SVP of Roc Nation Lenny Santiago A.K.A “Lenny S” joins Jazz Young to mentor Institute of Audio Research students as a part of the Mentor Matchup program.
Hip-Hop has always been the voice of the youth. From “The Message” by Grandmaster Flash to “See World” by J.Cole, the visual that this culture has painted has been one painted from a child’s eyes. In the past 20 years, we’ve seen hip-hop grow into its rightful position at the forefront of pop culture. Within that ascension, we’ve also seen the market and the demographic for the music grow exponentially. This has pushed open the door for successful industry professionals to offer their insight and advice to young up-and-comers so that they can learn from the mistakes of others and not their own. Hip-Hop professor Jazz Young is on the forefront of this movement. Solidifying her legacy as the marketing director for household acts such as Jay-Z, DMX, Slick Rick and EPMD, Ms.Young now spends her days running the Endeavour Agency (a multi-faceted start-up that produces events, cultivates brands and imaging and serves the client with top notch treatment) with her partner Mandy Aragones and cultivating the next generation of moguls, and legendary artists through her mentor matchup program.
“The Mentor Matchup program is a platform for like minded sprits to mix with each other. It puts successful industry professionals in a room with students who are looking for insight on how to master their crafts,” says Jazz Young.
In her most recent matchup, Jazz brought her music/entertainment management students at IAR to the Roc Nation office to sit down with Lenny Santiago A.K.A “Lenny S”. Joining the Roc-a-fella records street team in 1996, Lenny got his start putting up stickers, posters, and handing out mixtapes. Maintaining humility and diligent work ethic, Lenny got his shot when a conversation with Dame Dash resulted in a promotion to A&R for the Streets Is Watching album. Since then, Lenny has gone on to redefine the A&R position. Branding himself a “Lifestyle A&R”, he’s revered in the industry as one of the few professionals that invests himself fully into an artist. Most recently Lenny S became SVP at Roc Nation and is responsible for the signings of Fabolous, Vic Mensa and Justine Skye.
In an industry where status and exclusivity is almost currency, Lenny opened his doors to a few students in search of much needed knowledge. He preached the value of “attitude over aptitude”. When asked why Roc Nation doesn’t take on many trendy clients, Lenny stressed that money will always come second to quality. He also offered gems on how not to become the incompetent homeboy manager and he left them with a motto to live by when courting and potentially signing artists. “You must believe in what your artist is making and people must want to be like them. The lifestyle should reflect the music and the music should be a soundscape for the lifestyle.”
The impact of the efforts of Jazz Young are immeasurable, she’s giving her students/mentees an opportunity to see what dreams coming true actually looks like. She is opening doors that were closed shut 10-15 years ago. She is strengthening the lineage of Hip-Hop culture. Kudos to you!
For more information on the Mentor Matchup program please contact Jazz Young at jazz@theendeavouragency.com and follow @thementormatchup on Instagram.
-Shomari-Chioke
