From Overlooked To Booked: Q’s With Black Promoters Collective’s Sulaiman Mausi

The Black Promoters Collective’s mission is to be the world’s leading producer and provider of culturally relevant live entertainment.

The BPC is made up of six of the country’s leading independent concert promoters and event production companies including G-Squared Events, The Right Productions, Bay Area Productions, SJ Presents, Platinum Productions and Big Bloc Entertainment. Members of the group produce 200 to 250 concerts and events each year and have worked with Charlie Wilson, H.E.R., Cardi B., Ne-Yo, Usher, Stevie Wonder, Patti LaBelle, Toni Braxton and Earth, Wind & Fire among others.

The group was formed in 2020 during the pandemic to address inequity in the industry and advance the profile of independent Black promoters. Sulaiman Mausi is senior vice president of the BPC and vice president of The Right Productions, where he has brought entertainment to the urban communities of Southeastern Michigan for more than 20 years including Movement: Detroit’s Techno Music Festival.

Over the past decade, Mausi has been an event promoter in North Carolina, where he has changed the live music scene in the Triangle (Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill). He recently talked to Pollstar about bringing diversity to the regions’ stages and working with HBCUs to develop the next generation of promoters of color.

Pollstar: How important is it to have an organization like the Black Promoters Collective providing resources and opportunities for musicians and artists of color?

Sulaiman Mausi: We came up with the idea during COVID to bring together independent promoters — the credible ones — around the country. No. 1, we had to figure out how to survive, because a lot of us had shows on sale. We knew the big guys would survive, but we had to figure it out and we started by sharing information. It was a pivot: How do we pool our resources and get into the touring space to get back control of our dollars and artists?

Growing up in Detroit, how did you find your way into the North Carolina concert market?
I graduated from North Carolina Central University in Durham. I was living back in Detroit at the time and nobody was catering to the market. One of my best friends called and said, “You should come down here and do some shows.” My first show at the Carolina Theatre sold out.

What happened next?
I was in town and DPAC (Durham Performing Arts Center) was under construction, so I walked over there and knocked on the door. General Manager Bob Klaus, still general manager, was there and gave me a hard hat to wear. It was a game changer and we have been their urban partner since the doors opened.

Venues generally want to make sure they have a diverse calendar, diverse content with people who know what they are doing. Nowadays, it’s about partnerships. How can we do a favorable deal that protects the venue and gives everyone a chance to win?

How has the conversation around diversity changed over the past decade?
The reality is in a lot of cities — whether it be Durham, Raleigh, or wherever — they use tax dollars to build arenas or theaters. Our community is tax paying citizens. We all pay a lot of taxes and I want to make sure if my tax dollars are going toward something, there should be programming [in that venue] that I want to see, and my community wants to see. We’ve been able to stretch out into other communities, but DPAC saw that from the beginning.
When I speak to high school kids, everyone wants to be in the NBA. They love the game, they love to play, fine. But not everyone is going to make it on the court. How about being a referee? How about being a camera operator? Look at the opportunity and what you enjoy doing and follow the revenue stream and follow your passion.

So, how do you prepare the next generation of Black promoters?
What we do in Detroit and Raleigh is we have internships. That way people can see behind the scenes, how it actually works. Nobody has any idea of the things that actually happen before anyone hits the stage. That’s what we do.

What advice do you have for people in the industry?
It really is important for all companies, big or small, to give opportunities to others. Diversity is important and it’s not just important for municipalities, this, that and the other. It’s important for people’s lives. You can literally change someone’s life by giving them an opportunity. And it can be uncomfortable hiring somebody that comes from a different background or may dress a little differently, but we all have the same goals. It’s to have a happy, productive life that will continue to make an impact on others.

Knock on that door. Go after that contract with the city. You can do it, too. The main thing I would say to encourage my community is “No” doesn’t hurt you. If the worst you get is a “No,” go for it.