The Living Legends Foundation Inc

Today, the Living Legends Foundation is celebrating the Heroes of Black Music & Culture. Join us in congratulating TRACI ADAMS, EVP Promotion, Epic Records, our recognized “Hero Behind The Culture”.   Born & raised in Savannah, GA, Traci came from a very musical household where her father, Teddy Adams, introduced his children to his love as a jazz trombonist. Having such a nurturing environment played a very large part in igniting Traci’s soon-to-be career passion as one of the most talented music executives of our generation.    Traci graduated cum laude with a BA in Mass Communications & a minor in Theater from Savannah State University. During her summer breaks, she interned at LaFace Records in Atlanta and after graduation, she accepted a position as Programming Assistant for Radio One/WFUN in St. Louis. One year later, she was promoted to Music Director and listeners would tune into her on-air personality, “Koa Koa Thai” where she delivered the entertainment news.   Three years later, she accepted a position at Island Def Jam Records as Regional Manager in Chicago before relocating to Washington, DC and then to NY. She was soon promoted to Sr. Director of National Promotion, where she held helm until January 2012.   That same year, Traci rejoined forces with LA Reid & under Benny Pough’s leadership, was named VP of Promotion at Epic & 2 years later was promoted to SVP, Promotion. In 2018, Traci was named EVP of Promotion by Sylvia Rhone. Traci’s multitude of success in the music business thus far encompasses Future, Travis Scott, 21 Savage, Tyla, DJ Khaled, Mariah Carey and Rihanna to name a few. She has been recognized in multiple Billboard issues in both the “R&B Hip Hop Power Players” & the “Women in Music” editions, holds the title of commencement speaker at her alma mater and has accomplished Mediabase chart history with Epic artists. Her excellence and proven track record make her an indispensable leader in the dynamic world of music promotion.   Follow her on IG @tracianyc.   Traci, the Living Legends Foundation recognizes your hard work and love for the culture. We see you and now others will too!   #livinglegendsfoundation #LivingLegend #HeroesBehindTheCulture #shero

Today, the Living Legends Foundation is celebrating the Heroes of Black Music & Culture. Join us in congratulating Colby Tyner , a/k/a COLBY COLB, Vice President of Programming at Radio One, our recognized “Hero Behind The Culture”. Colby started his broadcasting career at 17 as an intern at Power 99 (WUSL) in Philadelphia during his freshman semester at Temple University where he earned a degree in Criminal Justice.  He created and hosted Radioactive, a hip-hop radio show and co-hosted a successful morning show with Wendy Williams. He moved to NYC to help launch Power 105 (WWPR) before returning to Philadelphia as PD and afternoon drive host at WPHI.  During his 5+ years at WPHI, the ratings soared, he received 6 Philadelphia Air Awards including the Milestone Award and was nominated for the Marconi Award for Air Personality of the Year, while the station was nominated for a Marconi Award and a Crystal Award. In 2009, Colby was named Operations Manager of Radio One Cleveland’s cluster of legendary stations WENZ, WZAK, WERE and WJMO. In 2014, he was promoted to Vice President of Programming at Radio One, relocating to their Washington D.C. offices.  His responsibilities include directly overseeing various radio brands with diverse formats across the country, managing syndicated programming and talent, cultivating new talent, implementing digital initiatives and managing relationships with recording artists and record labels. While in Cleveland, he created the “Think Before You Act” campaign, which served as a template for other radio stations around the country on how to get young people engaged in stemming violence in their communities.  He hosted the successful “The Backstory” Podcast, which inspired him to launch Pod Is Good, a podcast and media consulting company. Colby is also a screenwriter with several projects being pitched for TV and Film. Follow him on IG & FB @officialcolbycolb, on X @ColbyColb, on LinkedIn @ Colby Tyner and on SnapChat @OfficialColby Colby, the Living Legends Foundation recognizes your hard work and love for the culture.  We see you and now others will too! #livinglegendsfoundation #LivingLegend #HeroesBehindTheCulture #BlackMusic365

The place to be on Friday, Oct 4th is the Taglyan Complex in Hollywood, CA for our Annual Awards Dinner honoring Ed Eckstine Harvey M. Donnie Simpson Gwen Franklin Chris CHAMBERS Londell McMillan Joi Brown Mike Kelly TV One and WBLS 107.5 FM We'll celebrate Black Music and these custodians of Black Culture in the entertainment industry with music enthusiasts, business professionals, dignitaries, celebrities and tastemakers! Purchase individual tickets using the QR code or the bit.ly/LLFAwards2024. Book tables, ads and sponsorships by emailing thelivinglegendsfoundationinc@gmail.com. See you there!

