The music industry is a never-ending power game, where the vulnerable are mere pawns to be exploited. But some players rise beyond this squabble and believe in doing genuine good. For Robert Terell, also known as “Official Dealmaker”, it is precisely that. The music mogul, who has worked with numerous major artists, is working towards giving a voice to the underdogs.
It is hard to explain what Robert Terell does; perhaps a better question would be “what can’t he do?”. Terell is a giant in the music industry, standing tall as one of the most successful and innovative entrepreneurs in the entertainment business. He is a business expert, serial entrepreneur, financial strategist, motivational speaker, and author. In the fields of talent management, brand management, and brand development, Terell is an icon. Perhaps he is best known as the man behind Wealth Nation LLC, a brand management company founded by Terell and DJ Jaime in 2012. The company is partnered with The Orchard, a music distribution label that is a subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment and is a huge success for the music giant.
Robert Terell is a self-made story in every sense of the word. He was born and raised in New York by a single mother. His first job was that of an unpaid intern for Calliope Studios. But Terell was meant for greater things. With the gifted abilities of a skilled speaker and master negotiator, he slowly rose through the ranks, ultimately becoming CEO and founder of many notable ventures. He has held leadership positions at companies like Mogulyfe Inc., Good Money Group, Artist Rewards, Industry Certified (magazine), Indie Hitmakers, and Faith Champions (a non-profit). His most recent venture is the Industry Certified PR, launched last year. The PR firm caters exclusively to the publicity needs of clients from the entertainment industry.
Robert Terell’s career has been nothing if not illustrious. Over his 25 years in the music game, he has been instrumental in helping countless artists get the deal they deserve – thus earning himself the moniker “Official Dealmaker”. When he was the co-manager for the rapper Gunplay, his team played a key role in making a deal with Def Jam/Island. He successfully renegotiated a deal for Nancy Denise with Oxygen Network for The Bad Girls Club. He also secured a major label deal for New Jersey-based artist Rioma with Rocnation’s Equity Distribution. Robert Terell’s expertise is also not just limited to artists; he negotiated a deal for Industry Certified – Journey To The Deal with VH2 Television Network. Terell has also represented many other artists like the Grammy-winning singer Jackie’s Boy, multi-platinum recording artist J-Dub, Soul for Real, and Silkk the Shocker.
But the master craftsmen of the music industry is also a brilliant writer. Like most of his ventures, his books too try to help newcomers understand the music game. He published his first book, “TGIM: Thank God It’s Monday” in 2012. This was followed by “Broke And Famous: The Music Game…” in 2014, which was a massive success. His latest book “Level Up” was published in 2017 and continued to reveal the mechanisms of the music industry. For young artists who are just entering the music industry, his books alone could be an eye-opener.
As enigmatic as the music mogul might appear to be, his philosophy in life is simple: loyalty. In an industry as cutthroat as the music industry, loyalty is a cheap dime. But Robert Terell values loyalty over everything else. He believes in being loyal to artists, and in return, expects the same from them. In his mind, the relationship between him and his artists shouldn’t be a simple business transaction. Terell sincerely wants to help emerging talents get the best deal in a world that is constantly trying to exploit them.
Continuing the same path of helping new talents, Terell is all set to launch his latest venture, Rocstar Music Group. Billy Flynn, one of the most acclaimed entertainment attorneys in the industry, is the co-founder. The aim of Rocstar Music Group is to find innovative musical talents and guide them towards their success path. While most music labels seek to sign established names for fame and returns, Rocstar Music Group will exclusively look for the underrepresented and up-and-coming artists. For this, The Offical Dealmaker has managed to crack a second deal with The Orchard. Launching soon, the music venture might be a boon to a vast number of talents who have been struggling during the pandemic.
For Robert Terell, the hustle never stops. Only now, his hustle lies in helping others make it to the top.
