracked, so most A&R’s look for artist to come in seasoned so they can put the content out quickly. I’m old school. I’m big on energy so I love to go see an artist live, I like to be around them and watch their process. I started as a songwriter so my ear is different.
What’s your process like for recruiting and looking for new artists to potentially sign?
When I get records, I think from both sides, marketability and sonically what sounds appeasing. Diane Warren told me she trusted my ears so I’ll go with that. I love to pair the artist with songwriters and producers that will help create the sound they’re looking for. I like to critique the song and give my notes about how the record can improve cohesively. I’ll be a performance coach if I have to in rehearsal for shows, whatever. I’m all in.
You started your own indie label, Living Legends Entertainment, how has that been so far?
We are very young and have a lot of growing to do. I love what DaBaby and South Coast Music is doing. My personal goal is to have a No Limit, Cash Money, Interscope, TDE type of label. Impact, Impact, Impact.
How do you approach working with artists?
It’s a feeling you have when you meet someone. I’m lead by my spirit, if my inner self tells me to connect or work with someone I will follow suit. I am very selective of who and what I give my time to. Artist management can be very draining if you are working with the wrong person, but you have to create boundaries with artists. It’s so many talented people, you can’t manage them all, so you have to figure out how to help, but not attach yourself to every project
What do you see for yourself in the future? Would you want to ever become a CEO or President of a record label?
There’s a possibility. I believe that will happen, but it’ll have to be something were I am a co-owner or have some sort of ownership in the company. That’s just my mindset, I am big on ownership. Especially as a black woman, it’s important for me to not only become wealthy or have all these credits or titles, but to have actual ownership that will always be mines no matter what. Legacy is important to be and if I don’t believe in me who will.
Tell us about your organization “I AM Musicology”? When did you create that and what do you do?
God told me my purpose was to be a provider for others. So, a few years ago, I was very timid, shy and insecure. The last thing I wanted to do was be in front of people. I had been used to people telling me I’d never be anything or that I wasn’t good enough. But, for some reason, God kept pulling at my spirit to launch this platform to help the youth. So I don’t become long-winded, I’ll cut to the chase … Musicology derived from an organization I created called I AM Musicology.
I AM Musicology is a platform that caters to young professional looking to launch a career in entertainment. We produce a quarterly event called I AM Musicology where we primarily host at the legendary Ivar Theater in Hollywood. We typically host the event in associate with The Los Angeles Film School in Hollywood, however, we’ve also hosted the event at the Art Institute, Musician’s Institute, and Full Sail University and Musician’s Institute. Musicology has been sponsored by Guitar Center and Tunecore.
The mission of I AM Musicology is to empower individuals pursuing a career in the entertainment industry with opportunities and resources. Through these opportunities, participants will be able to build their network, learn and build skill sets that they can apply to their career. We are working on an app right now and I am so excited to grow this platform.
Having worked for a prominent label and now being independent running your own label, which do you prefer?
Working for a record label is amazing. You have an army supporting you and there’s always something new to learn. It’s very difficult to get in those buildings so take advantage if you find yourself in one. Being indie is a non-stop grind, but I like it. Both have its high and lows.When you are independent you don’t have a lot of people to lean on, let alone support so when you win it feels even better. I don’t prefer either or. I find value in both systems.
What advice would you have to offer upcoming artists and entrepreneurs who want to get involved in the music industry?
Never ever give up. Write your goals down and say them out loud daily, start speaking your position into existence. Do your research before reaching out to people. Pay attention to the trades, follow the right blogs and journalists. If you want something bad enough it will happen. Put in the work now, you don’t need wait on a position.
Where can people find you on social media?
@brittneyboston should allow you to find me everywhere. If you are interested in my services you can check out my website – brittneyboston.com.
Entrepreneur
Award Winning Entrepreneur Mama Sue Taylor Talks Being A Cannabis Pioneer & Resource For The Elderly Community
Sue Taylor “Mama Sue”, is a pioneer in the space of wellness and cannabis. Breaking barriers as the first black woman to open and operate a dispensary in Berkeley, California, she has been featured in Forbes, CNN, ABC7, Black Enterprise, MSN and several other publications sharing her incredible journey through cannabis. As she is one of the most influential women in cannabis she continues to utilize her platform to debunk any negativity surrounding the healing plant. As a mother, grandmother, entrepreneur, and advocate, Sue Taylor has made it her mission to be a resource to the elderly community through her Mama Sue Wellness tinctures and series of educational events.
I had the pleasure and honor of speaking with Sue after she was presented the Lifetime Achievement Award from Grammy Award Winning singer Erykah Badu at the 2024 Women in Cannabis Awards. Check it out below.