Today, the Living Legends Foundation is celebrating the Heroes of Black Music & Culture. Join us in congratulating JAMES E. McMILLAN, ESQ., our recognized “Hero Behind The Culture”. Counted as one of the top music attorneys by Hollywood Reporter and Billboard magazines, James has merged his roles as lawyer, marketer, manager and visionary. James was born in Cleveland and began his foray into the entertainment world after a youthful indiscretion in his early 20’s landed him behind bars. He realized he needed to do better and be better. He changed course and ultimately graduated from law school, overcoming many obstacles to become a practicing attorney. His personal experience profoundly shaped his commitment to helping young people- especially artists- set themselves up for success in the entertainment business. Over his 20+ year career, James McMillan has become a leader by identifying, working and building a varied range of clients, including artists, music producers, athletes, actors, and legacy artists. He has also set up and negotiated deals with movie studios and every major record label group including Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group, Sony Music, Sony Pictures, Universal Pictures and more. This prepared him to execute his vision of creating an environment for artists to flourish and realize their fullest potential. He launched his own label, ART@WAR in 2017, with an auspicious start. Within the first year of its existence, the indie label’s roster boasted numerous gold and platinum records and four Grammy nominations including Best Rap Album for Cordae’s solo debut in 2020. ART@WAR has a joint venture with Atlantic Records and a partnership with Def Jam. His goals for the ART@WAR umbrella go well beyond platinum records and sold-out tours. He wants to carve out a place in pop culture history for his artists. Follow him on IG @jimmynickles & @artatwarent, on FB @ James McMillan and on TikTok @artatwarent. James, the Living Legends Foundation recognizes your hard work and love for the culture. We see you and now others will too! #livinglegendsfoundation #LivingLegend #HeroesBehindTheCulture #BlackMusic365

Today, the Living Legends Foundation is celebrating the Heroes of Black Music & Culture. Join us in congratulating TINA DAVIS, President, EMPIRE our recognized “Hero Behind The Culture” for #BlackMusicMonth. An accomplished record label executive, artist manager and entrepreneur, Tina’s almost 30 years of experience have earned her an impressive and lasting legacy in the music industry. Growing up in Northern California, Tina watched her father gig in their garage with his own band. She studied classical piano for 8 years and staged mini-concerts during elementary school recess. At 13 years old, after watching the film Krush Groove, which was based on the origin story of Def Jam, she decided that she would work there one day. After a stint at Grambling State University, Tina landed her first role in the industry as an executive assistant at Chrysalis Music Publishing. One year later, her dream became a reality when she was recruited to become an A&R administrator at Def Jam’s West Coast office. Going through tapes, she discovered one that gave Def Jam one of its first #1 R&B hits, “This is How We Do It.” Within a year, she was promoted to head of Def Jam West and then moved to NY as the label’s VP and later SVP of A&R. Among other successes, she discovered a young artist who would soon become one of the world’s biggest musical acts: Chris Brown. She left Def Jam and established her management company, Phase Too, with Brown as her first client and signed him to Jive Records. Tina serves as a dedicated mentor to young women aspiring or just starting out in the music industry. She is a longtime contributor to Best Buddies, a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, inspired by a sister with Down Syndrome. Tina plans to expand her creative endeavors to the world of philanthropy, television, writing, speaking engagements and teaching. Follow her on IG @tina.davis and on LinkedIn @ Tina Davis. Tina, the Living Legends Foundation recognizes your hard work and love for the culture. We see you and now others will too! #livinglegendsfoundation #LivingLegend #HeroesBehindTheCulture #BlackMusic365 #shero

