Every year, we learn about more female power players who took the necessary steps to keep society moving. In music, we’ve heard the familiar names of people like Sylvia Rhone, Ethiopia Habtemariam or in the South Shanti Das. Not all the central power players don the cover of our favorite magazines, however, nor are they often acknowledged by the culture at large.
Nakia Roberson, entrepreneur, realtor and mother, is an example of someone who saw it all and helped them all but wasn’t always championed by all the people she helped.
Born in Trenton, New Jersey, but raised in Houston, Texas, Roberson was exposed to the city’s growing rap music scene which included DJ Screw and his patented chopped-and-screwed sound.
“I went to school with Big Hawk (of the Screwed Up Clique) and grew up with Fat Pat, and the Geto Boys. I grew up in a low-income apartment complex known as the Village until 1992 when I moved to Atlanta”, says Roberson.
In spite of the rich musical scene around her in Houston, Atlanta’s vibrant black community proved to be extremely motivational for her. As a teenager, Roberson attended Benjamin E Mays High School and for the first time saw a plethora of black teachers and community members who wielded influence and power.
“I never heard many black people say go to college and start a business while in Houston. It was always graduate high school and get a job”, says Roberson. While in school, she met a who’s who of Atlanta power players, including Andrew Young’s son, Andre Dickens, writer Diallo Riddle and hip hop stars, Cee-Lo and Big Gipp of Goodie Mob.
Over time, she adjusted to the initial shock and continued participating in the school’s activities, including the Debate Club and ROTC program. Roberson initially planned to take her ROTC training and use it to enlist in the Navy, but things changed when she met her future husband, Korey“Big Oomp” Roberson. Accomplished and well-known even back then, Big Oomp eventually began creating a life with her after high school. Not long afterwards, she met the two people who’d help create their future empire. Roberson recounted how she first learned about the duo of MC Assault and DJ Jelly, stating,
“Korey bought us our first house off Cascade and then we had our first daughter. Life started happening. The next thing I know, he told me met these guys at a gas station off MLK. The guy’s name was Howard and his partner was a dude named DJ Jelly Bean. They wanted Oomp to invest in equipment and gave him a copy of their mixtapes”.
The duo stopped by the couple’s house and soon after went into business with Oomp, who opened up their first store in the Old National Discount Mall.
Roberson’s business mind played a pivotal role in the company’s start. Not only was she responsible for signing all the paperwork they needed to secure the early properties and locations, but she and a small team of helpers also handled the day-to-day operations of mailing and labeling every single cd and vinyl the company sold. Armed with a team of interns, she and her interns did the leg work of reaching out to record stores across the country to stock their CDs, courting radio station DJs to ensure their music got played, and handling the booking for artists.
“In addition to working with DJs, I also handled the artist booking. Pastor Troy’s old manager Michelle taught me and gave me my first contract”, says Roberson.
A jack of all trades, Roberson ensured the company’s continued success as they began to expand globally and take in more artists such as Baby D and later DJ Unk.
“We were the first independent store to get SoundScan in our stores. We had over twelve locations and we could report Soundscan at all the locations. We were the whos who of record labels and stores”, says Roberson.
As their name grew and popularity increased, she also did the much-needed work of meeting with politicians and tastemakers who had the power to help increase their brand and keep their name on the tongues of their fans. The sheer weight of everything she’s done for musicians in Atlanta encompasses different eras and different fields from facilitating real estate deals, artist management, afterparties and event planning and a host of other jobs, some of which she admits she wasn’t compensated for.
In spite of how she’s been treated at times by her peers and her former colleagues, Ms Roberson’s remained committed to making sure the city of Atlanta received the help it needed which only solidifies her legacy as a mogul.
“I always help my husband behind the scene. I still feel a big part of Big Oomp Records. I love seeing my son do what he loves and get credit for what he’s done as a producer. Narie and Korey are going to guide it and bring things to this era. I’m looking forward to whatever I can contribute and share.”
Wright World 