Today we’d like to introduce you to Kevin Ross.
Twoguard Media Group – Music & Brand Marketing, Twoguard Records, A2 Artist, Brand, and Event Marketing, UPC UrbanPopCulture Clothing, TMG Talent Booking.
In 1973, a 10- year- old boy was at his babysitter’s house when he heard a song on the radio. The song made him think about the desert and cool winds, stars in the sky, and camels. Which is exactly what it was supposed to do. That song was “Midnight At The Oasis” by Maria Muldaur. But more than making him visualize the desert, it made him feel GOOD. His next question was “why did that happen? How can a song do this? At that moment, Kevin began to listen to the radio intently, every day, studying the songs, the artists, the DJs… everything.
Buying 45’s and albums led to the endless reading of credits and learning about the artists, the songs they made, how they made them, the record labels, where the photo shoots were done… everything. Ross became a student of music as well as a lover of it. ” One day, I listened to a radio show and called into a feature called “Rate A Record”, where they have you vote on a song. I told them that the song that they played was going to be a #1 record… and it was” The song: “Not Just Knee Deep”, by rock/funk band The Funkadelic.
His preoccupation with music ultimately led to purchasing two turntables and a mixer. Realizing that he would never be a singer or rapper, Ross took the next logical route: playing the records. Everyone from Kurtis Blow to The Isley Brothers to Run DMC to Guy. Ten years worth of music study through high school and well into college at the University of California at Davis, where he graduated with a degree in Marketing and Communications. DJ’ing led to a job at a record store called Barneys, a job as a mix show DJ and on-air personality for KSFM 1025, a gig as a dj at a nightclub called the Steamship Navigation Company, and ultimately a buyer/clerk at Tower Records. There he studied everything from punk rock to country music to Latin dance, house music; just about every genre that the store offered: “Some of my all-time favorite artists are Babyface, Ray Parker Jr, Teddy Riley & Guy, Stevie Wonder, Quincy Jones, Confunkshun, Boyz 2 Men… honestly, the list is endless for me”.
In 1994, Motown Records came calling and Ross accepted a sales position in Los Angeles. Among the artists he worked with were Boyz To Men, Stevie Wonder, Diana Ross, 702, and Johnny Gill. But office work was not his strong suit. “I wanted to be MAKING something happen. Actively.” “That was the opportunity had been waiting for. Radio promotion asks you to be part-publicist, part-street team person, part marketing manager. “All skills I felt I had”. Then, a position came available in the radio promotion department. In the years that followed there were stints with Loud Records, Tommy Boy Records, Blackground Records, Warner Brothers and Capitol Records. During that time Ross had the opportunity to study under mentors like Barry Hankerson, Sean Puffy Combs, Andre Harrell, Russell Simmons, Steve Rifkind, and more. Marketing, Sales, Promotion: everything it takes to break an artist and to break records. And loving it all the while. Artists included Snoop Dogg Tyrese, Eric Benet, Tamia, Wu Tang Clan, Gucci Mane, Anita Baker, Tank, Bobby Valentino Katy Perry, and more.
Now a 30-year music industry veteran, Kevin has formed a new company, The Twoguard Group, a boutique marketing/branding/creative agency with various platforms: Twoguard Media focuses on music, business, and brand marketing. The artist component focuses on artist development, platform implementation, and organizational development. “My time with Puffy, Andre Harrell, Berry Gordy and Jeryl Busby at Motown taught me a lot about developing artists. I’ve successfully overseen campaigns by Chicago-based artists like neo-soul artist/producer Marwan (Soulflow) and rap/dance phenomenon D-Low”. Another platform, A2 Marketing & Events, is a joint venture between Twoguard and another brand agency, Anita Bennett’s Anita On The B-Side. It focuses on specialized events, presentation, and brand showcasing with partners like Remy Martin, City Winery, Rolling Out Magazine, and others.
Twoguard Television & Film, another joint venture with Emmy Award-winning filmmaker and documentarian Darryl Pitts, focus on original programming and content from the visual medium, as well as providing music for film and TV. TMG Talent Booking focuses on major and independent artist booking for events like Chicago Fashion Week and The Silver Room Block Party, a cultural festival with over 30,000 attendees taking place annually in Barack Obama’s old Hyde Park neighborhood. July 2018 will mark the launch of UPC UrbanPopCulture tees, a custom t-shirt brand, and lastly, Twoguard Records, a life-long dream of establishing a record label. Twoguard Records will be based on great labels like Motown, Bad Boy, Uptown, and Kedar. Specialized artists who also reflect and impact the culture they represent. “My mission statement is very simple” says Ross: “Quality music. Quality artists. Music today that you will love beyond tomorrow”.
Not bad for a 10-year-old boy who heard a song on the radio and fell in love with it. And who still loves music now as much as he did then.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
There have most definitely been challenges. From moving 2000 miles to a city where I knew no one, to attempting change within a culture and a city with a certain mindset, and starting a marketing business as an independent entrepreneur and trying to get people to understand the need for just such a specialized company
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about The Twoguard Group – what should we know?
As described in the personal bio, my company specializes in marketing and branding. The goal is to provide the same resources, consulting, and platform management that major music labels have used over the years to break artists. And then impart them to independent artists in order to garner the same types of results. Chicago is not lacking in talent. In fact, it is extremely abundant. It is the knowledge and the ability to properly manifest and execute that needs work.
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
The ability to communicate and relate to people. I am very much a people person and attribute 95% of my success to networking. Also, the ability to listen and learn is vital as well. I’ve had some great mentors. And lastly, I am insanely passionate about what I do
Contact Info:
- Website: www.twoguardgroup.com
- Email: twoguardmediagroup@gmail.com
- Instagram: @twoguardmedia
- Twitter: @twoguardmediagrp
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