Veli Speaks on His Music Management Inspirations
Veli Speaks on His Music Management Inspirations, Getting Involved in Concerts and Music Tours, The Growth of his company Veli Brand, Working Alongside Some of the Biggest Musical Acts And What’s To Come For 2020.
When we think about music artists and their live shows we tend to only think about their ability of putting on a great performance. I love a good live performance as much as anyone else but aside from the artist themselves, the hard working folks who take care of the back end responsibilities deserve just as much credit if not more for their dedication and what they contribute to assuring that that particular artist has an amazing turnout. From working alongside Da Baby and Justine Skye to a forthcoming show with one of 2019’s rising stars in YBN Cordae, Veli has been showing what a true “behind the scenes” guy is capable of accomplishing.
The Veli Brand has grown to be a very popular and well-known platform in the music space when it comes to concerts, tours, and management. Veli, who happens to be the founder of the self-titled company, has stamped his name and reputation in all facets of his business and continues to thrive while also showing us that you don’t have to be the main attraction to make your money.
I caught up with Veli to discuss the growth of his brand, how and why he decided to get into the music business, working with some of music’s rising stars and what’s to come for 2020.
1 - What personal inspirations did you have growing up that motivated you to be in the music industry?
I didn’t that’s the crazy part, I had hoop dreams growing up. I got into music because I was a sophomore basketball player and business manager in college and I wanted to work on building my future early so that when I leave school I would have a step up on others who didn’t focus on life after college until late senior year.
2 - Who were some of the noted music figures you looked up to and why?
Other than the obvious choices like Diddy, etc .. I really looked up to Arthur Fogel. He’s the CEO of Global Music Touring for Live Nation and he spearheaded many of the highest grossing tours in history. He’s helped build the touring careers of U2, Madonna, Lady Gaga and more. Watching his documentary fueled my hunger for live events.
3 - Did you always want to be the guy behind the scenes? If so, do you feel like the behind the scenes person gets their credit for the work they do?
I wanted to be behind the scenes when i first started. But now a lot of people would look at me as the face. And I think that’s a per case question. People have different goals -- for some credit doesn’t mean much, for others it is everything. I’m in the middle, money trumps credit but credit helps get your name in different doors… so yeah.
4 - How did you get your start in producing tours and concerts? Secondly, around what time did you realize you can produce your own tours with the Veli Brand?
I got into it by networking and building behind other companies. The first ever tour I was on was in 2014 or 2015 with Fred the Godson, s/o my brother Birdman Zoe from NYC. With concerts, I was building behind the Sound Gallery Studio company in Philly back 2014-ish. I really never wanted to build my own company, I was content working for other people. H from Sound Gallery really pushed me to do my own thing because I was literally running everything for them. He saw I could do it on my own and pushed me to do so. We collaborated on one event (Heirwave 3 showcase), sold out both floors of the Legendary Dobbs on South St(RIP) in 2015 and the rest was history for Veli Brand.
5 - Was being in concert production the gateway for you to get into artist management?
It’s actually the complete opposite. Artist management was the gateway for concerts. Being a manager first, I saw that there was a lot of trash showcases where 30 artists perform and have to pay a few hundred dollars to open for other local artists. I wanted to create a better platform for mine and other artists to perform and to create a REAL atmosphere that they can truly benefit from. Fewer performances, more creative and diverse musical lineups, etc. I wanted to build a platform that not only the artist could benefit from, but fans/concert lovers could enjoy as well. Building that early brand loyalty was key for me as I wanted people to enjoy my shows no matter who was performing. That can only come from good performers and manageable ticket prices.
6 - You’ve been working alongside Camden, NJ artist Mir Fontane for quite some time now. How has that experience been for you on the management side? What are some of your day to day duties in helping Mir further his career?
Cross between an aspiring music mogul & a top secret agent 😎 📷: @halbe_
#VELIBRAND
It’s been a great experience. Mir’s came along way in the past few years and still has room for growth, he hasn’t reached his ceiling yet. I helped him build his show/touring history and happy to say that we’ve helped grow him from a 40 ticket act in 2016, to doing up to 700 tickets this past summer (2019) for his concerts here locally. We are building him across the country as well -- he’s done at least 4-5 tours since I’ve been involved. My job is to put him in the right rooms with the right promoters, whether it be hard ticket shows, or college frat parties. I obviously assist with music releases too -- but Jon is the driving force on that side.
