The Intersection of Music and Technology
Intelligent Diva, an artist and entrepreneur, redefines creativity and business synergy. With groundbreaking music endeavors, she champions global marketing, artist empowerment, and a debt-free approach, setting new industry standards.
By AJ Somer
In the vibrant tapestry of the entertainment industry, there exist trailblazers whose innovative strides redefine the very essence of creativity and entrepreneurship. Enter Chincia Kenner, better known as Intelligent Diva, a luminary whose multifaceted journey traverses the realms of music, technology, and business with an unwavering commitment to excellence.
A global multi-talented artist and entrepreneur, Intelligent Diva stands as a testament to the power of passion, resilience, and ingenuity. Her illustrious career spans the creation of two record labels, Intelligent Diva Music and Diva Underground Records, boasting an impressive repertoire of forty-one songs, including singles, EPs, and albums. Notably, her indelible mark on the music landscape is underscored by three Billboard chart-toppers, a feat emblematic of her prowess and vision.
Yet, Intelligent Diva’s narrative extends far beyond the confines of traditional artistry. With three insightful books to her name, she elucidates the intricacies of starting a music career, navigating the digital marketing landscape, and exploring the synergies between creativity and artificial intelligence. Moreover, her foray into the realm of television with IDMTV heralds a new era of immersive entertainment, blending music, documentaries, and AI-driven content in a captivating symphony of innovation.
In our exclusive interview with Entrepreneur Prime magazine, Intelligent Diva unveils the ethos underpinning her unparalleled success. With a background steeped in technology, she elucidates the symbiotic relationship between her corporate acumen and creative endeavors, seamlessly integrating strategies from both worlds to forge an empire that transcends boundaries.
Central to her vision is the convergence of music and technology, epitomized by her groundbreaking foray into the music metaverse. Embracing the transformative potential of virtual experiences, she heralds a future where artists can connect with global audiences on their terms, transcending the limitations of physical boundaries and financial constraints.
Moreover, Intelligent Diva’s entrepreneurial spirit shines through in her stewardship of Intelligent Diva Music, a label distinguished by its artist-centric ethos and holistic approach to talent development. Through a constellation of entities spanning publishing, merchandising, and television, she empowers artists to chart their own destinies, fostering a culture of transparency, collaboration, and financial independence.
In navigating the complexities of the music industry, Intelligent Diva remains steadfast in her commitment to self-funding and fiscal prudence, eschewing the trappings of debt in favor of sustainable growth and creative autonomy. Her sage advice to emerging artists underscores the importance of strategic planning, financial literacy, and a relentless pursuit of one’s artistic vision.
As we delve into the nuances of her global marketing strategy and collaborations with industry luminaries like Sean Kingston and Ty Dolla Sign, a portrait emerges of an artist unbound by convention, driven by a singular passion to leave an indelible imprint on the world.
In the grand tapestry of the entertainment landscape, Intelligent Diva emerges as a beacon of innovation, a harbinger of change, and a testament to the boundless potential of human creativity. Join us as we embark on a journey into the heart and mind of this visionary force, unraveling the threads of inspiration, ambition, and relentless determination that define her remarkable ascent.
Your success in both music and technology is evident through awards such as the IT Excellence Award in 2014 at Florida Blue and the Constellation Award for Teamwork. How do these experiences in technology contribute to your creative process in music, especially in the era of digital streaming and the music metaverse you are building?
I always wanted to enter the entertainment business for an exceptionally long time. I have always felt that it would be best to establish a career first that was more solid than entertainment. I knew that both technology and music were my passion. I was heavily involved in technology, and I wanted to find a resolution to having the perfect work life balance which involved both worlds. I realized they were both similar in a lot of ways. Therefore, my blueprint was to treat music like a business utilizing the same techniques that I was known for technology within my full-time career.
In the world of technology, I am known for my innovative creative ideas. Coming up ways for creating cost efficiency. Strategizing plans for teams to manage inventory. My experience in technology was a combination of valuable hard skills and soft skills which made me successful. Some my soft skills such as my communication skills, analytical abilities, perseverance, project management, leadership, resourcefulness, and my interest to help others are just a few things that key successors in obtaining those awards. I heard a lot of things that people were saying that really stressed me out. They did not have any knowledge of what I was capable of. They did not know anything about my skillsets. They were looking at me as a new person coming in. In the field of technology, there is always a fear of losing your job, or someone losing a job being replaced by technology or a person.
