Jonny Shipes facts for kids

Jonny Shipes is an American music executive. He is known for finding and helping many talented artists. Some of these artists include Nipsey Hussle, Joey Bada$$, Sean Kingston, and Big K.R.I.T.. He also helped comedian Druski become famous.

Jonny Shipes started a record label called Cinematic Music Group in 2007. Now, he is the founder and CEO of a new company called GoodTalk. He also helped create Smoker's Club, which is a brand that hosts music festivals. He is also a partner in a donut shop.

Early Life and Growing Up

Jonny Shipes was born and grew up in New York City. He first heard hip-hop music when he was six years old. This was at a summer basketball camp. He loved the music right away.

He enjoyed many types of music, not just hip-hop. He listened to groups like Run-DMC and the Beastie Boys. He also liked artists such as Tupac, Biggie Smalls, and Jay Z. Beyond rap, he enjoyed bands like Guns N' Roses and singers like Dido.

Jonny moved to East Hampton during high school. He was a great basketball player there. He finished high school in 1998.

Jonny Shipes' Career Journey

Starting as a DJ and Promoter

After high school, Jonny Shipes worked as a DJ. He also cleaned swimming pools to earn money. In 2000, he began organizing parties. One popular event was "One Shot" in Wainscott. About 1,000 people came to this party every week.

Around this time, he met Puff Daddy during a basketball game. Jonny helped Puff Daddy's company, Bad Boy Records, find a new place for a meeting. Soon after, he was hired by Blue Flame, Puff Daddy's marketing company. He also worked as an intern, helping to find new artists.

Jonny returned to New York City. He continued DJing and working in marketing. He also helped produce and record music. He managed several DJs, including DJ Felli Fel and DJ Kay Slay. At 22, he became an artist manager. He worked with artists like Foxy Brown and Nappy Roots. In 2002, he discovered and signed Smoke DZA. Over the years, he managed many artists, including T-Pain and Sean Kingston.

Cinematic Music Group and Discovering Stars

In 2007, Jonny Shipes and Smoke DZA started Cinematic Music Group (CMG). They chose the name because they wanted artists to create music that painted pictures in listeners' minds.

One of Cinematic's first big successes was Sean Kingston's first album. It had hit songs like "Beautiful Girls." This song became a number one hit.

In 2008, Jonny met Nipsey Hussle. A DJ he managed told him about Nipsey's music. Jonny heard two of Nipsey's songs online. He loved the powerful messages and how Nipsey described his life. Jonny quickly traveled to Los Angeles to meet him. After some talks, Jonny signed Nipsey Hussle to Cinematic. He worked on Nipsey's albums, including Bullets Ain’t Got No Name Vol 1, Vol. 2, and Vol 3. He remained close friends with Nipsey until his passing in 2019.

Jonny also met and signed Big K.R.I.T in 2010. In 2012, he discovered Joey Bada$$. Jonny signed Joey and his group, Pro Era. Cinematic released Joey's mixtape 1999 in 2012. Joey's first album, B4.Da.$$, came out in 2015. It reached number 5 on the Billboard charts.

In 2016, Jonny signed Flipp Dinero. Cinematic released Flipp's first tape, The Guala Way, in 2017. In 2018, Flipp Dinero had a huge hit song called “Leave Me Alone.” Other artists like Luh Kel, Abby Jasmine, and Mick Jenkins also joined Cinematic. Jonny helped produce Luh Kel's popular songs "Wrong" and "Pull Up."

Jonny connected with comedian Druski early in his career. He started managing Druski in 2020. Druski's online following grew from one million to nearly six million. Jonny and Druski also started a film and TV company called 4Lifers Entertainment.

Other Ventures and Community Work

In 2009, Jonny Shipes, Smoke DZA, and Shiest Bubz started the Smoker's Club. This company combines their love for music and a certain plant. They also started Smokers Club Records. The first Smoker's Club music show was in Austin, Texas. Many famous artists performed, including Wiz Khalifa and Kendrick Lamar. In 2010, they launched the Smoker's Club Tour. Jonny personally paid for the first tour. Now, Smoker's Club also sells clothes.

Jonny was also a partner in FELT, a clothing line from New York.

Jonny Shipes enjoys cooking. He has appeared on a cooking show called Munchies. He tried making different foods like donuts and pizza rolls. In summer 2020, he invested in a popular donut shop called Grindstone Coffee and Donuts.

During the early part of the coronavirus pandemic, Jonny helped raise money for NYC Together. He offered a music contract to unsigned artists. People paid a small fee to submit their music. This money was used to buy learning devices and pay tutors for kids in Brooklyn.

GoodTalk: A New Chapter

In summer 2023, Jonny Shipes sold the music catalog of Cinematic Music Group. He then started a new company called GoodTalk. GoodTalk is a full-service entertainment company. It includes talent management, a new record label, clothing, and festivals. It also includes 4Lifers Entertainment, the film and TV company he started with Druski.