DJ Khaled, Future, and Kanye West are three of the most storied artists to ever touch a stage or grace a mic. Though their musical talents have been the major catalyst behind their individual successes, it was their ability to get said music in front of listeners around the world that truly helped push their respective discographies to global fame. Achieving such a feat is anything but easy. Their secret weapon? – a marketing mastermind by the name of JD Anderson. Having worked at Def Jam, Epic, and, now, Motown Records, JD has helped drive some of the most innovative and exciting initiatives that the industry has ever seen. He’s spent the last 10+ years creating game-changing campaigns for many of our favorite artists, and has helped a sprawling array of talent reach the next level of their career in the process. In a recent conversation with JD, we were able to take a deep-dive into his approach to collaborative marketing initiatives, how he stays current amidst constant industry evolution, and what was the biggest insight from his time working with Future and Kanye. 

When did you know that you wanted to work in the music industry? 

I knew from a very young age. I grew up as a Jehovah’s Witness, and wasn’t allowed to listen to secular music like Hip-Hop. My cousin always brought me music like Biggie Smalls and Tupac, and really opened up a whole new world to me that I didn’t know existed. Fast forward to high school, I would sell Word Up! magazine and laminated pictures of artists to my classmates. I think it was then that I knew I wanted to be in music. 

You’ve worked as a marketing professional for nearly two decades now. With both the music industry and marketing strategy under a continuous state of evolution, how do you keep up with the constant change? 

I’m a visual learner. I pay a lot of attention to what’s going on, especially with the younger generation. I pay a lot of attention to what’s trending on TikTok and Instagram Reels, and just constantly stay engaged on social media. As a more experienced person, I think it’s very important to know what’s happening at all times. I have to keep my ear to the streets. That’s how I keep up with the constant change. 

Thinking back on these last twenty years, what would you say is the single biggest difference between how music is currently marketed, and how it was back then? 

I used to not care about the lifestyle of artists. If I loved a certain artist, it was because I loved their music. Now, I think we get so caught up in the artist’s lifestyle. Today, if you have a favorite artist, it doesn’t necessarily mean that you like them for their music. Some people may like artists for their social media presence or their merch, etc. I miss when we liked artists just for their music, and that’s what I think is one of the biggest differences in how music is currently marketed versus how it used to be. Moving forward, I’d like to see things return to being centered around the music. 

Throughout your career, one of your biggest responsibilities has been ensuring that artists generate a buzz surrounding the release of their new music. For artists who are coming up and may have a limited budget, what advice would you give for them to maximize the exposure of their music?

Work. My answer is work. I feel as though this generation feels as though if they just go viral once, then they’ll be good. Or if they get signed to a major label, they’re good. No. We live in this era of being viral. You don’t even have to be talented to go viral. Artists right now are lazy. My advice is just to work as hard as possible, and everything will fall into place.

In your experience, what’s the biggest challenge that artists are currently facing?

I think that our society consumes things way too quickly. Quality is no longer important, and music is being devalued. Back in the day, we used to live with hit songs. We would cherish them and play them endlessly for years. That’s no longer the case. I think the biggest problem today is how disposable music is. That’s the biggest challenge that artists are faced with. We need to find a way to bring value back to music. 

You've previously collaborated with Big.Ass.Kids on Smino's Luv 4 Rent activation and Meek Mill and Rick Ross's Too Good to Be True album rollout. What would you say were some key highlights from these two campaigns? 

Starting with the Smino project, one of my biggest highlights was the attention to detail. When I got to the activation, it was incredible. We took a house and set it up like a Century 21 home viewing. They had a realtor at the door to greet you. Each room of the house was symbolic, with the home being identical to the one that Smino had grew up in. You saw what his room looked like, the kitchen had his favorite food from St. Louis, and the whole thing was just so well thought out. 

For the Ross project, Ross wanted to give money away on Instagram live. I knew we could make this giveaway much bigger than just a random online give away, so I got in touch with the team at Big.Ass.Kids to figure out how. We ended-up with a digital sweepstakes since the mega millions were really popular at the time, and just found a way to connect it with what was ongoing in the world. We wanted to reframe this from a random giveaway to a moment where we could really help change someone’s life by giving back. We also managed to do this in a cool way where we got to promote the album. For me, the attention to detail was the biggest highlight for both projects. I love Big.Ass.Kids. I have some great ideas, but they add a secret sauce that makes them even better. 

From your perspective, how do you approach collaborative marketing initiatives to create ideas that are both impactful and memorable? 

