As the CEO of Press Reset Entertainment, author of The Hip-Hop Professional 2.0 and former music executive Shanti Das needs no introduction. If you’re a fan of notable artists like Usher, Outkast and Toni Braxton then you must know behind their success was a woman with a vision that was instrumental in launching their careers. Das has been at the forefront of the music industry for over two decades. Her integrity and hard work have been the driving force behind her longevity in the game. Her contributions to hip-hop never go unnoticed and will continue to be acknowledged by her peers and fans.
A3C Festival & Conference is proud to announce our festival partner, branding powerhouse You42 will be honoring two of the industry's Atlanta-based greats Shanti Das and Organized Noize with the Atlanta Music Heritage Award during the highly anticaipated, sponsored A3C mixer, located at the Loudermilk Center.
Das recently spoke with us about her excitement for being honored, her new book and how she survived in a male dominated field.
Here is what she had to say:
How did you get your start working in the entertainment industry?
I got my start in the industry when I was in college. I worked at my college radio as the assistant promotions director. I did a lot of networking at events and I tried to meet everyone I could who was making moves in the entertainment industry. This was a time when the entertainment industry in Atlanta was bubbling and tons of record labels were relocating to the city. There were so many writers, producers and music executives including L.A. Reid and Babyface that had moved here, as well. I continued to work my way up after interning for V103 radio station and then landed a gig with Capitol Records my sophomore year and did it again at Syracuse University my junior year. Upon graduating, I came back home and worked at Sony Music for the summer and got hired full-time four months after at LaFace Records as a Promotions Director. This was a dream come true for me.
It seems L.A Reid has been key fixture in your career. What was your experience like working with him?
It was an incredible experience working with him. He is one of the true visionaries in the music industry. One thing that I have respected the most about him is his ear. I think there are a lot of really talented people who work in music, but not everyone has that gift. With him being both a musician and producer it made him understand what it means to be a great artist. Something I learned from him early on was that whenever you’re looking at talent you have to realize that it’s about more than just having a great song. He taught me what the “it factor” was in the industry.
You have accomplished so much over the past two decades. What are some of your success stories that you look back on and feel proud of?
The first thing would have to be the role that I play in the Outkast project. I was there for them since day one when during the time when we worked on Player’s Ball from their Christmas album, which then became the single on their debut album Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik and working up to four albums through the Stankonia project. To see the evolution of Outkast knowing that I had a hand in their success is pretty special. The other thing would be me breaking down barriers as a female in the entertainment industry. There weren’t a lot of women that had achieved the title of Executive Vice President. I was definitely at the forefront of females having that title. I am not saying I was the first, but I played a key role in setting the standard for females who came after me.
I want you to reflect back on when you were trying to get your foot in the door at a label? What advice would you give to the younger version of you?
I would probably say not to take the word no so easily. The me now as an entrepreneur is always trying to find ways to turn a no into a yes. You just have to figure out how to make it happen. Although, I think I accomplished a lot there were certain situations where I would get ideas turned down and give up on it instead of fighting for it. I would tell myself to have more fight in me and not to quit on your own vision.
How have you managed to maintain your integrity as a woman working in hip-hop?
I had to tell myself that I am here, because I want this job and want to be known for the work that I bring to the table and not for who I am dating or sleeping with. I would be a hypocrite if I said I never dated anyone in the industry, but I did it on my terms. It wasn’t because I was looking a job or better opportunity to come up. A lot of young women have the game twisted and think sleeping with them is a way to get their foot in the door. I can’t judge anybody, because there is only one person that can do that. I just try to show them that there are other ways out there to land your dream job. Your integrity is what matters in the end. If you want to have longevity you need to know your stuff and pay your dues. Don’t mix business with pleasure, because it will get messy.
Congrats on becoming an author! Can you shed some insight on your book The Hip-Hop Professional 2.0?
The first book I wrote was The Hip-Hop Professional in 2010. I was speaking at a bunch of colleges and my homegirl was like you need to write book. I knew I couldn’t really write, so she told me to just sit down and put all my thoughts together. I thought about it and began writing one night. This was all God, because the words on the paper were flowing. I sat down and wrote all of my favorite hip-hop tracks and took each one and put a spin on them. I re-launched the book in 2013 and added seven, new chapters. I hit the road and went on a college tour. I became the project manager of my own intellectual property. This was cool to build the careers of all these other folks and make them millionaires, but I knew it was time to develop my own brand. A hip-hop professional is someone that is highly skilled in their career while working with a high standard of excellence and has the knowledge and appreciation of how the culture impacts everyday lifestyle.
You’re being honored at A3C 2015, how do you feel about the festivals growth and what are you looking forward to this year?
I’m really proud of the festival. I grew up going to hip-hop conventions. I think it’s really great that you guys are trying to bring that back to the front of the culture. This generation is learning everything from the internet and that’s cool, but you still need to be able to have that face-to-face interaction with people. I am so impressed with how the festival has grown and hope to continue to support you guys. Nobody is doing what you guys are doing for the community and the culture. I am so humbled that A3C chose to honor me this year. I was so surprised, because I have done a lot of panels for the festival. I never expected to get an award. I don’t do it for the glory. I do it to help others and hopefully the next kid can learn from my mistakes?
Will you be making any other appearances at A3C this year?
I will be joining the Bossip panel again this year. It was a very spirited panel last year, so I am excited. I am looking forward to some good dialogue with the ladies. In addition, I will also be speaking on the Heartbeats and Hip-Hop health panel.