I was able to overcome barriers which others stated I could not do. My innovative ideas involved me producing ideas that were cost efficient. The tools would help individuals to manage tasks and perform tasks without hiring additional resources or overtime being allocated. They could perform tasks more efficiently. This would not result in job replacement. My experience in collaborative teamwork would help align the right resources in the correct roles based on their strengths. The success I had in technology I wanted to apply these same skillsets for building my empire as a small business owner.
I used the same skillsets for entertainment. I focus on several forms of entertainment because it is hard to make money off just the music. So, I decided on the products I wanted to create primarily and put the music behind it. Then I would build a team aligning the right resources to the right role. I wanted to create a platform and business entities where the full process could be executed. Record labels to release music. A publishing company to oversee the production and distribution for bringing the books and music to the market. An online store to sell merchandise. A metaverse platform to hold virtual performances. An entertainment channel to release films, documentaries, educational material, music content, sports, and advertisement platform. I also plan to build apps and put my music behind them. This would allow any creator to be able to release content and multiply their streams of income with a team behind them. I knew if skills worked for a large corporation, it would work for a small business.
The incorporation of technology in your career, such as creating a music metaverse, demonstrates a forward-thinking approach. How do you see the intersection of music and technology shaping the future of the industry, and what role do you envision playing in this evolving landscape?
During the time of the pandemic, it really resulted in me thinking about the future on how I could reach the world in more than way without physically traveling. Putting together a show with a live performance is always a wonderful experience. However, it can also be costly. Which leads to impacts which the world is facing when it comes to economy.
With touring you must pay for transportation, travel, accommodation, staff costs and musician fees, food, rewards for your fans such as merchandise, day-to-day contingencies, insurance. You also need an emergency fund for unexpected situations.
I remember when planning for a tour. The expenses were high. I wanted to stay independent. My priorities are different. I am not going to find the funds to invest in a $400k tour budget if I do not have a home that costs $400k. My goal was not to create a large volume of business debt by agreeing to do things that I could not do. We already have personal debt. So, you can still generate quality without having to spend a large quantity of money. With a music metaverse, you can be as creative as you want and cut down on a lot of tour experience. Especially with insurance cost. Building your own platform allows you to create your own stage with your own brand. You can be anywhere you want without paying for flight costs. You can still reach a global audience.
I am a person who does not just focus on how I want to do something for today. consider the future and how we can be impacted by the economy. Today marketing reports show music sales are still growing. But major labels are laying off employees. Well, you need people to build a metaverse, you still need graphic designers, hardware engineers, digital marketing specialist, nft artist if you want to expand beyond the physical world, game designers and community moderators. You can still sell tickets, host your own concerts, events. Artists can rent out their spaces, even earn money with brand sponsorships. You would cut down expenses We are not overcommitting to anything that we cannot deliver.
I see myself as a contributor for demonstrating what these same advantages which large labels have over small labels, businesses, and artists. I can show them how the metaverse can improve their accessibility by reaching a larger pool. This can simplify the coordination compared to an in-house event. It can help provide a more authentic experience. You can perform whenever you want. You control it. This is especially important to independent music artists today where they can have that creative control. It is also important for them to be able to see the affordability and cost savings.
I think the metaverse is a great shift for the future, especially with things becoming more expensive.
Your commitment to self-funding and avoiding debt while achieving significant accomplishments is noteworthy. How does this financial independence influence your creative decisions, and what advice would you give to emerging artists about managing their careers and finances in the music industry?
Self-funding has allowed me to have the flexibility of my own financial planning and complete control over my decisions. I wanted to make my business unique to close gaps in the industry and things that I was not comfortable with as an artist. I do not have to worry about any debt and interest payments by using my own funds. I mean we already have personal debt. So, I do not want to add any more debt to it. I do not want to create a financial burden or risk associated with debt.
