On Thursday, November 13th, the Music Business/Management Department had the special honor of hosting DannyBoyStyles and his manager from SALXCO, Kelsie Smith. DannyBoyStyles is a Grammy award-winning record producer, engineer, songwriter, and composer. His first hit, “This Is Why I’m Hot”, was produced for Mims in 2007 and peaked at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100. In 2013, DannyBoy produced all ten tracks on The Weeknd’s debut studio album “Kiss Land”. He won his first Grammy Award for Best Progressive R&B Album as a producer on The Weeknd’s “Beauty Behind the Madness”. His other credits include collaborations with Beyoncé, Drake, Nicki Minaj, Charlie Puth, Juicy J, French Montana, NAV, Kehlani, and Ty Dolla $ign.
Part I of the 16th Annual Business of Hip-Hop Music Symposium was the A&R Listening Session, hosted by the MB/M Assistant Chair, Chris Wares. Student artists, producers, and writers submitted their singles and demos for the chance to be reviewed by DannyBoyStyles. We listened to music from Maz, David Bourbon, Alioune, Ghostta and AO, Eric Martin, Stevv Tsui, Aristotle Jones, Dill Rock, and Kidd Revel. DannyBoy provided great feedback to our artists, as well as insight into making a hit song. He talked about captivating listeners, guiding the recording artist, and collaborating with other artists to make new music. His advice was inspiring for everyone in the room, and the listening session was a hit overall.
Part II of the 16th Annual Business of Hip-Hop Music Symposium was the Real Talk Conversation, moderated by MB/M Chair, Tonya Butler. The event kicked off with performances from two extremely talented Berklee artists, Audrey Cassandra and Maz.
DannyBoy and Kelsie loved seeing our Berklee talent, and they soon took the stage to be interviewed by Tonya Butler. Both our guests shared their careers and journey in the music industry, from the very beginning until now. They talked about networking, building connections, and putting yourself out there with your unique ideas. DannyBoy opened up about lessons he has learned throughout his career, especially the importance of contracts and understanding deals in the industry. They explained their day-to-day responsibilities and even opened up about how they support each other mentally in each other’s careers. Kelsie Smith also talked about challenges as a woman in the music industry and gave advice on overcoming them. DannyBoy spoke about his investments in crypto and his collaboration with AnotherBlock to launch their first NFT, Aquatinted NFT. He reminisced on his work with successful artists such as The Weeknd and Beyoncé and talked about the creative process leading up to these successful hits. The trio ended the night with Q&As from students, diving into a variety of topics such as crypto and blockchain, success in the industry, and more.
We had an amazing time hosting DannyBoyStyles and Kelsie Smith! Special thanks to Tonya Butler and Chris Wares for hosting and moderating such insightful panels! Big thanks to the Berklee Hip-Hop Club for helping us put together this incredible event!
Photo Credit: BRXTN Media
