Daily Inspiration: Meet Moonie

Today we’d like to introduce you to Moonie.

Hi Moonie, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself
Whew, my story, where to begin! I was born & raised in Greensboro, NC, but the journey started around 2015/2016 as a recent transfer from Raleigh to Charlotte. I just ended my basketball career, and I wanted to finally explore who I was as a person outside of sports. My creative talents ranged from drawing arts, music, photography/videography, and much more; so I was very unsure of where I wanted my starting point to be when entering the creative world.

I was surrounded by plenty of creatives in each of these areas, and I started to feel like my calling would be to use my resources to connect all of them. I started to explore Charlotte attending open mics and other events where I could meet local talent to network with, and in 2017, I created a YouTube series called “The Chronicles of Rhythm”. I wanted the series to highlight underground artists who were at the beginning of their careers, and get their stories out to the world. The show featured a personalized interview with each artist and ended with a “on the spot” freestyle to showcase their talent.

I had a short run ending the series with only 5 episodes, but I came to the realization of what my calling might be. At the end of 2018, I met Kuratii by chance at an Internet concert, and from there, our bond grew. We connected as Black females in a male-dominated music industry, hungry and ready to show what we were capable of. She became the first official producer/artist that I managed, giving me the chance to showcase the wide range of talents I had.

Since then, we’ve continued to build our partnership that ranges from production, writing, artist development, content creation, photography/videography, and much more.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Working in the music industry will never be a smooth road, and that’s something I realized at the very beginning with my series. It became even more apparent when I began working with Kuratii and we both shared similar struggles. There was always the constant battle of not being taken seriously as a woman in music.

Then add on the additional run-in with scammers and clout chasers who “want to connect”. In the growing world of social media and technology, it became really easy for artists to reach out to “connect” by inquiring about beats or other services. They then would end up flaking on payment or ultimately not be serious about making music at all.

One of the biggest struggles we face is that the music industry in NC is not as supportive as we see with artists in other states. We’ve networked in multiple cities and the recurring theme tends to be the same when it comes to supporting in NC, which leads to artists moving out of state to progress in their careers.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I try not to confine myself to A&R/Manager, because behind the scenes I do way more than that. Since the beginning of my journey, I’ve been able to play whatever role necessary when working with artists in music or other creatives. As A&R/Management I’ve assisted brand new artists with their development whether it be helping them build social media presence or helping them figure out their sound.

As a creative in that development process, I’ve also led content creation with building promotional items such as promo videos/slides, album artwork for releases, and much more. I have developed video concepts and assisted in directing official videos for Kuratii. I’m most proud of my work on the video “A Moment” by Kuratii featuring Kaya Strykes. As of late I’ve also explored the artistry side of writing and giving assistance when needed on songs for artists; as well as learning to record artists.

Tapping back into this creative side of myself has been a fun experience being that I stopped writing music back in 2018 when I decided to do management. I believe the thing that sets me apart is that I’m able to wear many hats when it comes to my work, and I love trying new things than realizing that I’m capable of excelling in a skill that I haven’t tried before. I’m most proud of never limiting myself to one thing and never giving up.

What would you say have been one of the most important lessons you’ve learned?
The most important lesson that I’ve learned along my journey is to always stay true to who I am as a person, and never alter who I am due to the changing environment around me. It can be easy to change your demeanor and image due to the company you keep, or due to the overall ideals that are portrayed on social media.

Once you learn not to feed into that and to simply be yourself no matter what situation you’re in, things that are meant for you will easily gravitate towards you without forcing them.

Contact Info:

• Email: manymoonzmgmt@gmail.com
• Website: https://www.kuratiichoppedit.com/chopt-grillz
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/moonieaku/

Image Credits
Shell (Sheldon Kearse) Kuratii