Kenneth Crear

On Being BEST

By Sidney Miller

In a landscape of consolidation and strategic acquisitions, a new power player in the entertainment sector has emerged in the form of Blue Entertainment Sports Television (BEST). The brainchild of Jonathan Blue, chairman and managing director of Louisville-based private equity firm, Blue Equity, LLC. the new company represents the rebranding of Blue's fast-growing inroads into the world of sports with entertainment. And the man Blue selected to lead the entertainment charge for his newly consolidated entity BEST is 13-year artist management veteran Kenneth Crear.

“We continually look for leaders in the industry who can expand the Blue Equity platform and offer more value to our clients and partners,” says Blue. “Given his distinguished track record in the industry, Kenneth is the perfect person to spearhead our launch into the entertainment sector. With his full access to our resources, the sky is the limit as to what Kenneth can achieve in building our entertainment platform.”

Growing up in Las Vegas under its far-reaching blue skies as the son of only the second black doctor in the area, Crear saw vistas beyond the desert and neon of Vegas. Hollywood was to be his turf and entertainment his game. Going into artist management, Crear recalls, “My first big record was with Ice Cube. My first act was Mary, Mary and then I went on to manage Dru Hill and Sisqo before selling my company to The Firm.” Asked to launch the urban division at The Firm, Crear, one of Hollywood's young lions, was instrumental in bringing such acts as 112, Mary J. Blige and the Dixie Chicks to the Hollywood scion. And The Firm wasn't just any talent management company. Representing the top entertainment properties from music like Kelly Clarkson, Korn, Ice Cube and Limp Bizkit to top actors like Martin Lawrence, Vin Diesel and Samuel L. Jackson, The Firm was also involved in film, television, animation, beverages, concerts and recording. It was a full 360 of opportunities and assets.

“If you are ever going to be really successful and powerful, however, you must step out of the shadows of other companies and be on your own,” advises Crear. “The Firm was a great situation for me because I learned so much there. I learned what I like about the business and what I disliked. I learned that you don't have to be an asshole to be a manager.”

Stepping out of that shadow, Crear launched his own powerhouse, Management Group International, and partnered with another young lion, Johnny Wright (Justin Timberlake, Backstreet Boys, Britney Spears), to form Wright-Crear Management Group. Expanding their reach into other entertainment fields like television and film, Crear and Wright executive produced the successful reality show “House of Carters” for E! Entertainment as a vehicle for one of their clients, teen heartthrob Nick Carter.

Multi-platinum selling artist Janet Jackson also signed to them. In describing that first interview with Jackson, he said, “She is very intelligent but she has this way of staring at you like you're crazy. I just started laughing so she wanted to know what was so funny. I said, ‘This is cool as shit. I have been a fan of yours since the beginning and now that we are being considered as your manager, whether you choose us or not, I am just in awe of being considered.' It was that attitude that won her over. Then Johnny started laughing too and that was the beginning of a great relationship.”

Crear adds, “There are a lot of great managers. I didn't make Janet Jackson. I didn't build Janet Jackson. But I am here now to help and assist in creating new avenues of exposure for her.”

“Consolidation,” he continues, “is the way of the world today. In order to be a great manager, you must listen to everyone, then decide what's best for your client. I realized that as a black entrepreneur I had dealt with all genres of music and that a consolidation deal with Blue Equity would give me the platform to move my clients further. I've been asked to join other companies but none have impressed me as much as Blue Equity,” says Crear. “It is clear from their successful, rapid growth in less than 18 months to become a leader in the sports industry that they are committed to becoming a leader in the entertainment industry as well. This strategic move will help my clients build their profiles and brands through a vast network of resources.”