Sue Taylor Interview
What does it mean to you being a cannabis advocate and how did you get your start in the cannabis industry?
Sue Taylor: If someone had told me 17 years ago that I would be working in the cannabis industry I would have never believed them. I did not choose this, it chose me. My son lured me into the business by convincing me that this is a way for me to have my spiritual wellness center that I have always wanted and that intrigued me. I saw that it was needed because of how I took care of my body when I began to age and I knew the pharmaceutical approach wasn’t working way back then. As I said yes to work with Cannabis, I was actually scared and frightened by it due to the movie Reefer Madness. People in my generation were always told weed was a drug and it was always black people or hispanics and the weed devil and a lot of craziness.
This deterred my generation from cannabis because we simply do not break rules and it was deemed federally illegal. As an African American woman you know there is a stigma around us. I am already judged for being a black woman and I don’t want to be judged again! Being black I am judged everyday even still to this day, so to be taking on something that is extremely stigmatized was scary. But when my son told me I could have my Sue Taylor Wellness facility, I said okay let’s give it a try. Even though I was scared, I knew it was something I had to do to improve the quality of my life. If your dream doesn’t scare you a little bit your dream is not big enough. I was so scared but I was not willing to give up, which has allowed me to live my dream in real time.
Not only are you a cannabis advocate but you are also a pioneer. Can you share with me your vision for your Farmacy dispensary as you are the first and only black woman to own and operate a dispensary in Berkeley?
ST: The journey to opening Farmacy Berkeley was not an easy one. It took us 17 years to get things going. However, I was granted a permit to open Farmacy Berkeley because I had a special niche. Mine was geared to the needs of seniors. I also did my own lobbying to the city council and the mayor. I did it because we really didn’t have the money to do it and we are not equity people. We used our family’s money to get things accomplished. I had another key component Brittany that I want to share. When I went in, they could see that I genuinely cared for humankind. It wasn’t about me. And it really wasn’t just about cannabis. I just saw cannabis as one tool to help people. My pioneer work has helped with the stigma that surrounds cannabis. Recently I received the Lifetime Achievement at the Women in Cannabis Awards for my advocacy work and have also received an advocacy award from Oaksterdam University.
I have been very successful at helping to eliminate the stigma because I don’t fit the mold. I’m a former Catholic school principal. I am also a commissioner on aging. I was the commissioner on aging for Alameda County, where Farmacy Berkeley is located. On top of that, I am certified by the state of California to teach the cannabis program to nurses and help them obtain credits toward the yearly certifications that they need. I’ve had that certification for five years or more. It’s amazing to do that. It has been quite a journey for me. I have also been successful simply because I genuinely care.
When we opened up Farmacy Berkeley, we were open for one month, then the pandemic stopped everything. They sent all seniors home because people were afraid I was going to get covid. So we went away from it and then came back. But before I really got into business, I was teaching seniors. I had a community room where I would educate seniors free of charge, just come in and talk. I even did meditation classes. I did a lot of things there as well. Then that all stopped because of the pandemic. But I want you to be clear on this, we were opened up after we got the license.
How did Cannabis change your life?
ST: When I saw the way cannabis was positively impacting the lives of everyone around me that I was working with, that’s when I became open to cannabis. When I started off, I would not touch it, I was simply just doing the work. But after time, people kept coming to me saying that they were no longer using canes, wheelchairs or medication anymore. Seeing the progress in those people, I began to change my mind and became open to cannabis to help with pain or to help me sleep.
I started to think “maybe my son was right this whole time”. I thought he was on drugs, but when I found out what he was doing things changed. He was attending Oaksterdam University learning the entrepreneur side of cannabis. 17 years ago, there were only dispensaries for medical patients and only three in the Berkeley area making the rules a lot stricter. Its incredible how much growth there has been in the industry and the opportunities it’s presenting in helping others, especially seniors. I continued to do the work, myself along with the many hardworking individuals in the cannabis industry see the benefits of being in the business.
What is your mission for helping the elderly connect to cannabis as you have your Mama Sue Wellness products that are specifically geared toward seniors?
ST: Those products were made with love for a group of people that most people have forgotten about. This means everything to me to be able to have wellness products that cater to my demographic.
Seniors mostly come to cannabis for two reasons, because they can’t sleep or they’re in pain. Thats what each tincture was crafted to help with, we have a sleep tincture made with high CBN and CBD and an extra strength tincture which is high-CBD to help with aches and pain. And we have more products coming very soon. These were made with seniors in mind, but I think I might have more young people using the Mama Sue products for sleep and anxiety because the relief tincture, you could use that during the day and still function. They won’t get you high.
What has it been like working with Glass House Brands?