Today, the Living Legends Foundation is celebrating the Heroes of Black Music & Culture. Join us in congratulating TT TORREZ, Vice President of Artist and Label Relations and Music Director, Hot 97 Radio, our recognized “Hero Behind The Culture” for #BlackMusicMonth. TT is a multimedia personality and shot caller at Hip Hop’s oldest running radio station and one of the most powerful women in the game. At HOT, TT wears many hats, and is the gatekeeper for the radio station. She oversees the station’s music, makes sure FCC regulations are being followed, manages the day to day operations of the staff, as well as the touch, feel and the fabric of the station and manages the relationships with artists, label reps, or anyone on the outside. Born in the Bronx and educated at Norfolk State University, she hosted a weekday morning show on the college station. She secured her first commercial gig in Charlotte, NC at WCHH 92.7, and found herself going back and forth from her college to her part time gig in another state every day. After Charlotte, she landed in Charleston, SC at WSSP 94.3 as the morning show producer for Russ Parr and hosted her own midday show. She moved on to Washington, DC at WKYS, Power 104 in Hartford, CT, Music Choice in NYC, Philadelphia and Richmond, VA where she became music director. By 2014, TT was at Hot 97, in an executive role. Now continuing in the tradition of diversifying herself, TT is tapping into the worlds of TV, film, podcasting and books. Follow her on all platforms @TTTorrez. TT, the Living Legends Foundation recognizes your hard work and love for the culture. We see you and now others will too! #livinglegendsfoundation #LivingLegend #HeroesBehindTheCulture #BlackMusic365 #shero

Today, the Living Legends Foundation is celebrating the Heroes of Black Music & Culture. Join us in congratulating, NEWAL DEHAN, Director of Hip Hop and R&B Artist Relations & Programs, iHeartMedia, our recognized “Hero Behind The Culture” for #BlackMusicMonth. Newal is a trusted advocate for artists, and is responsible for conceptualizing and executing marketing strategies and national promotions for artists of all calibers across their iHeartRadio journey. Additionally, Newal helps to produce high-profile events including iHeartRadio’s Living Black!, iHeartRadio Music Festival and the iHeartRadio Music Awards. Newal works hand in hand with the iHeartRadio Partnerships team to ideate and secure talent their brand partnerships, including campaigns with AT&T, Hyundai, Warner Studios and many more. Newal possesses a unique ability to understand various aspects of the music industry, bridging the gap between an artist’s creative journey while maintaining a business-focus. She has earned the trust of her peers over her more-than-a-decade long career in the business. Prior to her role at iHeartMedia, Newal was a Project Manager at MBK Entertainment Inc. Under the leadership of mentors Jeff Robinson Chairman/President and Managing Partner/President Jeanine McLean, Newal developed and executed day to day operations for their artist roster. Newal is a champion for emerging artists, frequently advocating for the next generation of talent. Her commitment to the power of music as a unifying force is evident in her tireless work. Follow her on IG @fabunewnew. Newal, the Living Legends Foundation recognizes your hard work and love for the culture. We see you and now others will too! #livinglegendsfoundation #LivingLegend #HeroesBehindTheCulture #BlackMusic365 #shero

Today, the Living Legends Foundation is celebrating the Heroes of Black Music & Culture. Join us in congratulating JONATHAN RICKETTS, Strategic Partner Manager, Meta, our recognized “Hero Behind The Culture” for #BlackMusicMonth. At Meta, Jonathan Ricketts is responsible for developing Reels music marketing programs that allow labels and artists to fully engage with core fans and expand their reach to new audiences via short form video. He helps artists across select indie labels and distributor partners to adopt music tools available on Facebook, Instagram, and other Meta products, as well. Jonathan also curates IG Anthems, a weekly feature of trending music and new releases found on the IG @Creators page. Prior to Meta, he served as a Premium Content Lead at Spotify where he leveraged lifecycle marketing and paid social strategy centered around artists’ new releases and catalog to drive premium subscribers. Jonathan also hosted and produced an in-house speaker series called Sampled at Spotify where he interviewed producers and DJs. Jonathan’s career in the music industry began with an Urban Radio Promotions internship at Atlantic Records while completing his Mechanical Engineering degree at Columbia University’s School of Engineering and Applied Science. After graduating, he balanced his marketing pursuits at McCann and American Express with building music industry connections as a professional DJ in NYC. Originally from New Jersey with a Jamaican heritage, Jonathan spent his childhood competitively playing soccer for multiple club teams, running track, and fostering his love for soul, hip hop, and dancehall music. Follow him on IG @jayricksnyc. Jonathan, the Living Legends Foundation recognizes your hard work and love for the culture. We see you and now others will too! #livinglegendsfoundation #LivingLegend #HeroesBehindTheCulture #BlackMusic365