Greg is a graduate of The University of South Florida, having been involved in the Tampa music scene since 1995. Greg was enrolled at USF when he started his own radio show on 760 WBDN-AM. In 1998, Greg secured a gig at Tampa Bay’s Party Station, WiLD 98.7 FM (now WiLD 94.1). Starting out as a street teamer, Greg worked his way up through the Promotions ranks, becoming Assistant Promotions Director within two years. From there, he leaped to a full-time on-air gig and quickly became the #1 Arbitron rated night show in Tampa Bay for seven years straight. In 2006, Greg made the jump into bigger arenas and served as Marketing Director & In-Arena Host for the Tampa Bay Lightning (NHL) until 2009. It was in 2009 when he was snatched up by Clear Channel Radio (now iHeartRadio/iHeartMedia) to take over the role as Promotions Director for 95.7 The Beat, Tampa Bay’s Hip-Hop and R&B station, as well as Tampa Bay’s Sports Radio 620 WDAE & Newsradio 970 WFLA. Greg continued in that role until February 2016 when he decided to step aside from the radio world to focus 100% on his dream; Street Laced. In 2012, Greg returned to serve as the In-Arena Host for the Tampa Bay Lightning (NHL) and for the Arena Football League’s Tampa Bay Storm (AFL). He has also taken on that same role for the University of South Florida’s Football & Basketball Programs(NCAA) and continues all of those duties today.
Blaise is a native of Athens, Georgia, and a die-hard Georgia Bulldog. Blaise was the kid in middle school that loved sports and music, got along with everyone, and always had all the newest and hottest records. Blaise’s entrepreneurial spirit started at a very early when he would create mixtapes and then sell them around the school to earn extra money which eventually financed his first set of turntables and mixer. His passion for Music and DJing along with his love of Sports consumed most of his time throughout High School. After graduating from Clarke Central High School in 1990, he began to follow his passion further toward the music industry with his good friend, Jason Brown, who we know now as ‘Colt Ford’ and at the time was a writer for platinum recording producer, Jermaine Dupri. Just as Atlanta was beginning to make some noise as the place to be for music with groups like TLC, Kris Kross, Arrested Development, and ABC, Jermaine had formed the hip hop group, Javier & The Str8Jackers. As a behind the scenes member of the group, Blaise learned a lot of useful music industry knowledge being around Jermaine and his music circle of friends around Atlanta.
Deciding to learn more and more areas of the music industry, he decided to take a different approach to a traditional college. After obtaining Radio Broadcasting & Audio Engineering Degrees, Blaise opened his own urban music retail shop in is the home town of Athens, Flava’ Entertainment, before teaming up with legendary record label Tommy Boy Records and Atlanta based LaFace Records where he helped build a grassroots buzz around the State of Georgia for the then-unknown duo ‘OutKast’ whose debut album went on to take them to Multi-Platinum status and eventually onto International fame. After moving to Miami, Florida in 1995, he took on a position at the world-famous South Beach Studios on Miami Beach assisting the likes of Aerosmith, Alanis Morrisette & Prince. After a few years and not being content with being stuck in a studio or in a retail atmosphere, Blaise moved back to Athens. After arriving back in Georgia in 1998, he met a talented young lyricist through a childhood friend named Warren Mathis, who we now know as Bubba Sparxxx. Saturating the streets from Athens to Lagrange, Blaise helped the then-unknown local lyricist launch his 1st independent single release, ‘Hungry’ featuring Athens, Georgia hip hop music producer and legend Duddy Ken. Soon after relocating to Tampa, Florida, Bubba was signed to Mega Producer Timbaland’s ‘Beat Club / Interscope’ label imprint. Based on friendship and a past working relationship between Blaise and Bubba, Interscope Records came knocking and he quickly began to build a name for himself again around Florida. Through those industry connections and relationships, Blaise expanded his label roster to include Def Jam, Atlantic, Virgin, Capitol, and Warner Brothers, to name a few.
