Over 40 Years of Deep Roots

Over four decades in Louisville, Kentucky. That isn't just a number, that is my life, my history, and the foundation of my campaign for Governor. They say home is where the heart is, but for me, home is where my business, my legacy, and my political drive have been permanently planted for over four decades. I love Brooklyn, and I will always "spread love the Brooklyn way," and I will always "keep Louisville weird." But let me be perfectly clear: my fight is for the entire Commonwealth. When the iconic Janis Joplin sang about the journey "From the Kentucky coal mine to the California sun," she captured the roaming spirit of an entire generation. I have been under that California sun, I have navigated those transient roads, but my loyalty never left home. My fight is for every single inch of this state, from the St. Matthews suburbs to the mountains of Eastern Kentucky, and all the way to the western coalfields. When you run for office, voters deserve to know exactly where you stand and where you come from. For over 40 years, my life has been rooted right here in Jefferson County. Louisville is my "Domicile of Choice" pursuant to Staiar's Adm'r v. Commonwealth (194 Ky. 316, 239 S.W. 40 [1922]). No matter where the music industry or life's battles have taken me, my physical, commercial, and legal center of gravity has remained unbroken and permanently anchored in the Bluegrass. If elected, I will protect the foundations of our state with that exact same unwavering loyalty. Building a Global Empire and Local Economy from St. Matthews Political leaders often talk about economic development, but I have actually done it. I didn't have to leave Kentucky to operate at the highest levels of the entertainment industry or negotiate multi-million dollar contracts. From my home base in the St. Matthews neighborhood of Louisville, I orchestrated global moves, bringing national revenue and attention directly to our state. I was on the ground floor of a local multi-million dollar deal with the multi-platinum group Days of the New, Geffen Records, Interscope Records, and Clive Davis's son, attorney Fred Davis. I secured a partnership with TIDAL and executed deals with global superstars like Drake and his team. When Nappy Roots dropped their biggest song to date, "Good Day," that massive momentum was partly under my watch. I also proudly structured a major partnership with the University of Louisville for official CLC merchandise, collaborating directly with our local institutions. The reach was national, but the execution was fiercely local. I negotiated and structured album deals for Eminem's artist Crooked I (Kxng Crooked) of Slaughterhouse (Shady/Aftermath Records), as well as Kanye West's artist Cyhi The Prynce (G.O.O.D. Music/Def Jam Recordings), all done right out of Louisville. I co-founded a massive deal with Death Row Records, handling the publicity and marketing for seven of their albums from our legal counsel's high-rise office at One Riverfront Plaza, looking out at the Muhammad Ali Center. My significant Fat Beats Records' deal with Eric B. & Rakim started in Lexington, was completed in Louisville, and culminated with final mixes in New York's iconic QUAD Recording Studios in Times Square, where 2Pac was shot, leading to the historic and violent East Coast vs. West Coast feud. Furthermore, from my St. Matthews home base, I signed a landmark deal with Biggie's heir for a project involving The Notorious B.I.G. estate and Puffy's Bad Boy Records. While that project ultimately ended in utter turmoil and trauma, surviving the darkest and most volatile battles of the global entertainment industry only forged the unbreakable resilience I carry today. Taking the Fight to Frankfort As your Governor, I will utilize this exact same high-level negotiation experience with a local team of experts to broker deals for Kentucky's workforce, infrastructure, and future. My talent as a producer was bringing people together, and I will bring in the most talented political minds in the state who are looking to change history. I have gone head-to-head with some of the most powerful and ruthless figures in the global entertainment industry, and I won. When I sit in the Governor's office, I won't be negotiating for record labels. I will be negotiating for your wages, your healthcare, your schools, and your union rights. I know how to navigate the toughest boardrooms on earth, and I will bring that exact same fight to the kitchen tables of hard-working Kentuckians. We need a leader, and a team player, who isn't afraid of a fight, who knows how to close a deal, and who has never forgotten where he came from. Kentucky is my home, my headquarters, and my heart. It is time to bring real, unfiltered leadership to Frankfort. Let's win for Kentucky.