Karen Civil facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Karen Civil
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| Born | November 8, 1984 New York City, U.S.
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| Alma mater | Union County College Harvard Business School |
| Occupation | Music Executive, marketing strategist, business women, producer, author |
| Organization | Live Civil & Always Civil Enterprise |
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Karen Civil, born on November 8, 1984, is an American music executive and digital marketing expert. She is also known as "KC." She became well-known for creating and managing Weezythanxyou.com. This website allowed the rapper Lil Wayne to share letters with his fans while he was in prison at Rikers Island.
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Early Life and Education
Karen Civil grew up in Elizabeth, New Jersey, in a family with Haitian roots. She went to Elizabeth High School. After that, she attended Union County College in New Jersey. In 2019, she earned an online degree from Harvard Business School.
Career Journey
Starting in Media
Civil began her career in media while she was in college. She created fan websites for actor J. D. Williams and the music group The Backstreet Boys. Her Backstreet Boys site placed third in a national competition. The website for J. D. Williams even connected her with the actor himself.
After high school, Civil started community college. However, she left to take an internship at the radio station Hot 97 in 2002. There, she worked as a staff assistant for DJ Funkmaster Flex. She also started helping the music group The Diplomats with their online sales. Later, Civil moved to Asylum Records.
KarenCivil.com and Always Civil Enterprise
In 2008, Karen Civil launched her own website, karencivil.com. She also started a marketing company called Always Civil Enterprise. This company focused on digital strategies for the hip-hop music industry. Her business skills led her to work with many artists. Lil Wayne was her first client. Her company has since worked with stars like Mary J. Blige, Young Jeezy, Lee Daniels, Dave East, Ben Baller, and James Harden.
Working with Lil Wayne and Young Money
In 2010, Civil worked with rapper Lil Wayne to create Weezythanxyou.com. This website allowed Lil Wayne to share letters with his fans while he was in prison. Because of her work with Lil Wayne, she became more involved with his company, Young Money. In August 2022, she became the company's general manager and executive vice president.
From 2011 to 2018, she worked with Beats by Dre as their digital marketing manager.
Karen Civil has also become a public speaker. She has hosted events at universities and for media outlets like BET. She also speaks at conferences and panels that support women.
In 2014, Civil teamed up with Nipsey Hussle, Samiel Asghedom, and Steve-O to create the "Marathon Clothing" smart store. She played a big part in organizing the memorial service for Nipsey Hussle in April 2019. During the service, she read a letter from former president Barack Obama. The letter praised the rapper for his community work, saying:
While most folks look at the Crenshaw neighborhood where he grew up and see only gangs, bullets, and despair, Nipsey saw potential.
In 2016, Civil started producing music. She co-produced a song by Wale that featured Lil Wayne.
Besides her role at Young Money, Karen Civil also co-founded the Marathon Agency.
Her Book
In November 2015, Karen Civil published her own self-help book. It is called Be You & Live Civil: Tools for Unlocking Your Potential & Living Your Purpose. The book has four chapters: "Understanding Motivation," "Self Motivation," "Positive Attitude," and "Living Civil." In it, Civil shares her ideas about her career path.
Helping Others
In 2015, Civil started building a playground in Haiti. For Christmas in 2015, she worked with Lil Wayne and Andre Berto. They donated clothes, toys, and books to 500 students at her Live Civil School.
In April 2017, Civil opened her Live Civil Computer Lab at the House Of Hope Orphanage in Haiti. She donated 20 computers to the children there. In August 2017, Civil worked with the shoe company K-Swiss to create a line of shoes. As of December 2017, Civil had hosted an event called "Karen Civil Day" three times.
Other Activities
Civil has hosted events for Democratic rallies. She has also spoken out about women's rights in the workplace and in hip hop. In 2017, she shared that she was glad women were speaking up for themselves.
Awards and Recognition
Karen Civil has received many awards and honors. In 2009, she won a Black Web Award from Essence magazine. In 2010, the team at MTV News thanked her for her help with their urban journalism. In 2012, Civil was named to the Ebony Power 100 list.
On September 15, 2015, Civil was a guest speaker at the White House "Champions of Change" event. This event honored young women and their contributions to their communities. Some people have compared her to Oprah Winfrey because of her influence in the rap industry. Black Enterprise named Civil "social influencer of the year."
In 2014, Civil was honored at both the 2014 BET Awards and the Salute 2014 Dinner. A writer for LA Weekly wrote an article about Civil's many achievements. She was given the Key to the City of Elizabeth, making her the youngest person to receive it. In 2017, Black Enterprise again named her “Social Influencer of the Year.” Civil was featured on the 2020 LA Weekly cover. In 2023, she was recognized in Billboard magazine's HipHop/R&B Power Players list.
Film and TV Work
Civil was an associate producer for the 2016 documentary film The Last Ride: A Philadelphia Story. This film was about Kyrell "Rell" Tyrel and bike culture.
In May 2018, Karen Civil hosted the series "Good Looking Out" on Complex Networks for two seasons.
