ATL Hip-Hop Pro Releases New Book
Shanti Das offers women a guide to success in the Entertainment business
Music industry executive, entrepreneur and philanthropist, Shanti Das, announced the upcoming release of her new book, The Hip-Hop Professional: A Woman’s Guide to Climbing the Ladder of Success in the Entertainment Business. The book release party and signing is Tuesday, August 10 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Park Tavern (upstairs).
“Early on I discovered that my passion was music and I knew I wanted to work in the industry no matter what. But I was a kid with no experience, no connections, and nothing to offer,””said Das about her start in the music industry.
The Hip-Hop Professional is a front row seat to the lessons Das learned in her career including the building relationships, setting her goals high, being true to herself, maintaining her integrity and the power of mentorship. The book was born out of a panel discussion when a friend told Das she had so much to offer others wanting to break into the industry.
“I literally penned the outline and several chapters written in 48 hours and showed a couple of chapters to Dr. Cornel West of Princeton University who encouraged me to move forward with publication,””Das said.
Das’ music industry career took off when LaFace Records hired her as National Director of Promotions. There she worked closely with label founders Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds and Antonio “LA” Reid. Das was instrumental in developing innovative promotional campaigns for Outkast, Goodie Mob, Usher, TLC and Toni Braxton, among others.
“Shanti and I spent extraordinary years at LaFace Records developing the careers of Toni Braxton, TLC, Outkast, Pink and Usher. It was an incredibly important time, not just for us but also for the template that LaFace established for the entire music industry,””said Antonio “˜L.A.’ Reid. “Shanti has gone on to carve out a crucial role for herself in the entertainment industry. She is an originator, and I am thankful that she has documented her amazing history for all to learn from.”
Following the sale of LaFace to BMG, Das became the Senior Director of Urban Marketing for Arista Records. Later, she worked as the Vice President of Urban Marketing at Columbia Records. By 2003, she was the Senior Vice President of Urban Marketing at Sony Urban Music where she developed and coordinated marketing and artist development campaigns for Prince, Vivian Green, Nas, Lyfe, Omarion, Bow Wow, Jagged Edge, John Legend and many more.
Das was also named a Crain’s Business “40 under 40” and received the Women Entertainment Empowerment Network’s 2009 Mission Award for her services of mentorship and empowerment for young women.
“I wrote this book to help women, in particular, realize they should never be afraid to ask for the positions or salaries they deserve. No one is ever going to do that for them. I want to help unlock their passion and their power,””she said.
Das’ success in the entertainment industry provided an opportunity to positively influence the lives of others. She has served as a mentor to numerous women and has been honored as the National Association of Black Female Executives is Music and Entertainment’s “Executive of the Year.”
Das is the founder and CEO of PressReset.me, an Atlanta-based company offering a wide range of entertainment and music consulting. She is recently co-founded ATL LIVE on the Park, a music series showcasing urban talent from signed and unsigned artists in Atlanta, based on her successful showcase in New York City.
