Victoria Monét served as host of this year’s Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis Black Music Action Coalition (BMAC) Music Maker Dinner in Los Angeles on Jan. 28 and used her position to call for action among leaders within the music industry who were in attendance at the event, held in partnership with ASCAP, at The Sun Rose in West Hollywood.
“As a musician, I’ve learned that talent alone is not what carries you through the music industry,” Monét began. “Talent is everywhere. What truly makes the difference is access, and more specifically, mentorship. Having someone who sees you, who believes in you, who’s willing to share not just their wisdom, but their pathways to success. But I also want to talk about two other layers of this industry; those two things are gatekeeping and nepotism.”
After defining both practices, Monét continued, “The truth is the music industry exercises both extensively, but I feel like instead of asking, ‘how do we eliminate gatekeeping and nepotism’ — because realistically power structures will always exist — I would want to ask, ‘how do we use them responsibly?’ Gatekeeping is not necessarily negative. Nepotism is not inherently negative either. It depends on who and how they’re used. They become harmful when they’re exercised selfishly or to preserve comfort.
“Instead of cultivating excellence, put yourself in positions of influence — creative, financial, cultural — not just to advance your own career, but to become a bridge for others,” she added. “Be discerning, yes. Have standards, absolutely, but when you see someone who is talented, aligned, hardworking, and deserving, open the door. I want to encourage everyone in this room to do something that we all have the power to do, and that is to use our access intentionally. Be the person who says, ‘I’ll make the introduction.’ ‘I’ll pass your names.’ ‘I’ll advocate for you when you’re not in the room.’ ‘I’ll give you a shot because I recognize your potential and your hard work.’ The goal is ethical gatekeeping and purpose-driven nepotism. That is mentorship and action, and BMAC is a perfect conduit to exercise this type of Black excellence.”
The Grammy-winning singer and songwriter concluded her speech, making one final plea to the crowd of music industry insiders stating, “One of the most powerful things we can do in this industry is to remember that we didn’t get here alone. Someone answered a call, someone took a meeting, someone shared information that they didn’t have to share, and the legacy we leave will not be defined solely on our accolades, our streams, or our credits, but by who we helped rise alongside us. Let the frequency of music resonate.”
This year marked the fourth annual BMAC Music Maker Dinner and featured performances by Queen Naija and B2K. Jonathan Azu, general manager and executive vice president of artist management firm Red Light Management was presented with the BMAC Music Maker Impact Award.
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