Interview: Big Heff Talks about his Midwest Industy Tour

In my line of work it humbles you to meet such trailblazers who are just everyday going people. Quincy "Big Heff" Taylor falls into that category. He's been putting on for Midwest artist's & DJ's for over a decade now. His resume includes: Brand Ambassador of Epic records, Business Affairs President/VP of Nerve DJs, CEO of Star Music & Media (Booking and Entertainment Agency), Co-Founder of Ohio Hip Hop Awards, ect.

Read as HiphopBusinessBlog.com chops it up with Heff about his Midwest Industry Tour & the state of the hiphop business in general. Enjoy!

BFM: 1st off welcome back. You're originally from Chicago Heff. Do you have a favorite hotspot or restaurant that you must visit when you touchdown to the Chi?

HEFF: Always like Chicago's Homerun Inn Pizza from back in the day, the legendary Harolds Chicken, I always liked Italian Beef combo's.

BFM: Early in your career you did marketing & promotions for both, Shady & Koch Records. How did these experiences help you when you decided to open your own companies?

HEFF: Gave me the opportunity to see the world, learn from some great artists, see how music works in different regions and genre's. I'd really like to thank Dee Sonaram, Big Proof, Tony Franklin, and Dee Trane for the opportunities.

BFM: Any funny stories hanging out with Shady & D12?

HEFF: Just being in a room in Denver and watching Scary Movie 3 with the team and they did a spoof on Em and 8 Mile and just having everyone laugh about it. R.I.P Big Proof!!!

BFM: You've sucessfully been doing "Big Heff's Midwest Industry Tour" 3 years now. Can you explain what the tour is about & what gave you the idea to start the company?

HEFF: It's a artist awareness tour that I do within a region that can help with radio, grassroots, retail & concert for an artist and single. Special thanks for all Nerve DJs.

BFM: What's unique about the "Midwest Industry Tour" this year? Who can Chicago expect to be there & what will we take away from it that can be used immediatly?

HEFF: This time around I have a pop star and people from all over the country from NYC, LA, Houston, and Pittsburg apart of the tour- each represent different outlets for helping people progress in their careers. Thanks to Bella Nae, K Mitch, MokaBlast, The Rangers, and RockStar Sweets for being apart of this end of year tour.

BFM: Are there more opportunites for hiphop artist's in other markets like NYC, ATL, & LA than in the Midwest or is the scale leveling out nowadays?

HEFF: I definitely believe that its evening out right now, with people from the Midwest being on top of their rap game and the next wave coming strong, some of our major cities throughout the Midwest have multiple artists with label situations and a good support system to keep them going.

BFM: Any advice for individuals wanting to follow in your footsteps embarking on a career in the music industry on the business side?

HEFF: There are plenty of ways to make it in the music industry without making music, follow your passion of creatively putting things in place and learning more about having a long and prosperous career in the industry that will lead to your place in history and providing opportunity to those around you.