Wendy Day

About Wendy Day

Wendy Day is an entrepreneur, author, and artist career builder with nearly three decades of experience in the music industry. As Founder of Rap Coalition, she has helped pull countless hip-hop artists out of unfair deals while educating them on the music industry. Day also runs the for-profit music consulting company PowerMoves, music incubator Artist-Centric, and is the author of the book How to Get a Record Deal: The Knowledge to Succeed, which was updated and re-published in March 2016 with audiobook narration from Slick Rick. She will launch a new music business education website in 2020.

Day founded Rap Coalition in 1992 after selling her condo, investments, and car to start the not-for-profit organization. It became a valuable resource for hip-hop artists by making them aware of exploitative practices, allowing them to connect with fellow artists with similar needs, educating artists via monthly panel discussions at ASCAP’s New York City office, and providing a support network to help them navigate the industry. It also has had an all-star roster of advisors and mentors ranging from the late Tupac Shakur to Chuck D of Public Enemy.

Throughout the 1990s, Day made her name by brokering several landmark deals in hip-hop: Master P and No Limit Records’ 85/15 distribution deal with Priority Records, Twista’s 50/50 joint venture with Atlantic Records, and Cash Money Records’ $30 million deal with Universal Music Group. She also was instrumental in securing Eminem’s first contract with Aftermath/Interscope, having organized and invited him to perform at the 1997 Rap Olympics where he was discovered, David Banner’s multi-million dollar deal with Universal Records, and a few other leveraged deals. In addition, Day has played a role in the careers of Lil Wayne, B.G., Juvenile, Hot Boys, C-Murder, Fiend, Do or Die, Boosie, Webbie, David Banner, Lil Donald, Ras Kass, Trouble, Young Buck, and many others. Her clients have collectively sold over 1 billion sound recordings thanks to her guidance.

In 1995, Day founded the for-profit music consulting company PowerMoves, which helps artists and independent record labels start and manage independent companies with the goal to maximize the money artists make from their music by allowing them to seek investors rather than labels. Her latest venture, Artist-Centric, is a music incubator built to empower musicians, allowing them to maintain possession of their masters and publishing while giving them the tools to take control of their careers and make money with their music. The concept behind the company is to pair artists with the proper funding and the know-how to succeed, allowing investors to reap benefits while the artists earn more in the long run. In 2020, Day will launch a new music business education website, which will supply current, practical advice that artists can directly apply to their careers to help them get to the next level cost-effectively, efficiently, and realistically. Information and self-study opportunities will be available on a monthly basis.

Day holds a Bachelor‘s degree in Graphic Design from Moore College of Art and Design, an MBA in Marketing from McGill University, and a Master’s degree in African American Studies from Temple University. An in-demand expert on music industry issues, she has spoken at prominent music industry conferences such as SXSW, Music Biz, CD Baby’s DIY Musician Conference, A3C Conference, and Coast 2 Coast Music Conference, as well as top universities including Harvard University, Duke University, University of Wisconsin–Madison, University of South Carolina School of Law, Temple University, and Clark Atlanta University, plus many more. She has also been featured in major publications such as The New York Times, Billboard, Rolling Stone, NPR, VICE, Music Business Worldwide, XXL, Vibe, The Source, HipHopDX, AllHipHop, and more. In addition, Day has appeared on major TV networks ABC, CBS, NBC, and FOX.

Day currently resides in Atlanta with her five-pound chihuahua, Gangster. She is an accomplished kiln-formed glass artist and an avid reader/knowledge-seeker, reading at least one non-fiction business book each week and attending finance classes at least four times each year. She is also a successful real estate investor, most recently flipping several old hotels and building co-working spaces in Atlanta. Day also loves to travel, particularly to the ocean.