If you’re an upcoming artist considering management you should definitely consider Hillboyyz Promotions. At Dissecting Dancehall we have a thing for success stories. We have deep admiration for anyone who is able to defy the odds and make themselves into someone great. We love persons who are not afraid to live life with passion. Why? The answer is simple, because if it were easy everyone would do it! And since everyone can’t…we know we’re dealing with someone who is as tough as they come.
Ladies and Gentlemen, we are honored with the opportunity to feature Mr. Earl Jr. Andrews, or as many call him Flex, who is the founder of Hillboyyz Promotions.In this article, he shares his life and journey with us and brings to light some of the harsh realities of the music industry. Not to be dismayed, he also has a lot of advice for anyone considering his line of work. Read on and let’s get to know more…
ABOUT EARL JR.
Earl Jr. Reon Andrews, Nickname flex was born on July 12th 1986 (CANCER) and is a person with many capabilities. He is a Marketing/Events/Artist manager and Artiste hailing from St. Barbs Hill, Sandy Trace. He gained the nickname Flex as growing up he regularly changed cars and made sure they were always rims down and EQUIPPED with music!!!! (TALK ABOUT PIMP MY RIDE TRINIDAD EDITION!!!)
Asked about his childhood, Flex started off his response with the standard introduction for a ghetto youth- “my childhood was rough” He went on to talk about his mom who was a single parent who worked many shift jobs just so they could get by. He recalls in those difficult times, the belief he held on to- God is good. Flex then took a moment to thank his Queen for being both mother and father to him. On that note, we also want to take a moment to thank all the single mothers for making every sacrifice they can to take care of their child or children! We know it’s not fair or easy and as children, we may not have the understanding and reasoning to see it yet. But please, moms, hold on to us, out of all the desires in our heart, a major one is to see the pride on your face when you realize that all your hard work was not in vain. To our Queens! Salud!
Walking with him down memory lane, he recalled his school days, stating when he started, he was intelligent, however, having the wrong friends and peer pressure caused him to lose sight of the bigger picture, and he ultimately failed in school. Undeterred he went on to follow his childhood dream of becoming a soldier in the Trinidad and Tobago Defense Force. A valuable lesson to all: it’s not how you start, it’s not even about how many times you’ve failed, but what matters most, is that you do not give up!!!
I know you all have heard the saying, life is a rollercoaster: sometimes you’re up, sometimes your down, if you haven’t well, then now you have haha! So now that you know, don’t for one second think that because you managed to overcome one hurdle, life will not throw you fifty more! Don’t believe me? Just continue reading to know of the other hurdles Earl Jr. had to overcome to reach where he is now. We’re keeping this Q & A style, so you get the real, raw responses.
Q-When did you decide to do your particular line of work in a professional capacity?
I decided to do my particular line of work in a professional capacity when I met Plumpy Boss. I used to host parties and one day my cousin called me and said I have a fella here…he real bad. My cousin knew I used to promote good and wanted me to help to give him a forward. I told him I hope this guy is good as you say so me now, ain’t know nothing about the artiste called Nyce Nation as I learned that is his friend and Nyce Nation confirmed his talent, and told me to to bring him under me. We worked together on my journey and the feedback was real good. I remember people was fed up of me, cause I was sharing every day, every hour lol
Q- What has been/is the most challenging part of your job?
The most challenging part of my job is the investment of time and energy and not getting the desired results. It’s a challenge knowing you have an upcoming artist that a lot of people don’t know and to go to all those parties in the hood to promote, and get the feedback that people were telling some not to give the artiste any forward on the stage. Sometimes, in parties, you’re asking the dj when is the artist turn to perform and all the djs only saying yeah he up next, but when you check it party done. Sigh.
What has been the most rewarding part of your job?
The most rewarding part of my job is knowing I brought someone from rags to riches. Seeing that transformation before my eyes, and knowing I had a part to play is an amazing feeling.
Who/what is your biggest inspiration? Why?
My children are my biggest inspiration because I want to be able to give them the life I never had.
What is the best advice do you have for someone interested in doing your line of work?
Have patience and put in the work. It will be tough at times, it will be disappointing at times. Some artists may leave you after you put in the work but that’s all a part of it, don’t worry about why, keep going and going!
What has been your most memorable moment of being in the industry to date?
When Plumpy performed in TAO. Seeing all the phones light up from the crowd… that moment was lit!! in addition to that, knowing big name artists like Popcaan and Massica was there too.
What is your favorite dancehall song?
My favourite song right now is Anybody gets It from Gskell. (There’s been a lot more songs from the time we did this to now, we definitely have to make a tack back for an update on this lol)
Who is your favourite dancehall artiste?
Right now my favourite artiste is Gskell. He is very talented and reminds me of rebel in terms of his style of singing and lyrical capabilities. Rebel was a rapper in dancehall, so like a trap dancehall style which is trending now in Jamaica. Gskell also does this trap dancehall style of singing which is really impressive.
What is your creative process?
My creative process is simple. Determination and motivation to get back what I lost out on.
What will success look like to you?
Success looks like continued progress, my artistes making it and overall prosperity for everyone in my circle. We must rise together!
What are your hobbies?
My hobbies are running and football.
What is your favourite food?
My favourite food is onion rice and curry chicken (no, it’s not an error, he means onion rice lol we definatelty have to taste this dish! Don’t worry when we do, we’ll let you all know the reviews ha!)
Well….Unfortunately we’ve come to the end of this article,, we hope you enjoyed reading it as much as we enjoyed writing it!! Be sure to check out Hillboyyz Promotions in our directory! Follow his social media and musical journey!
BLESSINGS! BIG UP
