Goldie Harris Speaks On Her Music and Party Inspirations
Goldie Harris Speaks On Her Music and Party Inspirations, Her love for Throwing Music Events, The Growth of Her 24:OURS Brand, and What’s to come for 2020.
We’ve finally made it to the end of March! Although this has been the craziest month of the year thus far, we’re excited to finally be wrapping up our annual Women’s History Month series and what better way to end it than to conclude it with one of the biggest creative hustlers out there. Inspired by musical geniuses such as Pharrell Williams and Missy Elliott, Goldie Harris, an entrepreneur and business owner, uses her influence to create musical driven spaces for other link-minded creatives and millennials. She took an idea that started in her backyard and grew it into a business that now highlights some of the best up and coming musicians all throughout multiple cities in the country.
24:OURS, a brand that started out as a music production company eventually grew into something much more over time. Goldie dedicated herself to creating a “tree with various branches” that not only covers musical creation but also live events and a creative studio.
I caught up with Goldie to talk to her about her music and event inspirations, the creation and growth of her brand 24:OURS, highlighting urban events and workspaces for the black community, and what she has planned for 2020.
1 - What were some of your personal and professional musical inspirations growing up?
I was really inspired by artists like Busta Rhymes, Sean Paul, and Missy Elliot because of the level of creativity they were putting behind their music. Then there was Pharrell Williams, Tyler The Creator & Odd Future and the ASAP Mob. I loved the work they were all creating and I wanted to do the same.
2 - How did some of your early motivations help you as a creative?
The earliest motivations I looked up to were my parents. I’m a first generation kid. I grew up in a creative household, my dad was a musician, and we had a full blown music studio in my basement. My mom was really into fashion and tattoos, she showed me what it was like to have a free mind. Through them, I got to explore the world of entrepreneurship, creativity and innovation because they really came to the states and made something out of nothing.
3 - So, you have your surface level music inspirations but being an entrepreneur in music events and event production, I’m sure you have some inspirations in that space as well. During your time of you creating your brand 24:OURS, who inspired you in the art of event production?
24:OURS always really existed. I really grew up throwing events. I started off having parties in my backyard with my best friends and I’m still curating events today with the same friends. I fell in love with the community, the energy that came to life during those events. Then during my time at SUNY New Paltz, I started exploring new music and I wanted to take those experiences from upstate New York back to the City. I started implementing music performances into these parties back at home and I just felt like magic was happening. In college I ended up getting a 120k budget to throw the spring concert at New Paltz and it was such a sick experience, I worked with Action Bronson, Joey Badass, ASAP Ferg, Best Coast and it really just opened my eyes up. I looked at myself and I realized, yo I really love this shit. I was pretty much inspired by the work I was doing, learning new things and reaching new heights.
4 - Tell us a little bit more about your brand 24:OURS.
I mean what started as a lifestyle collective grew into a music video production company and then we added live events and now we have a physical creative studio to make all these crazy ass ideas come alive. It’s pretty much now a tree with various branches. 24:OURS is ultimately an umbrella for all of my friend’s and I’s creative endeavors and I want to continue to take it to the next level, no matter what that looks like.
5 - You also have 24:OURS Creative Studios which is an extension of 24:OURS. Can you talk more about this space and why you felt it was important to put something together like this?
As an entrepreneur, I really believe in filling the void. As someone who created content, produced and hosted events, I was constantly looking for spaces like this but more importantly, spaces like this that spoke to my culture and my energy. I realized it didn’t exist so I wanted to fill that void.
6 - To follow up on the previous question, you did an interview last year where you mentioned that you were denied doing events because venue owners saw your events as too urban. Is this common among black event producers from your knowledge? If so, why?
Absolutely. Across the board, it’s just harder to create hip hop or “urban” events because a lot of venues don’t want that energy. They don’t understand it.
7 - One thing that stood out to me in the bio of your Instagram page for 24:OURS Studios is highlighting the fact that the brand/studio is black owned. In your opinion, why was it important to emphasize that your studio is black owned and what message are you trying to convey to your audience?
It’s just showing my audience what it is. I think it’s really important because there aren’t that many of us out here. I think it opens the doors for a lot of conversations and transparency.
8 - You’re constantly holding events at your studio and you’ve even taken your Noise Control music series to A3C in Atlanta and Europe. What’s your process like when creating these events and what’s your ultimate goal when doing so?
Noise Control specifically speaks to the rebels of the music industry. The ones who create their own sound. We’ve had artists like New Age Outlaws, Coi Leray, ABG Neal, Ksace, and I can go on but these are really dope and unique artists that I think break a lot of stereotypes and who are paving their own lane. I don’t care about how popular the artist is. I have had artist headline shows before they became super big because what’s most important is putting on a quality show. My ultimate goal is making sure Noise Control is a quality experience, it’s a rage, and that we’re giving the underground a voice.
281 Likes, 29 Comments - GOLDIE (@goldieharris) on Instagram: "as usual - I had fun putting this lineup together. #NoiseCtrl MARCH MADNESS tickets are now..."
9 - What advice would you give the aspiring event producer and venue owner?
For the event producer, I would tell them that having a solid team during your events is key. Making sure roles are explicit on your team. You also gotta know when to take a L and be adamant about learning from each and every experience. There is always room for growth. If you want to be excellent, you have to constantly be on top of new ways to make your events stronger and how to build a consistent fan base. Finally, you always want to figure out how to create an experience that people will remember. In order to do that you must listen to and watch your audience and ask for feedback from all parties, the DJs, the artist/performers, the fans, the attendees, and even the staff.
For a fellow venue owner, first and foremost, you have to build capital. Whether it be through private investments, grants, or business loans, calculate each and every expense and ensure you have a security blanket. You never know when an epidemic or natural disaster could hit your area, so it’s good to always prepare for the worst. Second, having a solid team where everyone’s roles are clear is also key to successfully run a business. In order to build and maintain a solid team, it is important that everyone understands their role and that each role is valued and respected. Overall, building capital and securing a solid team are the two biggest pieces of advice for someone looking to become a venue owner.
10 - What can we expect from Goldie Harris and the 24:OURS brand in 2020?
2019 was really fast for us. We expanded really fast, we got a lot of press, so a lot of it was taking the ball and running with it. 2020 is a year of pre-production for us as we gear up for some major changes. We plan on ramping things up on the digital front so we’ll be introducing original content, music videos, merch and and we’re making sure the next noise ctrl is truly a unique experience.