100K Monitor
Founder and CEO, Stay Strong/100K Administration
Interview: Joey Echevarria
Editor’s Word: This story seems within the Summer season 2025 problem of XXL Journal, on newsstands now and obtainable on the market on the XXL web site.
100K Monitor understands that personally connecting with artists is the important thing to success. Devoted to the sophisticated careers of YNW Melly and the late King Von, the Broward County, Fla. native has earned legendary standing within the business.
Whereas buzzing as a rapper within the South Florida scene throughout the mid-2010s, Monitor, born Jameson Francois Monitor, established a working relationship with Kodak Black. Across the identical time, Monitor grew to become YNW Melly and King Von’s supervisor. In February 2019, Melly was arrested for a double homicide. The next 12 months, Von was killed in Atlanta. Monitor, 34, continues to carry it down for Melly and Von.
Along with his label Stay Strong, which entered a partnership with 300 Leisure in 2023, Monitor’s been working onerous to interrupt a brand new crop of stars like 1900Rugrat and Jordan Adetunji. Right here, Monitor talks incomes an artist’s belief, retaining their legacy alive and sustaining integrity.
On the Proper Method to An Artist’s Administration
The general mission is to be efficient and provides these younger women and men an opportunity to achieve success at a craft that would change their lives. Be weak and be an individual that could possibly be reached, talked to, disagreed with and agreed with. Play that relationship first, then the contracts and all that stuff will get negotiated with the legal professionals.
On Conserving an Artist’s Legacy Alive
The legacy half is tremendous delicate as a result of when the artist isn’t there to talk for himself, all the things you do will get put below a microscope. So, simply be tremendous delicate on it, but additionally notice we do have a dedication not solely to ourselves, however to Von, or to whoever’s in that state of affairs, to proceed placing out nice high quality music and proceed placing out A-effort-type of fabric.
Managing Artists Throughout Darkish Instances
It’s onerous to maintain somebody’s spirits up in the event that they’re coping with one thing like that. Particularly on the Melly case. Be the individual that he knew, was rocking with and shifting across the streets with earlier than he acquired locked up. Not making issues troublesome, not altering, not ignoring the truth that he’s nonetheless in there as a result of I’m energetic now with different issues occurring.
The summer time 2025 problem of XXL journal that includes 100K Monitor’s interview is accessible to buy right here. The problem additionally contains interviews with all 12 members of the 2025 Freshman Class and producer Cardo Obtained Wings, in addition to conversations with Key Glock, Larry June, Aminé, Monaleo, Fredo Bang, Nardo Wick, Molly Santana, Tech N9ne, X-Video games snowboarding champion Zeb Powell and extra, plus a glance again at what the 2024 XXL Freshman Class has been doing and a deep dive into who’s the largest and finest XXL Freshman ever.
