As a teen, Ebonie Ward had one goal: to be the biggest female manager in the world.
Today, the Atlanta native, who was raised in Gwinnett County, has been living out her dream for more than a decade. As the founder of management firm 11th & Co., which is entirely led by Black women, Ward’s star clients are rappers Gunna and DDG. She previously managed big names including Future and Flo Milli.
In 2022, she was named manager of the year by Variety. The following year, she received a Billboard Women in Music honor for her work. And she’s creating opportunities for other women in the entertainment industry with her nonprofit A Seat at the Table.
All of that work can be seen upon entering her new office and creative space, 550 RMG. Located at 550 Ralph McGill Blvd. in Atlanta’s Old Fourth Ward, “it’s a representation of everything that I am,” said Ward, who splits her time between Los Angeles and Atlanta.
Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC
Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC
The space, which opened this month, is a 10,000-square-foot multiuse home for her projects, which also includes Nine Distribution, a distribution company that will launch in September.
550 RMG will also house production company Genius Club and creative agency Six Degrees — both Black-owned, Atlanta-based companies. The space features amenities such as a private recording studio, an editing suite, several creative conference rooms, a kitchen and an outdoor patio.
In conversation, Ward is just as busy as her lengthy resume would suggest. But she still manages to remain focused. During an interview with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, she sits in on a virtual call for a client to ensure “they know that I’m always present.”
“She’s come a very long way,” her father, Darrin Ward, who lives in Atlanta, said about her journey the day before her grand opening.
In an interview with the AJC, Ward talked about the origins of 550 RMG and her future goals.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity
Q: After graduating from Albany State University, you got your start by owning your men’s clothing boutique Fly Kix in Atlanta. How did you transition into the music industry?
A: The boutique was based on music, art and fashion. I was the go-to girl to help other artists, producers and creatives establish their companies. Also, new artists and up and coming artists, they would drop off CDs and mixtapes, and they wanted to do these different events. I was always the go-to girl for that. That’s really how I met 60% of my friends in the business. That’s how I met my first client, Future, and that kick-started my career.
Q: Does 550 RMG’s location hold any significance for you?
A: I’ve lived in Los Angeles for the past six years working and building my clientele. Atlanta has always drawn so close to me and to my heart. Half of my staff (of 13) lives in Atlanta, so I’ve always worked between Los Angeles and Atlanta. After COVID, everybody was working remotely. But it’s very difficult to work at the highest level with (people) working from their beds and their couches. I really wanted to create a healthy work environment to kind of bring culture back into the office, to make people feel as comfortable as possible, so they can create and work at the highest level. We needed an Atlanta home base.
Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC
Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC
Ralph McGill is a historical location. … And when I walked into this space (the previous home of animation studio Primal Screens), it just had all the bones of what I wanted. I instantly fell in love. Because I work with artists, me being able to have the capabilities for them to go in and record is amazing. It makes life so much simpler. We can also edit music videos or edit content. In the back, we can shoot a music video. It’s just great to have everything within one place. Ironically enough, the address of Fly Kix was 275 Peters St., and this is 550, so this felt like a new chapter because 275 times two is 550.
Q: How long has this been in the works?
A: I got the building last July, and it kind of took me a second to figure out exactly what I wanted to do, but I completely gutted the location. I really just wanted it to be perfect. I wanted it to have a modern-age, clean aesthetic and just elevate the building as a whole. The building was yellow. It’s insanely different. I kept some of the other intricacies of it, but it’s about 80% completely changed.
Q: How does this space align with your mission and the work you’ve done in the industry?
A: I’m embedded and invested in artists in the development of their careers, from start to finish. We’re creating and building a completely different infrastructure. With 11th & Co., we do management differently, and for us to be able to assist our clientele, with everything from business management investments to travel — it’s a complete 360 service. Our clientele could just come through the door instead of speaking to us on the phone.
Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC
Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC
Q: Did you always envision this life for yourself?
A: I was the girl who was throwing parties. I was the girl who did everything in the music space. I always had a vision for what I wanted to do. I wanted to be a part of music, art, fashion and philanthropy. That’s always been a part of who I was. And I wanted to change the trajectory of music for women, more importantly, kind of create a sacred and safe space for us to be able to cohesively work without ego and to redefine the social standards of females in the music and entertainment business.
Q: Your new company, Nine Distribution, is slated to launch in September. What inspired your foray into that space?
A: Independent music is thriving in a really unique way, and really it’s just for me to be able to give people more opportunities. (It’s to) let people know that there’s someone who’s local in the city who can service them. Help them get their music out. Help them get on all the different platforms. And not only from the distribution side, but we can also help you on the management side. We can also help you on the creative side so it’s really a one-stop shop for everything.
Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC
Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC
Q: What’s your approach to managing clients?
A: Any of them can look at themselves as enterprises and understand their business, and also make sure that I’m not creating their vision, but being a partner to help them see their vision through … even with Gunna, he has a vast business portfolio that I’ve helped him work through and establish.
Q: What advice would you give to other women trying to succeed in the music industry?
A: Don’t give up. Be consistent. Consistency is key. I think that a lot of times people try to think that things are going to be immediate. With social media, people think that everything is accessible to them. But I think that with hard work and diligence and consistency, anything is possible. Make sure that your talent matches with your will to succeed.
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