What is a hip-hop/rap publicist?

By Chloe Sullivan

​Living in Los Angeles county puts us in the heart of the entertainment industry. There are various avenues in entertainment one can explore, such as film, music, sports, and more. With festivals like Coachella, Southern California has become a hotspot for the music industry. Many artists travel to the sunny hills of Hollywood to live out their music mogul fantasy. One artist that has done this is Tory Lanez. Daystar Shemuel Shua Peterson, better known as Tory Lanez is a Canadian rapper currently residing in Los Angeles. Although he is a celebrity, he values his team as much as his fans adore him. One of his employees that he considers a key asset is his publicist. 

In this post, we’ll define what a publicist does in the hip-hop industry and find out how to break into the industry with advice from both Tory Lanez and his personal publicist.

Why is being a publicist important?
It may not seem like it to the general public, but clients are a publicist’s entire world. Tory Lanez was able to sit down and answer a couple questions about his publicist. When asked if his publicist had made a difference in his career, Lanez stated, “Yes, in a major way because a publicist goes and finds opportunities that normally would not come. They actively make sure that you are in the most relevant events at the most important times.” Trust is put into a publicist by the client. They are expected to understand the trends, connect the audience with their client and gain their client exposure through media attention. Lanez finished by stating, “Without my publicist, I would feel lost.” Although you may not get the same attention as your client, the work you do as a publicist will not be undervalued. 

Tips and reminders for publicists
Most people decide to be a publicist because they want to be with their favorite celebrity. However, most times it does not start off that way, as was the case with Brandon Brown.

Brown began his career as a graphic designer for websites. This job created an opportunity for him to learn about marketing and web design. He began to work with a cannabis company (LA Cannabis Co) then later ventured to a local band from Orange County. He stated that he didn’t start working with higher profile celebrities until he was able to build credibility on his resume. So, how did he come to work with one of his favorite rappers? The answer was simple, by being around the right people. It is no secret that networking is the key to getting your name in rooms you haven’t walked in yet. But how do you know who is the right person to talk to? You don’t. The key is to treat everyone as equal and to show you know what you are talking about. The easiest way to prove your knowledge is by working in the field you are most familiar with. Brown already had an interest in hip-hop music so the transition into the field was effortless. 

Brown advises that the three things to always keep in mind when being successful as a music publicist is to network, be confident in what you know and never assume someone can’t help you based on appearance. 

We live in the city where people come to live out their dreams. Take advantage and turn your music interests into a career. While interviewing Creative Director and Publicist Brandon Brown, we were able to obtain some insight on how he achieved his job and what comes with it. To work with a high-profile figure, the duties will vary. However, there are tasks that intersect for every publicist. The main role of a publicist is to produce and manage the publicity of a client. As the client’s profile rises, so do the job tasks. The journey to finding the right artist may take longer than expected. To be successful in that journey, always remember to be certain with your information, do not presume and always network. 

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