January 24th 2024.
Allow me to introduce you to the dynamic duo of Roc Nation: Shari Bryant and Omar Grant. These two incredible individuals, hailing from East Harlem and the Bronx respectively, have climbed the ladder from humble beginnings as interns for none other than Jay-Z and Beyoncé, to now leading the charge at the multimillion-dollar entertainment company.
The stars were truly aligned for Bryant and Grant when it came to their connection with the Carters. Bryant, who grew up in the same apartment complex as Jay-Z's former business partner Damon Dash, landed an internship with Roc-A-Fella in 1999. As for Grant, his journey started with an internship working for Beyoncé's publicist.
In an interview with Fortune, Bryant reminisced about her first days at Roc-A-Fella, saying, "Nobody knew I was there, no one was expecting me. They were like, 'Who are you?' But then Jay-Z finally came in, about an hour later, and he introduced me as Shari from his building. He made sure I learned everything about the company." Little did she know, this was just the beginning of her 20-year-long journey with the company.
While Bryant was determined to soak up all the knowledge she could about the music industry, she never could have imagined she would one day be leading Jay-Z's full-service management, music publishing, and entertainment company. But as a Black woman, she was well aware of the significance of her representation in such a powerful position. "When I walked into that company in 1999, I never looked back, because I was able to see women that look like me, and it made me feel a sense of belonging. I saw my mother, I saw my aunt. Not literally, but that's what the representations stood for me at that time," Bryant shared.
After her time at Roc-A-Fella, Bryant went on to hold executive positions at major labels such as Warner Bros. Records, Atlantic Records, and Alamo Records before eventually joining Jay-Z at Roc Nation.
Grant, on the other hand, started his journey interning for Beyoncé's longtime publicist, Yvette Noel-Schure, and treating it as if it were a real job. His hard work paid off when he was introduced to Bey's father, Matthew Knowles, and eventually became her tour manager for the "Dangerously in Love" tour. From there, he went on to work as tour manager for each member of Destiny's Child and other artists, as well as dabbling in A&R work. It was during this time that he met mentors Jay-Z, Jay Brown, and Ty Ty Smith. In 2019, Grant joined Bryant as co-president, reporting to Roc Nation CEO Desiree Perez and co-founders Jay Brown and Jay-Z.
As co-presidents, Bryant and Grant were given the opportunity to reshape Roc Nation into what they believed it should look and feel like. And with a clean slate, they focused on signing early, emerging talent. In an interview with Essence in 2023, Bryant shared, "We were given the autonomy to reshape it for what we felt like it should look and feel like, and with that clean slate, it was a lot of just signing really early, emerging talent."
After years of grinding and hard work, the Roc Nation presidents offered some valuable advice to aspiring artists and music executives. "Hard work beats talent when talent doesn't work hard," Bryant stated. "You gotta be hustling as hard as us because we are working 24/7." Grant added, "It still boils down to being authentic to what you want and who you are. Actually studying and perfecting and obsessing over what it is that you want to do in your career and how, and just perfecting the art."
Their journey serves as an inspiration to many, proving that hard work, dedication, and authenticity can take you from internships to the C-suite. And as they continue to lead Roc Nation to new heights, Bryant and Grant's success is a testament to the power of chasing your dreams and never giving up.
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