No matter the idea, it’s important that it fits the artist or brand. The initiative needs to match their brand, whether it’s DJ Khaled or Rick Ross or Slick Rick or any of the other artists I’ve worked with. It has to make sense. 

When I was working with Future on his ‘FUTURE’ and ‘HNDRXX’ albums, we were having a meeting. He loves Jimi Hendrix, so I was doing some research about him. I came across an article about a time when Jimi Hendrix had his own USPS commemorative postal stamp created. So, I had the idea of doing something similar for Future. Fast forward, and we did it. Those are the ideas that are most memorable – the ones that make sense and are unique. 

Another one of your career highlights was when you helped construct the digital strategy that preceded the release of DJ Khaled’s Major Key album. You were also partly responsible for the sudden surge in popularity of his infamous Snapchat stories. What sparked the idea behind this marketing initiative? 

The idea really came from Khaled himself. The whole “fan love” idea was something he came up with on his own. We just leveraged Snapchat and social media to bring it to the next level and get the fans involved. I don’t think anyone has ever done fan outreach quite like Khaled has. No one has invited fans to meet them quite like Khaled has. It was an honor to work with him for sure. 

Of all the artists that you’ve had the pleasure of working with, who would you say is the most memorable? 

DJ Khaled. You don’t just work with DJ Khaled. He invites you in and you become his friend. He’s one of the only artists who I consider a friend. I’ve been to his home, have had food from his chef, and really trust him. He’s a beautiful, lovely person, and one of the kindest people I’ve ever met. He works incredibly hard, and is so devoted to his family. I started working with Khaled around the time 2016. We got him on Snapchat, YouTube, Tumblr, and did so many amazing things together. He was very open to what the world was becoming, and I genuinely think of him as a genius. He’s definitely molded who I’ve grown into as an executive, and ultimately has made me view the world differently. 

You’ve helped artists such as Future and Kanye West create immersive documentaries that have accompanied some of their most profound bodies of work. When you think back on these two experiences, what would you say is the biggest insight you gained?

I did the documentary for Kanye, however it never came out for various reasons. This was for his album ‘My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy'. What I learned from Kanye was work ethic. When I traveled with him, he was constantly working and creating. We would go to an event, come back and eat, and he’d be right back in the studio – and I had to document all of it. If he didn’t take a break, then the guy documenting it couldn’t either. It was all about work ethic with Kanye. 

It was the same for my time working with Future too. I watched Future really break down barriers and bring a unique recording style to the world. I documented the time when he was making his Honest album in 2013. I traveled with him and got to see his relentless work ethic up close. When you see these guys on Instagram or at awards shows, you think it took them a week to record their album and the rest of their time was spent relaxing, shopping, and traveling. I was with each of them for extended amounts of time, and saw how hard they worked. Future’s ability to put an album together and his approach to visuals and music really lit a fire in me. Their work ethic is what stuck with me. 

What’s one marketing tactic that you feel modern artists should absolutely avoid? 

I tell many of my clients all the time to stay away from imitation. I view all my marketing campaigns as fresh canvases. I want a fresh starting point for each one. You should never do what someone else has done just because it worked for them. Start from scratch. Artists should absolutely avoid imitating what someone else has already done. 

What’s your big prediction for the future of music marketing?

Web3. There are a lot of amazing things happening right now in tech – from Web3 to artificial intelligence. The crypto space is going to be really prominent in the future, and we are already seeing so many companies popping up everywhere. Right now, I’m doing a lot of research into crypto and Web3, and how it’s projected to evolve over the next several years. Artists may very well one day have their own currency that fans can use. Maybe digital banks for artists will be a thing in the future. I’m just brainstorming of course, but my prediction is that Web3 will be heavily linked to what the future of marketing and music look like. 

If you had the opportunity to go on a week-long vacation to anywhere you want with any two artists dead or alive, which two artists would you pick and where would you travel to?

Toni Braxton. She’s the love of my life. I’d also invite Michael Jackson. We would go to Jamaica. That’s where I’m from. It’s my homeland. I’d want them to experience Jamaica the same way I did growing up and show them my culture. I don’t think Michael ever made it to Jamaica, so I’d love for the people to have the chance to experience him, and have him experience Jamaica at the same time. 

What’s one album that you’d take with you wherever you go? 

Jay-Z – ’Blueprint’

What does the phrase “Big Ass Kid” mean to you? 

I think that our society is kind of controlled by kids. Society, marketing, ideation, and branding are all driven by kids – the younger generation. Being a Big Ass Kid means being the biggest of the generation. It’s being a kid, but also knowing what you’re doing.