Angela Jollivette is breaking barriers as the new music supervisor for Oprah Winfrey’s “Greenleaf” television show.
Jollivette grew up in Compton and knew from a young age that she wanted to work in the music business. Some people join the music business to be on stage, singing and dancing, but Jollivette wanted to be on the business side. From a young age, she looked up to different moguls and executives; her first job in the music industry was interning with Coolio’s Crowbar Records, then she went on to work with Magic Johnson’s company and became known as DJ Moonbaby.
“I was DJing in LA for a few years, throwing parties and events, and I was tired of partying, I wanted more,” said Jollivette. “I wanted to go somewhere, that was going to leverage everything that I had done and go more corporate.”
Jollivette had a friend who was working as the R&B and Hip-Hop awards manager for the Grammys which afforded her the opportunity to serve on the Grammy committees for Urban Alternative and R&B Music. Through that process, she learned more about the Grammy organization and thought that it would be a good fit for her. At the time, there weren’t any positions available for Hip-Hop and R&B, but there was an opening for a position working in the Gospel categories.
“Between a prayer and a birthday wish in 2007, I went to a songwriter panel at The Recording Academy offices, that I was adamant about going to that day,” said Jollivette. “That was June 24 and I started working for the Grammy organization on July 19, not even a month later. Originally, I thought that gospel was just going to get my foot in the door, but God was like, ‘no, this is where you’re going to stay.'”
Jollivette stayed at the Grammy organization for 10 years. She worked her way up to being the Senior awards project manager of gospel and eventually was given the position to oversee the television and film music (visual media) categories as well. Not only was everything Gospel coming across her desk, but also everything regarding soundtracks, scores, and songs on the small and big screens.
After meeting with an old friend, Jollivette found out that there was an opening to work as the music supervisor on Oprah Winfrey’s “Greenleaf Season 2.” Jollivette knew that this opportunity was divinely created for her. She had built a solid foundation with the Grammys and felt like it was time to open the next chapter creatively.
“God answered my prayers and aligned me perfectly,” said Jollivette. “If I would’ve never stayed in gospel and not overseen television and film music, I wouldn’t have been aligned for the opportunity to go into network television off the bat and do Oprah Winfrey’s Greenleaf.”
Jollivette’s career has come full circle, as she is now in consideration for a Grammy nomination in the visual media category she oversaw for her work as the music supervisor& album soundtrack producer for the “Greenleaf Season 2 soundtrack o RCA Inspiration.” She has started her own media company, Moonbaby Media in which OWN and Lionsgate TV are her clients. Jollivette is in a small group of music supervisors of color changing the landscape diversity on this side of the industry in television and film.
Jollivette plans to continue to break barriers and build a ladder of success in tv/film & music business while growing her brand. For more information about Jollivette, visit www.moonbabymedia.com and you can find her on social media @djmoonbaby.
EDITORS NOTE: The article was updated from the original printed version.
