No Noise

Just wrapped one of my favorite projects to date…. Worked with @ugg & ran a cultural immersion in Atlanta with some of my favorite people on the planet. Atlanta is different mannnn it feels spiritual. I’ve never lived there, but I’ve been going since my early 20s and every time I’m reminded how much this city gives. Places like this deserve more investment, more opportunities, more recognition. Not because the people there need help dreaming—but because they already are the dream. They’ve got something to say—and it’s time people start listening. Atlanta is and always has been one of the meccas of culture. It deserves its place as one of the most influential cities in the world—full stop. Had fun working on this and I’m in debt to the city forever but…. None of this happens without one of the coldest teams out. Real love to the people who helped bring this to life: @tayssickthoughts @keithcharles @dosglobal @mmmusingss @thesiennabrown @_mr.hat @imjesshu — we finna run it backkk! Big love to @rsellesczuk and Audrey for grinding through the late nights, keeping the engine running and this thing on track. And to our Town Hall curators @spacetigre and @hellobosco —thank you for setting the tone. And of course, Atlanta itself. The talent/creators, the shop owners, the DJs, the coffee baristas, the designers, the community—thank you for letting us in, for trusting us, for showing us your city in all its beauty. Major respect to the film team: @salimgarcia 4restt_ @qvsyou @cinecollin @connorwfisher @bailey.nolfe @marqezzi our creative director @chems_tm , and editors @da.vidirl @yazzjansen —you captured this moment with care. And shoutout to @ugg for being open, fluid, and willing to listen. For letting the city lead. The real work starts now….

Worked with @livenation alongside @maamzies on the research, strategy, and brand identity behind The Wylie in the Lower Hill District of Pittsburgh. For us it was important to be on the ground. Not just looking at data or reports or just stats, but actually spending time in the neighborhood. Talking to neighbors, shop owners, community centers, museum curators, developers, youth, and long time residents about what this part of Pittsburgh means to the city. The Hill District was once known as the Harlem of Pittsburgh and one of the cultural crossroads of America….In the early and mid 20th century it was one of the most vibrant Black cultural and economic centers in the country. A place where music, business, politics, and community lived side by side. The Crawford Grill was one of the most legendary jazz venues in the country. Artists like Dizzy Gillespie, Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, and Lena Horne all played here. Malcolm X spoke here in the 1950s. James Brown danced here… Playwright August Wilson, who grew up in the Hill District, later turned the neighborhood into the backdrop for much of his Pulitzer Prize winning work. But in the 1950s and 60s the neighborhood was devastated by a federal urban renewal program that demolished over 1,300 buildings and displaced more than 8,000 residents most of them Black families and small business owners. What had been one of the strongest Black communities in America was fractured almost overnight. That history matters. As The Wylie opens, our hope is that it can serve as a cultural anchor for the community around it. Not something that replaces the past, but something that recognizes it and builds alongside it. Because the Hill is still here!!! There are still small businesses operating. There are still churches/mosques, community centers, and places like the Hill District Federal Credit Union serving the neighborhood. There are still families and youth growing up here and shaping what the next version of this community can look like. For me it’s simple. Honor the history. Support the people who are still here. And make sure development serves the community rather than erasing it.

Last October, we worked with @hoka to understand what really defines the NYC creative….not the algorithmic version, but the one built on grit, curiosity, and chaos. We built an itinerary that moved like the city itself. Retail stops, creative studios, corners of inspiration. We hosted a roundtable that blurred the line between brand and community. Ran through the city with cameras and questions. Closed the loop with a panel and a debrief ( big up @combo__co )….then turned it all into an 80-page deck lol and a few fire films that captured the soul of it all. Projects like this remind me why @nonoise.co exists. To listen to real people ….the ones who grind, build, and create because they have to. The multi-hyphenates who turned curiosity into currency. The city kids who built their careers from passion, not permission. Because it doesn’t matter if you’re from here or if you moved here …..what matters is that you add something to this city instead of taking from it. That’s what makes New York breathe. No Noise will always be a reflection of that. People on the ground. People who move culture forward. People who remind us that it’s time for new faces, new voices, new stories. This city’s too big to keep recycling the same ones. Creative Director: @olualege No Noise Strategists: @imjesshu @keithcharles @kaiosse @olualege Creative Producer: @pradapauu Director: @chems_tm Camera: @marqezzi Editor: @da.vidirl Sound Design: @22note Special thanks to everyone involved….from the shop owners to the creators….we can’t thank yall enough for trusting us and being open

NO NOISE x SPOTIFY Reading vs. Listening — two sides of the same story. One taps in with deep focus, the other flows through multitasking. Both crave growth, both chase meaning.

PHYSICAL VS. AUDIOBOOK What we listen to—or don’t—says a lot about how we move through the world. For some, audiobooks feel like calm in the chaos. For others, physical books ground them in ways a screen or speaker never could. We explore how we consume, concentrate, and escape—one page or play button at a time.

We asked the group to describe their views on #BOOKTOK to measure its impact on their choices. “White washed and not relatable” “Always the same recommendations over and over again” “Most of the recommendations are popular already” “Not enough people of color” “Colin Hoover books rule #Booktok and she talks like she’s privileged” #spotify #nonoise

@spotify x No Noise Part 1 For the launch of Spotify Audio Books we spoke to creators all over the country about their relationship with both books and audiobooks in order to understand what potential & emotional benefits these forms of media offer to their lives.

Financial responsibility isn’t just about making money—it’s about learning how to manage it. From taxes to rent to credit, these lessons are often self-taught.

Financial literacy isn’t guaranteed—it’s a privilege many were never taught. As young people navigate adulthood, learning about money, taxes, and financial stability becomes crucial. How can we make financial education more accessible?

We engaged with a group of 25 young people, asking them to rate their financial comfort on a scale from 1 to 10. On average, they rated it a 5.

Knowledge is power, and financial literacy is the key to sustainability in the creative economy. Entrepreneurship requires education and structure to thrive. The creative economy thrives when people have access to the right resources. Yaz speaks on the importance of financial education, brand responsibility, and sustainable growth.

Not everyone grows up with access to financial education. For many, the journey to stability is self-taught, self-driven, and self-built. Yas reminds us that true empowerment comes from access to knowledge and resources….