The Spark that Grew to a Fire

    Hello, readers! I'm Manda, a senior at the University of West Florida, studying communication, advertising and graphic art. (I'm graduating this May!) I have grown up with a passion for artistically expressing myself through writing, music and art.  I first started really listening to hip-hop about three years ago. When I began exploring different artists, it sparked something in me that has since ignited to a passion for the music and culture.
I'm going to use this blog to write about the two major influences in my life - the communication field and the hip-hop entertainment industry. I will explore the roles and trends of a PR manager working in the diverse and colorful world of hip-hop.

    Beneath the entertaining beefs, glitzy earrings and diva attitudes on the reality TV show Love & Hip-Hop, I discovered an interesting and relevant story-line about one of the characters. Yandy Smith is one of the young women the show follows, and she works as executive assistant to Mona Scott-Young - co-founder of Violator Management and founder of Scott-Young Monami Entertainment. BlackEnterprise.com asked Yandy where it all started for her career. One thing in particular that stood out to me was her persistence. She managed to land an internship with Violator Management, and from there she worked her way up to where she is now.

Yandy's career definitely inspires me as I am just embarking on the beginning of my own career. One thing I will surely take as a lesson from her example is the issue of mixing personal and professional life. In the beginning of the show, she is working as Jim Jones' manager. It is clear by their interaction that they have developed a close friendship, which is bound to happen when two people share a love for the same music and are working closely with each other and with the music. However, Yandy ends up resigning as his manager due to a conflict between herself and Jim Jones' fiance. I know this industry leads to many friendships built off of love for the music, which can make it difficult to keep the lines between professional and personal lives established. Yes, PR is all about relationships, but this issue is one that should be dealt with carefully. In the future, I plan on building and maintaining significant relationships while working in the communications and hip-hop industries, but I will keep a defined line between my personal and professional lives.

credits: 

BlackEnterprise.com for interview reference and picture of Yandy Smith.