Interview: The Owner of BlackHeartsClub Chrissy Lavone
Chrissy Lavone is a Norfolk native that jumped into the Virginia music scene in the mids 2010s initially as a blogger. She has been featured in two other Virginia platforms in the past but took the initiative to start her own brand, the BlackHeartClub. The gothic rager who loves classic rock and trap music definitely made her presence known in the past at the Traptastic events in the 757 area along with hosting her own events.
Jay: How did the BlackHeartsClub begin?
Chrissy: BHC began as a blog website where I would cover local artists in my area who I felt were extremely talented but didn’t have the publicity they deserved. Everyone in my city normally focuses on putting their support behind the artists who are most popular but I felt like I knew people who made better music than the rappers who were popular at the time so I began to push them. My first article was a 757 freshman class and from there I just continued to really promote artists who I found dope and thought I deserved a platform.
Jay: Who are some of the artists you manage and how do you balance managing them?
Chrissy: Right now, I manage two artists: Kooley Carter and JVN. I've only been JVNs manager for a short time right now but I've done work with him before I was his manager. Working with those guys is a very pleasant experience honestly because I see them both as family. I care about the growth of their career as well as their personal growth so everything I do regarding them I really try to make sure is the best option for them in both aspects. They are both very hard workers so it is fairly easy doing business with them they’re motivated and excited and I think that's the best part about working with them.
Jay: We worked on two of the same brands in the past few years, one of them including Lovelace Magazine based out in Northern Virginia. If you had to talk to the 2017/2018 Chrissy, what would you tell her about the future?
Chrissy: I would tell the 2017/2018 Chrissy that attitude and consistency are everything. In the last few years, I have been really working on just changing my mindset to a more positive, empowering mindset and choosing to speak more positively, and as crazy as it sounds, you attract more opportunities that way. I believe I used to become so discouraged and frustrated super fast because I was letting what people say and think affect me and it was causing me to have a defeated mindset. I currently do affirmations to remind myself that I am a powerful person and that helps combat any negativity I hear or read about me. Changing your attitude and simply choosing to focus on the positive will change your life immensely and I wish I would have known that earlier. Another thing I would have told myself is to stay consistent and don’t focus on comparing my creative journey to that of the next person.
Jay: You're a HUGE rock fan, especially with Nirvana. I see you more of a rock fan than a hip hop fan but you do have great admiration for the late XXX Tentacion. Do you ever see yourself crossing over into the rock industry or pulling off a mashup show of the two music gernes?
Chrissy: Yes, I absolutely love Nirvana! I'm a huge fan of Kurt Cobain. I believe he was revolutionary. I believe X was revolutionary. I believe the rock genre is revolutionary because it challenges so many social norms and constructs. I’ve actually wanted to do a hip-hop rock crossover show for some time now but I just have to find the right artists and the right kind of venue to do that show in because I want that show to be absolutely perfect. Not that I don’t want all my events to be perfect, it's just that hip hop and rock are two genres that are very close to my heart, and doing a collaboration show like that would pretty much be the most accurate depiction of my literal personality because I represent both sides so I would want that show to be next level.
Jay: What has been the hardest thing to deal with transitioning from being a writer to a manager?
Chrissy: Honestly, it was not hard for me to transition because I wear so many hats already. I create and do so many things that it is like “hey, what's one more thing?”, you know? I’ll keep adding things until I feel like I’m stressed or doing too much. I'm a blogger, I have a podcast [BCH Radio], I have a Youtube channel, I can do graphic design, I can DJ, I can do photography and I'm learning how to sharpen my video editing skills so I can make music videos. I really want to maximize my potential and learn all I can about this industry so that's why I try to get involved in all aspects.
Jay: What's one common thing that you see managers do wrong in the business and how could they fix it?
Chrissy: One thing I see a lot of managers doing that I don’t agree with is just having their artists do any and everything for money or popularity. It makes the artist look corny and it's a bad reflection on you as a manager because now you just look money hungry. And another thing I notice especially in the 757, people will definitely get behind an artist who is popping and become a self-proclaimed “manager” just so they can look cool and end up running these artists' careers into the ground just because they never had a real plan. Being a manager isn’t just about booking shows you need to be a visionary and only do things that align with the vision you and your artist come up with. I would never have my artists doing some of the things I see these other artists doing for the simple fact that it looks corny as hell and I'm not going to embarrass them like that. I care about what I cosign with my brand.
You can follow Chrissy on Instagram and Twitter @BABYBLCKHEART and her brand on Instagram @blckheartsclub
View the BHC website: https://blckheartsclub.com/
Written by: Jay Guevara. @justinhisprime on all social media