Third+Hayden Music Mogul Kei Henderson Talks Queer…
Third+Hayden music mogul Kei Henderson just isn’t in building disposable moments.
Source: Jerritt Clark / Getty
The Grammy-winning music government, founder and CEO of Third + Hayden, told BOSSIP that her focus is on developing artists with endurance, possession and the personal assist needed to survive the calls for of the music industry.
Speaking with Lauryn Bass during Black Music/Pride Month, Henderson said her work is rooted in spotlighting artists and creatives who are often neglected.
“I would say it’s like a passion for underrepresented creatives or overlooked creatives,” Henderson said. “My job in every capacity has been to make things bigger and better.”
Henderson, who managed 21 Savage from 2015 to 2019 and helped information his rise from Atlanta standout to Grammy-winning artist, said that same mission continues through Third + Hayden: elevating her artistic development company and incubator that operates across management, label and publishing.
Kei Henderson Says Artist Development Is Returning
Henderson says that the music industry’s obsession with viral moments induced artist development to lose ground, but she believes followers are starting to need more.
Source: Courtesy / Courtesy
“I think it had become a lost art from social media just kind of cannibalizing how we discover musicians,” Henderson said. “But I think it’s kind of coming back because we realize that a 30-second moment is not an artist.”
According to Henderson, storytelling is a essential half of developing an artist who can maintain a profession past one clip or one track.
“Storytelling is artist development. Artist development is storytelling,” Henderson said.
When evaluating expertise, Henderson said she seems to be past the music. She pays consideration to respect, work ethic, self-awareness and whether or not she genuinely needs to be around the artist.
“You need to want it more than everybody else that’s around you,” Henderson said. “When you are unclear on who you are, what you want, what your vision is for yourself, you can make the entire team unclear.”
The 21 Savage Lesson She Still Carries
Henderson told BOSSIP that one of the most memorable moments from her time working with 21 Savage occurred during his XXL Freshman shoot.
Source: Courtesy / Courtesy
She said the crew was excited to rejoice the milestone, but 21 Savage reminded them not to get snug.
“In the moment, it kind of hurt my feelings,” Henderson said. “But what he meant by that was, ‘Hey, there’s still a lot more work to do.’”
Henderson said the second grew to become a profession lesson about benchmarks, ambition and not complicated recognition with long-term success.
“That was a very memorable moment,” she said. “A core moment for me.”
Third + Hayden Was Built To Protect Artists
Henderson says she created Third + Hayden to handle a number of points in the industry, including short-term pondering, predatory offers, and the shortage of care for artists as people.
“I wanted to solve the problem of artist development and legacy acts,” Henderson said.
She said the company’s model provides artists artistic control, possession and assist past the music.
“You don’t have to run artists down to the ground for them to reap the benefits of their work,” Henderson said.
Third + Hayden permits artists to retain possession of their catalogs and gives non-recoupable development funds that can be utilized for sources, including therapy and wellness assist.
Henderson said that the mission is personal.
“I personally hit rock bottom as a creative executive,” Henderson said of her expertise in 2019. “It was therapy and spending time with my hobbies and using my resources to do things that I loved that filled me up that kept me wanting to be back in the business.”
She said if she might expertise burnout as an government, artists are even more susceptible.
“I know if it’s possible for me, it’s possible for them,” Henderson said. “So I wanted to make sure that they had the support that I was able to provide to myself.”
Pride, Black Music Month And Wanting More
Henderson, who has been acknowledged by Billboard as an influential LGBTQ government, believes that illustration carries accountability.
“There’s not a ton of us, so it’s important that that representation is present,” Henderson said. “It feels like a grand responsibility.”
She added, “I’m just happy to be Black, free and be able to pay it forward.”
Still, Henderson said she just isn’t permitting accolades to make her snug.
“It feels good to be seen, and it feels good to be considered,” Henderson said. “But I’m personally right now in a space of ‘don’t get comfortable.’ I want more.”
Henderson said conversations around LGBTQ inclusion in music have modified dramatically since she entered the industry, crediting more artists for being open about who they’re.
“It’s done a complete 180,” Henderson said.
What’s Next For Third + Hayden
Looking forward, Henderson said she needs Third + Hayden to do more occasions, live shows and networking alternatives for younger managers. She also spoke extremely of the company’s artist roster and said she believes a number of artists are close to major breakthroughs.
“I feel like in the next couple years, Annahstasia will be accepting a Grammy for her next LP,” Henderson said. “I feel like Ben Reilly is going to have a breakout year. Zyah Belle is going to have a breakout year.”
As for her advice to younger creatives, Henderson inspired aspiring artists and executives to focus on consistency over pace.
“Don’t try to tackle all of the world in one day,” Henderson said. “Progress is a process. It is really a marathon.”
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For more data on Third + Hayden, its artist roster, upcoming occasions and initiatives, go to ThirdAndHayden.com.
The post Third+Hayden Music Mogul Kei Henderson Talks Queer Representation, Legacy & Long-Lasting Careers [Exclusive] appeared first on GWN.
