The Industry According To: Damizza

Thank you for checking out The Industry According To. Every Tuesday we speak with a different expert or leader from somewhere in the vast music industry — label executives, artist managers, programmers, talent, artists, consultants, and beyond. To appear as a future guest, email me at keithblackboxgroup@gmail.com.

Today we sit down with someone who has lived multiple lives inside the music industry — and he isn’t afraid to share his opinion and tell the truth. Damion Young, better known as Damizza. He has been a major market programmer and a producer for artists like Mariah Carey, Ludacris, Lil Wayne, and Bone Thugs-n-Harmony. He’s worked alongside artists like Jay-Z and Eminem. Additionally, he is a vocal cultural commentator with deep roots in both radio and the label world.

When we spoke earlier this week, he was in an airport lounge between tour dates with Chris Brown and a trip to New York City for the Barrett Media Summit — which tells you everything you need to know about the pace he keeps.

So, let’s dive in.

*Editor’s Note: Answers have been edited for clarity and length.*

Damizza Origins

Keith: You’ve lived a wild career — radio, producing, labels, artists, performing, culture. What was the moment when you felt your life trajectory really change?

Damizza: I got my first job in radio when I was 12 years old as an intern for Michael Newman, the night DJ and Music Director at my hometown station in Santa Barbara. Steve Smith (RIP) was the Program Director. That experience gave my passion for music a purpose at an early age.

While I was doing nights and going to high school, I was living inside my target audience. That became one of the biggest lessons of my career: surround yourself with your core audience and listen to them.

At 17, I became a Program Director in Alternative radio without really knowing the format. That turned out to be a blessing because I couldn’t rely on convention — I had to build the station around what the audience actually wanted.

I carried that philosophy to Los Angeles. Whether it was creating intimate performances with Garbage, No Doubt, and Collective Soul before “exclusive content” was even a term, or programming Power 106, I always trusted the audience more than industry trends.

When everyone else was chasing the *NSYNC and Backstreet Boys era, our audience wanted Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, and gangsta rap. We immersed ourselves in East Los Angeles, stayed out of Hollywood, and built the station around our hottest ZIP codes. That eventually led to projects like the Hawaii show with Dre, Snoop, and Eminem, which helped build the momentum that became the Up In Smoke Tour. That’s when I realized we weren’t just programming radio anymore — we were helping shape culture.

Radio vs. Labels vs. Streams vs. Live

Keith: You’ve lived in all four worlds — radio, labels, streaming, and live performance. Each has value, but which one moves an artist’s career the most today, and why?

Damizza: I’d say live performance. Nothing replaces real fan interaction. Streaming creates discovery. Social media creates awareness and amplifies it. Radio still creates credibility — and frankly, pays better royalties than streaming in many cases.

But live performance creates superfans. When people can see you, feel your energy, and experience your music with thousands of other fans, they’re emotionally invested. Once someone buys a ticket and gives you their time and money, you’ve created a relationship algorithms can’t replace.

That’s where long-term careers are built.

Content, Revenue & Downsizing

Keith: You’ve been outspoken about radio’s recent layoffs and the need for evolution. From your vantage point, what does real radio evolution look like — the kind that grows revenue and stops the cycles of mass downsizing?

Damizza: Radio didn’t lose because of Spotify. Radio lost because it stopped being radio.

Somewhere along the way, we replaced personalities with automation, local culture with voice tracking, and spontaneity with pre-recorded breaks spread across an entire week. Entertainment moves in real time. If you’re talking about a story a week later, social media already won.

Ironically, I think AI can help save radio — but not the way it’s being used today. AI should eliminate backend costs so stations can invest more in talent, local programming, and personalities.

Imagine Big Boy broadcasting worldwide, but every market hearing relevant local information because technology customizes those elements in real time. That’s using AI to enhance talent instead of replacing it.

When Pamela Anderson was making headlines, she was on Power. When the North Hollywood bank robbery happened, people turned on Power 106 for live updates. We broke records, announced concerts first, had exclusive tickets, and people talked about what they heard on the radio at work the next morning. You can’t automate that feeling.

Today’s stations often spend more on consultants and layers of programming than they do investing in personalities. Furthermore, many programmers are no longer living inside the culture they’re programming for.

The future isn’t choosing between radio and the internet — it’s combining them. Simulcast from the internet to the tower, reduce legacy costs, and create one global signal with local relevance. Radio wins when it feels local, spontaneous, and human — and now, thanks to technology, it can do that on a worldwide scale.

Labels and Artists

Keith: Today’s artists may not even need a label deal. If you launched Damizza Records tomorrow, what would you do differently to attract artists compared to what labels are doing now?

Damizza: I’d build a company around partnership instead of ownership.

My goal would be helping artists maximize the value of their intellectual property across music, touring, publishing, licensing, merchandise, brand partnerships, and media. I’d rather own a small piece of something huge than all of something small. I also think labels have forgotten they’re supposed to develop artists — not just distribute files.

I’d combine artist development, promotion, touring, digital marketing, and radio into one modern ecosystem. That’s essentially what we were doing in the early 2000s. Today I’d simply upgrade the technology.

