Did Ya Know

On this episode of Did Ya Know Podcast, Adrian is joined by Yaw Owusu, Creative Director at Nothin But The Music. Yaw was instrumental in designing and developing Power Up, the long term initiative which supports Black music creators, industry professionals and executives. In this conversation, Yaw talks about his early ambitions of playing professional basketball, recalls the summer that ignited his passion for the music business, and explains why investment in infrastructure outside of London is the key to Black music and culture thriving on a larger scale.

On this episode of Did Ya Know Podcast, Adrian is joined by Stacey Tang, Co-President of RCA UK. Stacey is widely recognised as one of the most influential women in music, having spent time at City Rockers, Atlantic, and Columbia, before landing her roles at RCA. Stacey recounts her experiences working at different labels, and the lessons learned at each. She also emphasises the importance of community and mentorship, the emotional impact of music, and shares how her exposure to the music industry came via a babysitting job! 

On this episode of Did Ya Know Podcast, Adrian is joined by co-founder and president at All My Friends, Mike Ajayi. Mike talks about having success away from the mainstream, the mentors that changed everything, and his own personal blueprint for success. From an internship at Sony to multi-award winning music exec, Mike shares why he dropped out of law and politics at uni and forged his path in music, and why taking time away from the business helped him to gain perspective. 

On this episode of Did Ya Know Podcast, Adrian is joined by Lorna Clarke, Director of Music at the BBC. Lorna has had an impactful career which has included stints at Kiss FM, Metro Radio, as well as an incredible and varied time at the BBC. In this episode, Lorna shared how a wide range of genres shaped her life and love of music, how it was instilled from an early age that she could do anything, and why someone asking the question ‘Do you think you’re good?’ has stayed with her for decades. Lorna mentions her very brief stink in a punk band, why going sailing during her career break was a must and why her consistent advice to others is to not agonise over failure. 

On this episode of Did Ya Know Podcast, Adrian is joined by Preye Crooks, co-head of A&R at Robots and Humans and co-founder of Strawberries and Creem Festival. Preye talks about what it takes to build a successful brand, how his entrepreneurial spirit has developed over time, and the many milestones he has reached in the music business to date,  

With 25 years under her belt, there isn’t much that Jasmine hasn’t already done!  In this episode Jasmine shares why working in music and the arts was always her destiny, how her background in dance gave her the foundation of discipline for her future career, how she was a champion for diversity long before it became a buzzword, and why it means so much to be able to thank the mentors who helped her along the way.