Grand Hustle Entertainment President and CEO Jason Geter has entered into a new agreement to manage the solo career of Atlanta rapper Big Boi, AllHipHop.com has learned exclusively.
The new situation, which was made official last week, will see Geter and the Grand Hustle Management staff overseeing the branding of Big Boi, as he continues to pursue opportunities beyond his success with Outkast.
“Our first plan of action is to identify Big Boi’s next hit record and get him on the road,” Geter told AllHipHop.com. “He’s so big. But we feel what’s going to get him where he’s trying to be is to get back to the grassroots level and let him interact with those fans that grew up on Outkast and are eagerly waiting to see what Big Boi has to offer on his own.”
The announcement comes as Geter and the Grand Hustle family prepare for the release of two highly anticipated albums: T.I.’s sixth studio album Paper Trail and Big Kuntry’s long awaited debut My Time To Eat.
In celebration of the two releases, the Atlanta-based label will present the first annual Grand Hustle Takeover weekend, offering fans a variety of events during which they can share in the celebration with the label’s entire roster, which includes Young Dro, Alfamega, Eightball & MJG, Mac Boney, B.O.B., Xtaci, and comedian Lil’ Duval.
Included in the weekend’s festivities will be a Comedy Show on September 26; a Teen Skate Jam at Cascade Family Skate on Saturday (Sep 27); and an Untouchables-themed private birthday celebration for T.I., with music provided by DJ Khaled, DJ Drama and DJ MLK later that evening.
On Sunday (Sep 28), T.I. and Jason Geter will be joined by Warner Music Group Executive Vice-President Kevin Liles hosting a brunch to bring awareness to the It’s Cool To Be Smart mentoring program, of which T.I. has been a great supporter.
The Grand Hustle Takeover weekend will conclude with an Official Pre-Release Party on Sunday night at the Velvet Room.
T.I. and Geter are also gearing up for the launch of their new clothing line, A.K.O.O., which is set to hit retail stores nationwide in November.
The new line, an acronym for A King Of Oneself, represents T.I.’s multi-faceted styled clothes, that can go from casual to business to formal effortlessly, Geter said.
“Hip-Hop is a lifestyle,” Geter told AllHipHop.com. “This is our culture. Music is just one aspect of what we do, but clothing is something that’s important to us. And since we have an entrepreneurial spirit, launching our own line was only a natural progression.
“We didn’t just wake up and decide to do it though,” he adds. “We’ve spent the last year traveling to places like Milan and Paris, visiting factories and educating ourselves.”
The first promotional campaign for A.K.O.O. was recently shot in Atlanta.
The ads feature T.I. alongside producers Jim Jonsin and Drumma Boi, singer/songwriters Sean Garrett and Tha Dream, and Grand Hustle’s latest client, Big Boi.
The ads will start to appear in print magazines in October.
Geter hopes to expand the next round of advertising for A.K.O.O. to include celebrities outside of the world of music.