As a music industry trailblazer and brilliant entrepreneur, Jamil Davis epitomizes the modern-day visionary. Widely known for his work with G-Eazy and Drake, Jamil began his career as an assistant tour manager for Lil Wayne and quickly created a momentum for himself by co-founding The Revels Group. 13 years later, the company oversees the careers of award-winning musicians, producers, and visual artists, and Jamil is recognized as one of the most influential executives in the music industry.
SSW sat down with Jamil Davis recently in Venice, CA, to talk about his personal journey, his love for music industry, and the lessons he has learned over the years.
SSW: Let’s start with your background. When did you first discover your passion for music? Did you grow up in a musical family? What are some of your earliest memories that relate to music?
Jamil Davis: Yeah, my dad Richard Davis is in the music business and my uncles were a part of Motown songwriting trio Holland-Dozier-Holland from Detroit, where my dad is also from. So I’ve just always been around music and the music industry, and it felt like a natural fit for me.
As a kid, did you play any instruments?
I played the drums! My first real job was drumming in church. I got paid like $25 a week. I always just knew I wanted to be in the music and entertainment.
Did you ever want to perform or having a behind-the-scenes role was always the goal?
I would have been fine with both. I never took performing seriously, but I could have, if I wanted to.
Who do you think had the greatest influence on your taste in music growing up?
My dad, my mom, and my cousins. My dad played a lot of jazz and RnB. Mostly classical jazz – Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan. And then my mom was more like hip-hop – N.W.A, K-Ci & JoJo, Snoop. My parents were like 18 years apart, so my Mom is younger, playing hip hop, while my Dad is older, playing more classical stuff. And then, my cousins loved hip-hop too. In 6th or 7th grade, I discovered rock music, you know during Limp Bizkit time, that was my introduction to rock.
You practically created your first industry opportunities by founding and running your own music website, Torn Review, and college radio show, All Access with Juice. Can you tell us more about it and how this experience helped you in your music career? What’s your favorite interview or concert review you have done during those years?
I always wanted to figure out how to get backstage. How do you get backstage? How do you meet bands? That’s all I wanted to do. And not pay for shows, you know? [Laughs] I was interviewing a lot of bands before they came up. I consider the band “Suicide Silence” my first family in metal. God bless Mitch Lucker, rest his soul. They were the first band I interviewed back in New Orleans at my college radio station. They pulled up in a green van that barely worked. And the next time I saw them we were on the same tour! I met them in early 2008 and then they put out an album that really helped to define the metalcore genre. And we ended up touring together a few months later on this tour called Mayhem Fest, and they just became a global metal brand. So I’ve seen a lot of bands go from this to that and had the opportunity to interview them and become friends and family with them. I first interviewed G [G-Eazy] on my college radio station too!
So initially your goal was to figure out how to make your way into The Vans Warped tour and then your first industry big break was working the Lil Wayne tour. Within a year you became Wayne’s tour manager, and later on you started working with Drake. All while also managing G-Eazy with your business partner Matt Bauerschmidt and creating your own company, The Revels Group. Can you break down this timeline for us? And what are the most important lessons you learned during that time?
Oh yeah, so to make the timeline more clear, the first Warped Tour I went to was 2004. I bought the ticket and then I was like, I never want to be on this side! I didn’t have a backstage pass or anything. So I remember asking someone about the wristbands that people had going back and forth and they said it was the Press Pass. So I said, I got to figure out how to become press. Between that time and the next year, that’s when I started my webzine. And then by the 2005 Warped Tour, I knew the publicist and was backstage interviewing bands! So Warped Tour led to me working Voodoo Fest in New Orleans in 2006, it was the first year it came back after Katrina. I had a Press Pass and found out that being press only gets you so far! I wanted more. So then I figured out how to intern at the festival for the 2007 and I was like, okay, next year I’m not going to intern, I’m going to just go and introduce myself to everyone. So in 2008, I was just introducing myself and that’s where it all started with Wayne. I didn’t start officially co-managing G till the end of 2008, and then a few months later was when I met the whole Lil Wayne camp and I started going on the road at the end of 2008. And then it was like going back and forth between that and college. When there were large stretches of being on the road, I took a few semesters off.
That’s super impressive! So you and Matt started The Revels Group in 2008?
We came together in 2008 and the name came together in 2009 or so.
And G was your first client and that was the beginning of it, right?
Yeah!
How do you think the vision for the company changed over the years?
We started by doing party promotions in New Orleans and kind of tried to dabble in everything: being a record label, publishing, and it was just always, how do we get popping and how do we make everything the best!
Your team has built an amazing company with a very diverse roster of not only musicians and producers, but award-winning directors as well. And from what I read in your recent Forbes interview, it’s turning into a one-stop-shop for both music records and video!
Yes, one-stop-shop, different facets and we want to be able to use our gifts and apply them to anybody that comes along, whether it’s an athlete, a director, a writer, a songwriter, just apply what we know to magnify their vision!
What’s your favorite memory from being in the music industry over the years?
I have a few! Going to South Africa was really fun. My first Grammys! I always knew I was going to go to the Grammys, I just didn’t know how, and then I went like six years in a row. Coachella was fucking fun with G! And of course G headlining his hometown arena. First OVO Fest, but every Drake OVO Fest is always fun.
I know that since last summer you were on the board of The Black Music Coalition. Can you share a little bit of what you guys are working on?