From a creative perspective every year I plan what I am going to do for the next year. I perform a market analysis on those products and the target audience. Then I build a budget for those items to include the resources, pre-production, production, postproduction, graphics, marketing and promotion and everything that is needed for those projects. I never over commit because I do not want to under deliver My advice is you have to keep your personal life and business life separate. If you are an artist who wants to do it yourself then I recommend you select realistic goals, create a business plan over a five year to 10-year plan. You cannot let this business break you. Focus on what you can commit to in alignment with your budget. Set goals for each stage as well as annual goals. Then prioritize them if you see something which is not on track. Then produce a contingency plan to get back on track. Do not invest in unnecessary things which are not needed. Ensure that you understand the outcome of each step in the process a review what worked and what did not work? Produce process improvement ideas from those lessons learned. If you need assistance reach out to me. Intelligentdivamusic@gmail.com
This year, your music strategy shifted from regional to global marketing, resulting in chart successes. How did this change in approach impact your visibility, and what lessons did you learn about reaching a global audience as an independent artist?
Having a global audience allowed us to reach a larger audience which we did not have before. Everyone seems to focus on social media. That is only one source, and you cannot rely on it. We tapped into several forms of marketing. We focus on global marketing strategies using standardization, adaptation, relationship strategies, global branding, and OTT advertisements. We learned that reaching a global audience, this attracted a larger audience. All your products are generating sales at the same time. We created our own commercials. It is funny because when I first started, my music was more popular in the UK than the US. Then we changed to study different marketing strategies so that we could reach more people in the US, as a priority. While we focused on this in the US. Our products were released at the same time as our music became global. Our commercials and videos were featured on OTT platforms because we expanded to television for promotion also. We will continue to do that and track our success towards trying to reach a target audience which is specific to each product.
Collaboration is a significant aspect of your work, evident in partnerships with artists like Sean Kingston and Ty Dolla Sign. How do these collaborations enhance your creative process, and what qualities do you look for in a musical collaborator?
It was part of my career growth. I remember telling my music publicist that I wanted to have a few music collaborations in my career back in 2019 with some major artist. At the time I was looking to build a creditable music catalog. He made it happen. Your music catalog is an asset. I wanted it to be strong. As an artist, I am a songwriter, singer, lyricist, and producer. I am also a multi genre artist. Credit for my work is important to me because I work hard. I received songwriting credits and performance credits on the songs. Also, I look for if the splits are fair, what are the limitations and restrictions.
As an artist it demonstrates my potential. In a collaboration I look for the perfect blend. Everything from the vocals, lyrics, harmonies, and songwriting. Just to see my single “Whatever She Likes” featuring Ty Dolla Sign on his page under Apple Music as a single of other songs he appeared on. That meant a lot to me. Songs with Sean Kingston and Ty Dolla Sign went #1 on the radio. Whatever She Likes is still on the radio today. These were some great singles. They were great choices.
My most favorable collab is Sinner’s Prayer. On this single I included my mother, and my daughter. My mother suggested that I do a gospel song and that I should include my brother. I decided to include all of them. This single really meant a lot to me. It landed on the Billboard Gospel Internet Radio Charts for several weeks with the top position being at #21. I wanted to build a memorable moment for my mom. She attended so many chorus performances as a teenager. She watches me receive so many awards as a kid. Now, to see me as an adult carry this out. I stuck to my word on what I wanted to do with my career and made her a part of it. I am not rich enough to retire her yet. But it is a prayer I keep in my Bible.
Your achievements include nominations, awards, and significant chart positions. How do you define success as an artist, and what goals or milestones are you currently aiming for in your career?
I define success by a person or individual setting goals and reaching them. I am aiming to build a global empire which can help create generational wealth for my family. It gives me pleasure to help artists, creators, and regular people to build their own businesses. I would love to become the owner of a fortune five hundred company one day. I have a long way to go from becoming a fortune five hundred company. I have the patience and work ethic to keep on building until I get there. Technology, music, art, and fashion are my life. Today it is not about talent in the entertainment world. It is about popularity. Another goal is to continue to grow our brand. I feel like we are on our way to that.
This year I am focusing on growing the television channel as primary and having more products globally. I wanted to get everything done and go up running first. I am building a platform where businesses can also advertise. I would like to highlight them on my digital online network. I will be using OTT advertisement to help promote the shows and channel. We will be releasing music also under the country, rock, and pop genre this spring and summer. Our artists will be releasing their projects under their brands, which we will be supporting. I would like to obtain a couple of nonexclusive deals synch deals.