ST: I’ve been a part of Glass House, for a little over 4 years. What many people don’t know is that in the process of building Farmacy Berkeley, we ran out of money. That is when Kyle, Graham and the Glass House team came in, we became partners and they put up the remainder of the money to help build out the dispensary to my specifications. Glass House also helped me develop my tincture products that I’ve always wanted, Mama Sue Wellness. They aligned with my values and are doing things right, that’s why I chose them.
I’m grateful to be part of the Glass House team, they really support my mission in helping change the stigma around cannabis. As a Brand Ambassador we work together to put together these educational events, I travel to our different dispensaries where I get to speak and answer questions for local seniors one on one.
You mentioned your Mama Sue products and how they’re kind of more so geared toward the senior community. What do you feel like is the most important thing about wellness when it comes to cannabis and debunking these misconceptions?
ST: To begin, it depends on the group of people you are talking to. For instance, when me and my fellow cannabis advocates needed to get something done as a cannabis group going up against the city and state, they would always suggest sending me to speak on the group’s behalf. They thought it was like some magic or something, but let me tell you what it was, Brittany. I looked at the cannabis industry and I looked at most of the people who were in that industry at that time. They looked like stoners. I did not. And I was not. And I made a conscious decision that every time I was representing cannabis, I would look like a lawyer. And that’s who they met. They said, oh, you are in the wrong place, lady. I said, no, I’m here for cannabis. I didn’t fit the mold. Brittany, when they looked at me, I didn’t fit their perception of what people who used cannabis look like. Does that make sense?
I know that recently you and Dreka Gates got a chance to connect, can you share the synergy and connection you two ladies share?
ST: It was amazing. It was one of my most amazing ‘Plants Over Pills’ interviews because we connected on so many levels, so many levels. I’ve never met a young person like that, that’s spiritually evolved like her, because she’s young, you know she’s young, she’s only 37. And we just talked like we knew each other. Wait till you see the interview, it’s on the Glass House YouTube channel. I’ve never conducted an interview like that before. The camera crew was saying, oh my God, they were amazed at how easily we connected, and we just kept talking and talking. We connected on such a high level, we’re both spiritual people, we’ve been through a lot, we believe in plant medicine for healing, and she’s now even opening her first dispensary in Mississippi. Dreka talks about all the challenges she went through to secure the permit. We had trouble in California and we’re the most progressive state there is, I can’t imagine Mississippi. We bonded over all of that, opening our first dispensary and our vision to expanding that into our wellness facilities.
What has been your experience with pills versus plants for healing?
ST: They tried to give me a pill during the pandemic. I’m a spiritual person, and I had anxiety and was having difficult nights of sleep, had so much fear, all that kind of stuff. So, I went to my doctor and she prescribed me pills. I said, you know, I’m not a pill taker. But for some reason she insisted that I just take it. So I took the pills home, I looked it up and researched them before I popped anything. You know what it said on the bottle, they were to help with schizophrenia. Schizophrenia! I called her immediately and relayed my findings to her. You know what her response to me was? Why are you questioning me? You are not a doctor. She said, I give that to all my patients that have anxiety. You know what my response to her was? “I am not all your patients, and I don’t take a pill for anything. You know that I don’t take a pill to manage my health so why would you give me something for schizophrenics? I am not schizophrenic.” So that was it. I had to start looking out for my own health, and wellbeing.
I always make this disclaimer, pills have their place. Pharmaceuticals are not bad. They are not bad for people who need them. Pharmaceutical drugs were made for temporary use. If you get into a car accident or going into operation for eight hours, yes pills are helpful. But most people are using pharmaceuticals just to manage their day to day lives. Like with high blood pressure, with high cholesterol, with even anxiety.You start taking pills for an operation, then you have high blood pressure, then 10, 15 years later, you’re still on those same pills and more. That’s not okay. We have to stay educated about our health and thankfully, our younger generation are getting better at understanding that. The younger generation just doesn’t take what people tell them. You guys research everything. I have three sons so I’m surrounded by all the young people all the time and they keep me sharp.
I just met another guy, he’s gonna open up a wellness facility because everybody is seeing the light, popping a pill is not going to get you healthy. If anything, it’s gonna deteriorate your body because it’s all about the money. Pharmaceutical approach to healthcare. They give politicians money so they continue to push pills on us. We have to look beyond. We have to think for ourselves and find more natural ways to heal and care for bodies, mind and spirit.
Brittany, as I look at your beautiful face today, with that beautiful skin, that beautiful complexion, you have to go within and do what’s best for Brittany. I don’t care what the doctors try to tell you. Trust yourself first, always.
To learn more about Mama Sue Taylor and her journey through cannabis, follow her on Instagram at @suetaylorwellness.
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