People hear the word “radio” and think analog. I think the internet is the biggest radio stick ever built. Simulcast from the internet to terrestrial radio — not the other way around. Work smarter, consolidate operations digitally, and spend your money developing artists instead of maintaining outdated infrastructure.

What Is A “Hit” in 2026

Keith: When you’re working with an artist, how do you define a hit in 2026? Sales, longevity, a cultural moment, or something else? What’s a real hit in your world?

Damizza: A hit today is intellectual property.

Great songs don’t just stream — they create culture. They sell tickets, generate licensing opportunities, inspire creators, become memes, show up in movies, commercials, and video games, and continue creating value for decades.

Virality is great. Longevity is better.

Streaming Speed

Keith: You came from radio, but your work embeds you in streaming — and the speed difference is real. Can radio realistically keep up with how fast music moves today, or is that era long gone?

Damizza: Absolutely — but not by trying to beat Spotify at being Spotify. Radio wins by doing what technology can’t: creating personalities, telling stories, connecting communities, breaking artists, and creating moments people remember.

Technology should enhance radio — not replace what made it special in the first place.

State of Hip-Hop Today

Keith: Some people say hip-hop has stalled or hit a rut. Is that true? What’s the real state of hip-hop today?

Damizza: I don’t think hip-hop is in a rut. I think the promotion model is.

We’ve become obsessed with creating viral moments instead of timeless records. Artists are chasing clips instead of catalogs. Eventually, those records burn out because they weren’t built to last.

Hip-hop isn’t dying — it’s evolving. Every genre reinvents itself. We’re simply between generations right now, and that’s exciting. The next superstars probably won’t sound like the last superstars — and that’s exactly how culture is supposed to work.

Artist Development

Keith: You’ve said artist development is a lost art. What broke it — the labels, the platforms, or the artists?

Damizza: I think everyone owns a piece of it.

Labels shortened development cycles. Platforms reward constant content. Artists feel pressure to feed algorithms instead of perfecting their craft.

As a result, the industry became focused on finding the next viral record instead of building the next iconic career.

Are Artists Getting Ripped Off?

Keith: The debate about streaming compensation isn’t slowing down. Are artists getting ripped off? If so, what needs to change?

Damizza: Streaming is one of the greatest distribution systems ever created, but it’s a difficult business model for most artists to survive on by itself.

Out of millions of creators uploading music, only a small percentage earn enough from streaming alone to make a full-time living.

That’s why artists have to think beyond streams. Touring, publishing, licensing, merchandise, fan communities, brand partnerships, and ownership of their intellectual property all have to become part of the business plan.

Chasing ‘The Moment’

Keith: One viral moment can change an artist’s life — but those rarely last and don’t guarantee longevity. If you’re advising a young artist, should they put a lot of effort into trying to create “that moment,” or should their energy be focused somewhere else?

Damizza: Don’t chase moments. Chase mastery. Study the craft.

Michael Jackson didn’t invent everything — he studied everything. Bob Fosse. Steven Spielberg. Walt Disney. Sammy Davis Jr. James Brown — then he combined the best of each into something uniquely Michael.

Look at Chris Brown and Usher today. That tour isn’t just current hits. It’s decades of legendary intellectual property combined with incredible choreography, technology, production, musicianship, and showmanship.

Every overnight success I’ve ever met spent years becoming good enough for people to finally notice.

Labels in 10 Years

Keith: Look ahead 10 years — do labels as we know them still exist? Why or why not?

Damizza: Yes — but they’ll look very different.

Labels won’t be gatekeepers anymore — they’ll become service companies. Artists have more options than ever, so labels that provide real value through marketing, capital, global infrastructure, artist development, and strategic partnerships will continue to thrive.

The Reality of AI

Keith: Some version of AI has been around for decades — samples, effects, dubbing, remixing, beat matching — but now it’s front and center. Will AI artists with real catalogs and fan bases become a real thing in the industry?

Damizza: Yes, but I don’t think they’ll replace human artists.

AI will become another instrument, another production tool, and another collaborator. The challenge isn’t the technology — it’s transparency, ownership, consent, and making sure creators are compensated when their likeness, voice, or work is used.

Like every major technology, the hype will eventually settle down. When it does, people will remember what they’ve always connected with: authentic human stories. AI can enhance creativity, but it can’t replace lived experience.

What the Public Doesn’t Know

Keith: You’ve been in rooms most people will never see. What’s the one thing about the music industry that the public would be shocked to learn?

Damizza: The biggest secret is that behind many of those boardroom doors, nobody has all the answers.

Most people are looking around to see what everyone else is doing, because making the wrong decision is often perceived as riskier than making the same decision as everyone else. Technology has completely changed distribution, but relationships still drive this business. Your reputation often opens more doors than your résumé.

The Blank Slate

Keith: Last question. Blank slate — say anything you want to anyone or any sector of the music industry. What do you want them to hear?

Damizza: Be curious. Be different. Think outside the box.

Don’t be afraid to fail, because that’s where the best lessons come from. The biggest opportunities in this business have always come from people willing to challenge conventional thinking instead of copying everyone else.

Technology will keep changing. Platforms will keep changing. Algorithms will keep changing. Great songs, great stories, great relationships, and ownership of your intellectual property never go out of style.

Build something people remember — not something they scroll past.

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