Warren Buffet, Bob Johnson and Damon Dash are all success stories in the business world. Their ability to take solid ideas and convert them into monetary capital has been well chronicled and absolutely well-respected by millenials who aspire to recreate what they’ve done.
Just ask Hovain Hylton.
Hylton, co-manager of Rich Hil has been highly successful in his role of managing the career of Troy Ave. Under his watch, Hylton has landed numerous endorsement deals for the rapper ranging from Adidas, Avion and Sean John. Genuinely speaking, what makes Hylton unique is that he is an old soul and has a no-nonsense approach in making sure that his client is well taken care of—similar traits of the big name entrepreneurs mentioned previously. “They came up from nothing,” said Hylton. “Nobody gave them a handout.”
Brooklyn bred, before managing Troy Ave; Hylton’s roots in business were grounded in working with boxing promoter, Butch Lewis. Ya gotta admit, in the hip hop world, you have to give and take a lot of punches—taking a crash course by working in the boxing world is a good way to go! In addition to boxing promoting, alongside his business partner, Sickamore, Hovain threw legendary shows in NYC at The Factory. He’s not just a business guy, he actually loves hip hop music and always envisioned himself working somewhere in that field. In fact, he’s living the dream. “I didn’t know what it was,” he said. “But I knew it was going to have something to do with music. It’s not like you go to college and say: ‘okay I want to get into the music business.’ I think my life and background prepared me for it.”
In today’s world where social media portrays everyone having an ideal and perfect life, it’s rewarding to see someone like Hylton take the necessary steps to pursue greatness and now enjoying the fruits of his labor. Many people indicate that they want to go after a certain task without laying the foundation. Hylton advises anyone who is looking to get into the business to put in the work. “Believe in yourself,” he said.
“And invest in yourself.”
