Today we had an exclusive chance to interview Khalif the Promoter:
What is your legal name
Timerante Andreozzi.
How did you come up with a professional name Khalif the Promoter?
Khalif is a spiritual name to be honest. It has nothing to do with music. In 1995, a religious scholar that use to mentor me spoke to me about my name. After about 3 months of mentorship he revisited the topic about my name and said to me that I was a leader that he was told to inform me that I have a great responsibility over my life. It’s to enlighten the people with information and to lead them by way of example. Then we went on to say I should take the attribute of, “Khalif”.
My next encounter, I was in a business meeting and at the end of our meeting, someone asked me my name and I unconsciously said, “Khalif”. When I went to correct myself, my spirit said don’t worry about it. So, I left it. Now, here I am as Khalif, and I’m a promoter so I just started calling myselfKhalif the Promoter back in 2016. It stuck to me, so now, I am known as Khalif the Promoter professionally.
Where are you from?
Providence, RI.
Where are you now?
I reside in Winston-Salem North Carolina. However, I will be working between Miami, Tampa, Orlando and Atlanta. I’m in the process of incorporating Texas and of course San Francisco into the equation.
Who would you say inspired you the most?
Hands down, My Dad. In business I have watched Diddy closely. When I got reunited with my biological mother back in 2002, she instantly became a huge influence over my life as a whole. Especially in regard to doing business in the music industry. My mom is a no-nonsense type of business woman and that is what I have adopted from her. She came into my life at the right time and without question, she is my guiding angel. And most recently, over the past few years, I’d have to say Rick Ross has tremendously motivated me. Not because of the material possessions he has acquired over the years, but more importantly his speech, logic and vibration is what did it for me. He is a game changer. What can possibly motivate and or inspire me is the pure substance of a person’s being.
Talk me through your creative process.
I meet with my incredible tribe of tastemakers. They are young, motivated, vibrant and musically in tuned. They are my ears to the streets so they know what’s HOTTTT! Once we meet, we come to an agreement about the 5 artists that are in high demand in our area.
Next, we send out a survey to a demographics within our data-base that range between the ages of 18-37, college students, working class, music loving people to see who they would love to see off of that list of 5. Once we find that out, I move forward to contact management and or sometimes my in-house booking agent to go ahead and contract show. Next my media person orders the flyer and puts the tickets on sale. At that point we are all on, All gas-No brakes mission!
What’s the best advice you ever received?
My dad once said to me, “build relationships don’t chase the bag (he said money back then), for when you chase the bag you unconsciously do 3 things that will cause you to drown quickly. You burn bridges, stab folks in the back and step on their toes just to get to the bag. But while you are getting closer to the bag, you never realize you are drowning at a faster pace than getting to the bag, until it’s too late”.
Do you remember the first show you produced?
Yes, of course I remember. I produced a show with Boot Camp Cliq’s Coco Brovaz (formerly known as Smif & Wessun) to headline the college event. On that bill was also Hurricane G, Mixtape female DJ, DJ Lazy K, and Farrockaway’s DJ Tech Nyce at UMASS Dartmouth in North Dartmouth Massachusetts. It is what put me on the map as a promoter. There were 2500+ attendees predominantly college kids. A huge success for my first endeavor as a concert promoter.
Where and how do you work best?
In my office listening to my artist (Rich Prince of Miami) and zoning out while I have a white-sage incense burning. It’s like my brain is heightened to a level of creativity that most just wouldn’t understand. I just scribble on paper until my thoughts come into focus, me just being me. I love to pencil in a show I see being successful in my area or I am brainstorming on ways to increase my artists streaming numbers.
What’s the coolest, most important show you’ve produced to date?
Out of all the shows I have done over the past 20 years, I’d have to say, Keyshia Cole LIVE at Fete Music Hall in Providence, RI. Not because It was sold out, but because it was the the high-frequency energy that was in the building that made that night special and memorable.
Hulda Hicks was born in Brooklyn, NY in the late ’70s, at the time when Hip-Hop music was just emerging as an art form. Her entire life was influenced by the culture, having grown up in the epicenter of the creative movement.
As a trained musician and vocalist, Hulda got exposed to the industry in her twenties and has worked on projects with iconic figures such as the Chiffons, the Last Poets, and Montell Jordan, to name a few. Her passion for music extended past the stage on to the page when she began to write ad copy and articles as a freelancer for several underground publications.
A written review from “Jubilee Huldafire” is as authentic as it gets, hailing from one creative mind that has a unique voice, on paper and in person.