As a full-service management company, Blue Equity's sports and entertainment platform offers clients a wide array of in-house capabilities to enhance their careers and drive new opportunities. Add to that its event and television production groups coupled with its diverse talent management roster, and the company is uniquely positioned as an innovative and dynamic leader in the industry able to drive unprecedented value to its clients, fans and the corporate community. In just a short 18 months, the company has acquired management on a number of high profile athletes including Reggie Bush, Andy Roddick, Justine Henin, Rasheed Wallace and some of the top 2008 NFL draft picks, among others, and expanded, via acquisitions and other deals, its reach into events and media with SFX Tennis, SFX Media & Events, Worldwide Football, Blackwave Sports, Team Championships International (TCI), Game Seven Sports Marketing, Management Group International and Humarks.

“We are proud to announce the formulation of ‘BEST' within Blue Equity,” explains Blue, who is the chairman of BEST. “It is the product of our hard work to attract both influential leaders and scalable properties within the sports and entertainment industries. With our diverse capabilities and offerings now housed under a single unit, we are positioning ourselves to be the preeminent entity for athlete and celebrity representation as well as branded content.”

Adds Mike Principe, COO of Blue Equity and managing director of BEST, “The collaborative efforts of our experienced and veteran management team mixed with a dynamic platform of sports properties and talent provides us the ability to deliver the highest levels of value and opportunity to our clients, the corporate community and the fans. As a unified entity, BEST now has all the tools to provide solutions and exceed expectations.”

With premier event and media properties and a marquee client roster, the company provides the ability to effectively build brands and bring together talent from all spectrums of the entertainment world. That type of 360-degree environment and commitment is where Crear sees a win-win for his clients, company and vision and for BEST's reach into clientele and properties outside the sports arena. The accelerated opportunities offered through BEST made the decision clear.

It is to this platform that Crear brings his high profile clients that includes not only Janet and Nick Carter, but also Chamillionaire, Adrienne Bailon of the Cheetah Girls, Midwest City, Mateo, William Tell, 535 and Chapter 3. In addition to continuing with the “House of Carters,” Crear has a deal with Will Smith's production agency, Overbook, for an upcoming television show titled “Uncle Rudy.” He has a half-hour sitcom in the works, a 60-minute drama he's created, and is excited about an MTV competition show he's producing with Janet that's been greenlighted. Another show he calls “The Panel,” greenlights new talent or films with an interactive audience and producer panel.

With the state of the industry today, Crear says the record experience is gone. “How many times have you been driving down Sunset Boulevard and pulled into Tower Records excited about just walking down the aisles of record racks to see what's new and then when you buy something, you can't wait to get in your car and rip the wrapping off the package so you can play the CD. Now, you just download, pick two songs from an album, two songs from another and for $10 you have a best hits list of your favorite songs.”

Those days are gone and so is the free-spending record industry. For the most part, he says, “The record business is in two of the most expensive cities to live in—Los Angeles and New York City. Employees cannot even afford to live where they work but must commute one to one-and-a-half hours to get to work. They have to leave home at 6am to get to work on time and probably can't leave until after 9pm at night. Maybe record companies should move to a city where its employees can afford to live. And when an artist has to visit its record company, airline tickets have become astronomical, car service is $80 an hour, and hotel rooms are $700 a night. It's $40 for a hamburger from room service, so artists have to go someplace else to eat. You can't afford to stay connected with your label.”

Blue Equity, LLC is actively investing growth capital and business expertise in enterprises with solid development potential, focusing on a global and diversified portfolio—a much-needed perspective for a troubled industry so rich in content and assets. By accelerating opportunity and driving innovation to the marketplace, Blue Equity is not only redefining its own brand but also the music industry. Crear is at the forefront of that charge to lead the entertainment sector of BEST, embracing its values:

• We believe in nourishing the talents of our clients through skillful negotiation and unconditional support, building upon an environment of accountability, commitment and diversity to amplify our clients' very best performances.

• We think the intersection between talent and events creates unparalleled content.

• Through our unrelenting focus on the strength of mutually beneficial relationships, we exponentially expand the value of our properties, clients and their representatives worldwide.

• We accelerate achievement.

…to create that experience that results in triumph.