7 - With the Veli Brand, you’ve sold out multiple shows in multiple cities with acts such as Da Baby, Justine Skye, Lil TJAY, YBN Cordae, Young Nudy, and of course Mir Fontane. For those who are unaware, what type of work goes into creating an experience for the attendees to see these artists in a sold out venue?
It’s crazy because it’s harder than you think. Not anyone who has a little bit of money should or can throw a quality concert. So many things go into it much more than giving someone a mic to perform. You need the right venue, ticket price, day of the week, merch, production, etc. On the artists’ side, they need to be made comfortable (rider requests, etc), so that they can give the fans their best. It’s an honor when I hear people say that a concert I presented was their favorite show of all time. It’s people who went to Da Baby concert who say that was the best show they ever went to --- they’ve compared it to the first Lil Uzi major headline show back in 2016 at the TLA. That’s when it becomes sentimental to me. I’m going to work harder in 2020 to make the Veli Brand experience all the more better so we’ll see what happens.
8 - Da Baby and Lil Tjay both had an amazing 2019. How was the experience working alongside those guys and their teams?
These were my two biggest concerts on 2019, and it feels good to be the first to bring both of these artists to the cities. Meet Da Baby back in April, you could tell he had a lucrative career ahead of him just based off of how he carried himself. Same with Lil Tjay, both acts have great music, and solid and stable teams which are traits of a long career so I look forward to seeing them both grow.
I’ll never get used to this feeling. Never in a million years I thought I’d be here, doing this, & being so damn good at it. Thank you #PHILLY #VELIBRAND
Legendary. We sold this b*tch out TWICE.
Thank you #PHILLY, see you tomorrow night for @dababy 💪🏾 #VELIBRAND
#TheCircuit
#BabyOnBabyTour
9 - What are some of the risks with being an event producer and working behind the scenes? What are the rewards?
I think it really just depends on what your goals are. The risks is you could lose every single penny and have nothing to show for it. The rewards vary - for me though its helping people create memories and achieve goals that will last a lifetime. There are people who got to meet and/or perform in front of the role models and you can’t put a price tag on that.
10 - You recently held auditions for upcoming artists to do open sets for your forthcoming 2020 concerts. What type of talent do you look for when scouting artists like this?
I don’t have a set criteria. I go off of the music, vibes, and how you carry yourself. Things like quality of performance can be tweaked and work on. I like to see intangibles such as who you are as a person. If you are a good person with OK music I’ll figure out a way to work with you. I’ve built with a lot of locals like that time and time again.
11 - What career and/or personal advice did you receive early on that you still value today? What advice would you give the aspiring concert/tour producer and artist manager?
I think two good pieces of advice I was given early on was:
Work for the approval of yourself, not others. Once you do the work and you start moving up, the people will find you. Early on, I was focused on building through others so that when I wasn’t getting the responses I wanted, I would shut down and not understand why people wouldn’t work with me. In reality, I had nothing to offer...yet.
Travel, and network outside of your home state. Build those outside connections and bring those back home -- watch your stock raise rapidly.
That is what help mold me to who I am today. If I could give any additional advice to a promoter I would say to have a list of values and morals and know what your company stands on. Know what you want long term for your brand and build accordingly. Do not focus on the money focus on the connections. Your name and the recommendations from others will bring you funds when it’s time, don’t chase it. Create quality events and CAPTURE GREAT CONTENT. Content is your greatest advertiser.
12 - What can we expect from you and the Veli Brand in 2020?
Concert wise, more of the same. We’ll continue to bring the next great artist to the city as we’ve been doing, providing memories for openers and fans alike.
I want to build the clothing aspect of my company into a 5-figure business in 2020, so that’s one of my main focuses along with building an educational side of the brand also. So expect some expansion in those areas as we continue to grow.