Cipha Sounds

In an industry overwrought with tastemakers-in-training, Cipha Sounds is one of the select few trailblazers with the natural ability to discover and develop new talent. Possessing a strong aptitude for business, the Bronx-born entrepreneur is CEO of his own management and production company, Jack Move, Inc., and is also Senior Vice President of Jay-Z's World music label, Roc La Familia. Cipha Sounds is known worldwide as a formidable on-air radio personality, hosting his own show on Saturdays from noon to 4:00pm on New York 's Hot 97. His wealth of experience, tireless ambition and natural talent give Cipha an incomparable edge in the world of music.

Inspired by the skills of legendary deejays like Premiere, Pete Rock, DJ Scratch, and Kid Capri, Cipha Sounds discovered his own ability to rock a party at an early age. He took an internship with Wildman Steve and DJ Riz of New York 's Flip Squad, and eventually Riz asked Cipha to spin at clubs with him as an opening deejay. The opportunity of a lifetime presented itself when Lil' Kim asked Cipha to go on the tour with her. For a year and a half Cipha worked with Kim, touring across the country and Europe . Upon his return to the U.S. , Hot 97's FunkMaster Flex asked Cipha to join his Big Dawg Pitbull crew.

Cipha's persistence and dedication to his craft paid off, as the jobs rolled in at New York 's major clubs. Cipha eventually became a mix show deejay on FunkMaster Flex's popular nighttime show on Hot 97, interacting with listeners and breaking the hottest new music. He played parties for the some of the biggest names in popular music, and put his magic touch on holiday events for the likes of Puff Daddy and Mariah Carey. He regularly appears in the Puerto Rican Day Parade, and is always in demand for charitable clients like The Christopher Wallace Memorial Foundation Benefit and The Fresh Air Fund.

His reputation for effectively breaking new talent to the public inevitably led Cipha to an A&R gig for Rawkus Records, Tommy Boy Records, and later The Neptunes' record label, Star Trak . His charm, quick wit and positive energy led him to television and film work as well. He co-hosted MTV Jams with FunkMaster Flex during the summer of 1998, and appeared on the MTV Spring Break Cruise. He was featured in the 2003 Spike Lee film 25 th Hour , and has been a featured guest deejay numerous times on BET's 106 & Park and Rap City . He was the resident deejay for the very popular Dave Chapelle Show on Comedy Central, and spun at Comedy Central's 13 th Year Anniversary Show at New York 's Hammerstein Ballroom.

As he blossomed in the entertainment scene, Cipha was putting together the foundation for Jack Move, Inc. Along with his business partner, Jamal Landlord, Cipha began to optimize opportunities for discovering talent that he could put his name behind. The Jack Move team brought R&B duo Nina Sky to the forefront of the pop music scene in 2004 with the smash hit “Move Ya Body”, and Cipha's own production on the remix for “Turnin' Me On” catapulted the song into an instant club favorite. Cipha has been branching out in his production, and has a few surprises in store in coming months.

Management and A&R work is almost second nature to Cipha, and he finds enjoyment in the business aspect of the work outside of his creative endeavors. “I like being a manager because I'm filled with ideas, and I don't ever get to use them because I'm not a performer,” he explains. “I feel like I'm one of the artists, but not in the same capacity. I am able to speak from hands-on experience from my deejay work. I'm somebody who actually knows and comes from the music, as opposed to some corporate guy with a suit and tie.”

Cipha's appointment in 2005 as Senior Vice President of Roc La Familia swiftly tied in his A&R experience with his business acumen. A couple of chance meetings with Def Jam President Jay-Z began a chain of events that sealed the deal. “The first time I really talked to Jay-Z was at a Damian Marley concert. I told him I wanted to work for him, and he said he had too many A&R's,” explains Cipha. “A couple of days later, I got a call from Jay Brown, who is the head of A&R at Def Jam, and he wanted to set up a meeting. When I got there, Jay-Z was there in his office talking, and then the idea hit Jay like a ton of bricks.” Jay-Z coordinated a conversation with his 40/40 Club partner OG Juan, and Cipha was soon brought into the fold. His first signings to the label include Tru Life and Aztek, and the roster continues to grow.

After their successful start with Nina Sky, the Jack Move team brought artist manager Mr. Morgan in to expand their opportunities. Cipha expresses excitement regarding their next projects. “I have a new rapper from the Bronx named Daytona. He's a real creative type rapper - he makes records and not just battle raps. Jabba and I have a group called The Movements. We're working on our album right now, and it's a creative way to jump off brand new artists.”

For bookings and production inquiries, contact Nidhish@jackmoveinc.com

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