Who: Shante Bacon & Saptosa Foster

What: The 135th Street Agency

Why: The 135th Street Agency is a Marketing/PR/Advertising firm based in Harlem and Atlanta.  135th Street Agency was launched in 2002 and specializes in bridging the gap between artists/entertainment and Corporate America.  We are specialists in lifestyle marketing and we translate the message that corporations are trying to relay to the *urban business professional/urban youth consumer in a culturally savvy manner. Our combined 20 years of experience/contacts in Music/Entertainment Marketing and Print Media include an eight-year tenure in Def Jam Records' marketing department as well as editorial experience at Seventeen, Rolling Stone, FADER, In Style, XXL, Vibe, and Complex. Our innovative strategies garner increased visibility for the products and services of our clients, resulting in increased revenues and stronger brand position.

*The 135th Street Agency defines the "Urban" consumers as multi-cultural (African-American, Asian-American, Hispanic, Caucasian, Gay Americans, etc.) consumers that are at the forefront of trends in pop culture (including music/fashion/film/gaming/mobile technologies/media).

Where: Based in Harlem and Atlanta

When: Established in 2002

Title: Principal Owners/Partners

Contact numbers: 212-348-4444; 404-909-6493

Mailing Address: 545 8th Avenue, Suite 401, New York, NY 10018

Email: shante@135stagency.com; Saptosa@135stagency.com 

Website: www.135stagency.com

Additional Info: The 135th Street Agency is a marketing/PR/advertising firm started by Shante Bacon, who worked for eight years in the marketing department at Def Jam. She resigned from her position last year as director of marketing to pursue the 135th Street Agency full-time. Before the 135th Street Agency, Shante worked under the regime of Kevin Liles, then president of Def Jam Records. In his new how-to book Make it Happen: The Hip-Hop Generation Guide to Success, Liles writes:

 One of my former employees, Shante Bacon, always has guts. She was just a college rep for us when she first joined Def Jam. But she'd known all her young life that she was destined to work in the music business. Even as a teenager she figured one day she'd run her own label.

 When Shante was in college she was a rep for Def Jam's distribution company in Virginia. That means she promoted our label, and any new singles that were coming out, through college parties, football games, homecomings, college radio and concerts. One day in her senior year she sent us a three-hundred-page book she'd put together documenting all the work she'd done for Def Jam over the years. She included wrap-ups of events, pictures and dozens of letters of congratulations from me and Lyor on the success of her work on campus. She put it together in one slick package using everything she'd learned as a marketing major. I'd never met Shante, but I took one look at that book and said, "She's hired."

That was in November 1997, but Shante didn't graduate until May 1998. We wanted her to join Def Jam so badly that we held the job, of sales assistant, open for her by filling it with temps. She already had the winning hand. 

-- Kevin Liles, Executive Vice President, Warner Music Group; President, Def Jam Enterprises; Excerpted from his book Make it Happen: The Hip-Hop Generation Guide to Success with Samantha Marshall – In Stores September 20th

MORE facts about the 135th street agency:

* As Director of Marketing, Shante’s artist assignments were Kanye West, Ludacris, 2 Fast 2 Furious Soundtrack, Method Man, Ghostface, NORE, Freeway, Beanie Sigel, Scarface, Shawnna

* 135th Street Agency was launched in April 2002 as a side hustle with (Hot 97 FM) Sunny’s Birthday Party at Lush Lounge on Duane Street

* In July 2004, Shante Bacon resigned from Def Jam Records after 8 years to pursue the 135th Street Agency full time

* In February 2005, Saptosa Foster (freelance writer – XXL, VIBE, FADER, Complex, Savoy) joined the 135th Street Agency, bringing 10 years of experience in writing and print/online media 

* One year after Shante resigned from Def Jam to pursue the 135th Street Agency full-time, the company is in full swing with the following clients:

·   BET  (tour marketing services)

·   Def Jam  (Event Planning/PR Services)

·   U.S. Postal Service  (Event Planning/PR Services)

·   Harlem Week  (Event Planning/PR Services)

·   Greater Harlem Chamber of Commerce  (PR Services)

·   Coca-Cola Summerscope/Miles Ahead Entertainment  (Guerilla Marketing/PR Services)

·   Francine Ward, Author/Motivational Speaker/Attorney  (Brand Management/Sponsorship opportunities/PR Services)

* The 135th Street Agency has just closed a ground-breaking deal with the U.S. Postal Service for a 9-month PR campaign entitled “The Executive Experience.” This campaign will roll out to 16 colleges and universities in the New York, New Jersey, Connecticut area.

* The 135th Street Agency will be featured in the December 2005 issue of Black Enterprise Magazine discussing Marketing to the Urban Youth Consumer.

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