We’re just doing a lot of great work. I met a lot of great people, some who I knew before, some who became my family through it: Prophet, Damien Smith; Caron Veazy, Courtney Stewart, and of course Jeff Azoff, who is incredible and who was really the first one to say, what can I do? He was the one really bringing people together. And we’ve got some great board members, great support from all the buildings. We’ve gotten great grants in, and I’ve learned a lot from them. I am also working on this thing called Rock Against Racism, with my bro, Corey Brennan, who started 5B Artist, he manages Slipknot, which was actually the first tour I ever did. Some good things have come through that fight against injustice
Any advice you could share for aspiring songwriters/producers who might be reading this?
I’ll tell you what you got to do! You have to make a brand for yourself and you have to take advantage of every single platform at your disposal. I know a lot of newer artists trying to break will be like, well, this artist didn’t do this or that artist didn’t do that, but the landscape of when that artist broke in was different! It was different. So, somebody now can’t compare themselves to somebody even three years ago. It used to be like if you have good music, it will cut through, but it’s not like that anymore! You need to utilize every tool at your disposal and utilize it in a way that’s true to you. So that’s what I would say. Don’t compare yourself. You could compare your artistry to something in the past, but breaking in – there are no rules! Don’t handicap yourself because the whole time you’re handicapping yourself, you’ll come around and it’d be too late, you know? So capitalize on the momentum and study what your peers are doing. If you like what they’re doing creatively, study that, if you like what they’re doing with their brand, see how they’re connecting to their audience and see what you like from their success and how you can apply it to yours. Don’t compare yourself, but like with anything – study! Also, I would say stay consistent and always know if you’re not doing it, there’s some young kid doing it. No rules.
Also don’t get discouraged. Be humble and check your ego at the door, but know that you’re the shit! ‘Cause to be an artist, you got to know that you’re the fucking shit. Even if you’re a little insecure as a human, because we all are, that’s the normal human thing, but don’t let ego get in the way of what could be a beautiful thing, beautiful connections, beautiful relationships, beautiful opportunities.
When it comes to the artists that you work with, is there anything you saw that made you believe in them?
It used to just be about the music, but now it’s like, does this artist have momentum? Are they using their socials and their tools? You never know nowadays, what you look for is the people doing all they can do for themselves. We have a lot of smaller groups on our roster that we really believe in. And a lot of the smaller groups come from our younger managers and we empower them to take on things that they believe in. I wouldn’t necessarily ever go after a small band because I know how much work that takes to put in, but I always encourage my younger managers and people at the company to find something they’re passionate about, cause I know what it was like to find something that I was passionate about and to help build them and support them.
Going back to when you met Gerald, was there something specific that you saw in him?
He was just different. There was something about him! I didn’t even know he did music at first, I just knew there’s something special about him!
What are the hardest lessons you have learned both in the industry and in life so far?
Just taking advantage of opportunities. Timing is everything and time passes quickly. So if there’s opportunities that you have ahead of you, that can make sense, take them, cause the time is going to pass. There’s a few opportunities that I let pass and in hindsight I really wish I took them! Don’t wait on anybody. A good lesson is to build relationships. That’s one thing I pride myself in, building really good relationships. Treat people with kindness and respect, and nurture relationships. Relationships are the most important thing outside of talent. I advise everybody to nurture their relationships and build strong ones.
I’ve been following you on Instagram for a long time and I’ve seen that you’ve been sharing your gratitude notes on your stories. I thought that it was so beautiful and courageous. I’ve been writing my gratitude journal every single day for years, but I don’t think I would be able to share. And I see you posting almost every day, I always read those notes and it inspires me so much. What made you start sharing it?
Honestly, being in Costa Rica this last time back in November! I always work on gratitude, and being out there one morning, I was like, I’m just too grateful not to share this. And then people really liked the list. I don’t know who reads it or not, but I just try and start my day with gratitude, because I’m human, so I have my really high up moments and then I have my down moments. But then I gotta remember to be grateful, even if it’s just to wake up. Cause sometimes I’m like, yeah, is this too simple? Sometimes it’s more in depth than others, sometimes I’m just grateful for my friends or my family.
I think these notes you share are such a great reminder for so many people, and you probably have no idea how many people read that and take it as a reminder for themselves. So please keep sharing!
I will for sure!
What would you say you’re the most grateful for today, today?
Being interviewed and anybody caring what the fuck I have to say! [Laughs] I’m grateful for my friend Nima here [Nima Nasseri who is present at the interview], grateful it’s a nice day out. I’m grateful that I’m about to go to the office and hopefully have a really good day. Every day I get down, I get so sad, so a lot of times I say I am grateful for another day and a new chance to live. The next day could be the best day of your life, who knows! So I guess I’m grateful to wake up today and have at it again!
I’ve got one last question for you! Thinking of yourself as a soul on Earth, what do you think your purpose is?
People! Connecting people, empowering people and bringing people together, and magnifying my dreams and their dreams. [Asks Nima Nasseri] Nima, do you know what my purpose is?
Nima Nasseri: I think it’s to enrich everybody’s lives with the experiences that you bring. You are the beacon of light in the dark universe!
I can definitely see that! People that don’t even know you personally, just by following you on Instagram can feel that! I’ve never met you before today and I always feel so much positive energy through your social media. You bring people together and you’re always surrounded by a lot of amazing people, which is definitely a reflection of yourself as well.
Yeah! It’s energy! Bringing people together is definitely what I feel my purpose is!
Interview by Irina Liakh
