Run the Jewels’ manager Amaechi Uzoigwe to co-teach MDIA music business course

The Scripps College of Communication is offering a new course focused on music marketing and the operational strategies of record labels and distribution outlets this coming spring semester.

The course will be co-taught by the Amaechi Uzoigwe, manager of the Grammy-nominated hip hop duo Run the Jewels, and associate professor and director of the School of Media Arts and Studies Josh Antonuccio.

“I’m humbled and honored to be joining Professor Josh Antonuccio as a Visiting Industry Professional next semester for his excellent music business course at Ohio University,” Uzoigwe said. “Being able to share my knowledge, experience and insights with aspiring music professionals and artists is a small way of repaying the community which has been so rewarding to me.”

The course, MDIA 4903: Record Labels, Marketing, and Distribution, will teach students marketing and outreach across traditional and emerging music platforms, entrepreneurship, and monetization strategies from the management, label, and artist vantage point.

“Amaechi has been at the forefront of entrepreneurial management and his insight will prove crucial for Ohio University students,” Antonuccio said. “His ability to broadcast and integrate the Run the Jewels brand across multiple platforms and successful partnerships is truly remarkable.”

Antonuccio said the course was created to build direct pipelines to the music industry for OHIO students. Each semester, he has brought in guest speakers to his classes both in person and virtually. Being able to learn and work with an experienced industry professional for multiple weeks, while getting real-time feedback on project work, was the logical next step.

“Getting as much direct input from leaders and change agents from within the music industry is imperative,” Antonuccio said. “The industry space is once again being re-imagined in real time, so having an active manager and entrepreneur to provide instruction and feedback is an exclusive opportunity for Ohio University students.”

Throughout the semester, students will create marketing plans and active strategies for album releases in 2022 and will assess new distribution models and opportunities for artist engagement.

Uzoigwe has been involved with OHIO students at past events in the Scripps College, including being one of the keynote speaker at this year’s Ohio University Music Industry Summit, where he joined Killer Mike and fellow manager Will Bronson for a conversation about managing and building the business of Run the Jewels.

“I’m really looking forward to working with Amaechi,” Antonuccio said. “As a serial entrepreneur and creative thinker in the music industry, he is a leader that continually inspires me.”

Uzoigwe is a New York City-based manager, label head, entrepreneur and investor in the creative arts, with a history of launching successful careers, companies and campaigns, while also establishing himself as a pioneer in music, a champion of artists, an award-winning marketer, content creator, thought leader and community builder. He is currently a co-manager and business partner of the Grammy-nominated and gold-certified hip hop stars Run the Jewels (Killer Mike and EL-P), overseeing all aspects of the group's multi-faceted enterprise including music, film and TV, publishing, touring, marketing and e-commerce, as well as their apparel, technology businesses, and more. Uzoigwe is the founding chairman of A2IM and is faculty at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts. 

He is a graduate of the University of Michigan’s College of Literature, Science and the Arts, and currently lives in Harlem, New York with his two daughters.