After receiving the award for Promotion Rep of the year in both 2004 and 2005, the music industry began to change and transform into a more digital space. 2006 came and that’s where personal life events and music industry relationships met hence Street Laced was officially launched and has now evolved into a full-service Talent Booking and Grassroots/Social Media Marketing company. Blaise’s undeniable relationships with Tampa’s heavy-hitting DJs, Tastemakers and Local Business Owners has not only helped Street Laced create strong ties across Florida but, has also expanded his Entrepreneurial spirit into other business projects under his Marker Agency Inc. parent umbrella with a Talent Management and Brand Development division along with The Tailgate Champs event company which includes his Tailgate and Game Day DJ Network and his special brand of Tailgate Champs Bloody Mary Mix. Always evolving and expanding, Blaise’s latest ventures under The Marker Agency Inc. include a promotional & lifestyle merchandise e-commerce store and also life insurance brokerage firm where he is licensed in 10 states. While still having a passion for the art of DJ’n, Blaise continues to rock private events across the Tampa Bay Area as a hobby under his DJ alias, ‘HomeGrown GA’. Proud to always represent his Georgia roots, Blaise now calls Tampa, Florida home with his wife of 29 years, Vanida, and their two children, Marley and Parker.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
No business owner will ever tell you that their road to success has been a “smooth road”. There will always be bumps in the road, obstacles to overcome and accidents to avoid. In our business (sports & entertainment), the landscape is forever changing and with us being in the middle of a pandemic in 2020, this has been the most challenging year yet. However, in times like these, you have to find ways to adapt and overcome, otherwise you’re just going to be another statistic. We have been able to modify our business model over the past 14 years, moving away from the music industry and focusing on assisting local businesses in Tampa Bay with grassroots & social media marketing, utilizing methods that worked for us while working for major record labels. We have also transitioned into a talent management role, handling the bookings for over 35 local Tampa Bay DJ’s, as well as entertainment and entertainers for the likes of the NFL (Tampa Bay Buccaneers), NHL (Tampa Bay Lightning), NCAA (USF Athletics, Gasparilla Bowl, Outback Bowl), MLB (Tampa Bay Rays), City of Tampa and many others.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Street Laced Marketing & Promotions, Inc.?
“We Don’t Play, We Just Win” is the Street Laced motto, and we always let our clients know that “we plan on WINNING for your business!” Street Laced Marketing & Promotions, Inc. is a Tampa-based company that specializes in Grassroots Marketing Efforts, Street Team Promotions, Social Networking Campaigns, Special Events Promotions, Event Marketing, DJ Booking Services, Event Hosting and Talent Management. With over 45 years of combined experience in the entertainment business, Street Laced has adapted to the standards and demands of the ever-changing marketplace with regards to the music, sports and entertainment industries.
While similar marketing companies folded during tough economic times, Street Laced has always found ways to thrive, being innovative, effective and creative, all while fulfilling client demands, maintaining high expectations and delivering on results. We are a small business who deals in the world of BIG BUSINESS, with clients ranging from the NFL, Microsoft, NCAA, MLB, NHL, iHeartRadio, Heineken and so many more. We have built a reputation for over-delivering on results, always with a positive attitude and with the utmost professionalism. There is a reason why we continue to grow our brand day-by-day; it’s because we are passionate about what we do.
Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?
Networking is primarily the reason why I was able to leave a corporate job and go out on my own. It is INVALUABLE. Being able to connect with like-minded individuals, former clients or colleagues, those in your industry or even those outside your industry are all potential resources that could help you further your goals. A simple conversation with an industry professional could help answer tons of questions you have, which in turn, can give you a better vision or understanding on what you’re trying to achieve. I have never burned any bridges in my career because you never know when you may need to cross that bridge again. I’ve even been able to secure work from former employers or companies that I have worked for because my company offers resources they may not have. They know the value, work ethic and the results that my company attains, so they feel confident going with us.
And that is because of the relationships, the networking and staying in contact with those individuals which can lead to your next opportunity. Always get someone’s business card when you meet them. You may not need it now, but when you do come across an opportunity and suddenly remember a conversation you had with that certain someone about that very same topic, that card will be a valuable resource. It’s always GREAT to follow up with someone too after you have met them. They could be of assistance someday. A quick thank you email always does the trick. Connect with them too on social media, as it’s another great was to stay in contact and keep up to date on the latest.
Contact Info:
- Address: Street Laced Marketing & Promotions, Inc. 400 North Tampa Street 15th Floor Tampa, Florida 33602
- Email: Info@streetlaced.com
- Website: www.StreetLaced.com
- Instagram: @streetlacedpromo
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/streetlacedmarketing
- Twitter: @streetlacedjs
Image Credits
(Street Laced Marketing)
