“Genuine, spunky, well-connected, clear, and arduous working.”

These are the phrases Ayesha Jaco, government director of West Aspect United, used to explain Briahna Gatlin, CEO and senior publicist at Swank PR/Publishing.

Because the artistic vitality behind the native public relations company, Gatlin has been serving to nationwide names attain native eyes and ears and vice versa for the final 20 years. Names like Raekwon, Lupe Fiasco (who’s Jaco’s brother), Hypnotic Brass Ensemble, Vic Mensa, King Louie and the Gorillaz have crossed her path since Swank opened in 2006. Her firm has additionally aided manufacturers like Def Jam, Roc Nation, Gray Goose, Zenni and the Chicago Bulls.

This Sunday, Gatlin can be bringing a brand new pageant of her personal creation to Garfield Park’s Music Circle Middle — the Purple Block Social gathering. Gatlin desires her block social gathering to be one thing for everybody, the place neighborhood and music come collectively.

“Musicians, some cool activations and neighborhood organizations can be there,” she stated. “I need all the weather of a block social gathering with some bells and whistles.”

Headliners for the Purple Block Social gathering embody Jim Jones and Chicago’s Pivot Gang, Baha Banks and DJ Vic Lloyd.

“I wished to do that block for a very long time,” Gatlin stated. “I pitched this concept to so many individuals after which ultimately I used to be like, ‘I simply must do it.’ For me, it’s uncharted territory. The objective is to convey neighborhood, tradition and Chicago collectively. The West Aspect doesn’t have something like this.”

Jaco stated the occasion is an efficient factor for the West Aspect, one thing accessible for the individuals who determine with hip hop music essentially the most.

“I believe it’s vital for us to see a Lollapalooza of types in Garfield Park, as a result of usually stuff like that occurs downtown or in Union Park … and it’s blocked off and it’s not accessible,” she stated. “I do know the Riot Fest can be in Douglass Park, however that is one which type of brings again the vibe there was once on Madison and California, people posted up from the South doing blues music festivals impromptu. To see this, it captures the spirit of what people have all the time executed in these communities. Popping out of a pandemic, it’s one thing good to see for the West Aspect.”

Gatlin has all the time had music as her basis and since she’s a fan, she is aware of the native scene like few others. Spending her adolescence being reared between Garfield Park and Austin, and visiting household in New York and New Jersey since her teen years, Gatlin has been of the hip hop world, the drill period since she might keep in mind.

She discovered journalism whereas attending Windfall St. Mel and pursued it by way of her days at Columbia School. An internship at Vibe Journal would quickly lead her to turn into a Chicago-based author for The Supply Journal. Stints as a grant author; weblog author (her moniker was Chitown’s Hip-Hop Journalist); and founder/editorial director of True Star, a company that gives on-the-job coaching applications enabling college students to work in media, are all a part of her again story.

These experiences would lead Gatlin to segue into public relations. Having cast relationships with different publicists, and dwelling within the hip hop world as a fan, Gatlin ultimately based Swank with a pal. However what was imagined to be a custom-made publishing firm developed to incorporate public relations after folks would name her for assist. Gatlin stated Swank’s first consumer was musician GLC.

“From there it simply went,” Gatlin stated of the enterprise. “I didn’t come into PR like common publicists; I got here in on the hip hop aspect. I knew the artists. I used to be a hip hop journalist. It become one thing that I didn’t know I used to be creating on the time. I used to be simply enthusiastic about music and I nonetheless might get the satisfaction of serving to create a story for and with the artist, simply on the opposite aspect.”

Gatlin’s work ethic and hip hop connections helped Swank develop from a one-person present to a household enterprise together with her mother and different workers. Trying again, Gatlin stated doing PR for hip hop artists in a time when many others in Chicago weren’t meant she needed to have a sure sort of mettle others didn’t. Larger names had illustration, however Gatlin stated nobody was working with the up-and-comers. She took delight in serving to these in hip hop attempting to interrupt onto the scene at a time when Chicago had no actual music presence.

“My objective was all the time to guarantee that I gave them the chance as a result of I didn’t need them to not have it,” Gatlin stated. “I used to be very integral with ensuring a number of these up-and-coming journalists was matching with all these up-and-coming artists. Now everyone has entry and everyone’s rising collectively. And so what occurs when everyone’s rising collectively? Now you’re creating alternatives for much more up-and-comers who wish to write or cowl these items.”

Gatlin by no means deliberate to be an entrepreneur on this area, however she’s been one for the previous 20 years. Her connection to the tradition, to the Chicago music scene and her need to offer one thing for her neighborhood has come full circle for her on this Purple Block Social gathering.

“I’m used to taking nothing and making it into one thing,” Gatlin stated. “My connections actually did assist me develop my model. The lane that I used to be in, nobody was doing it … New York, L.A., Atlanta, their music scenes had been thriving within the ‘90s. Completely totally different from ours. Each different metropolis that had music was extra revered. Again then you definately needed to go to these locations in these places of work to demand respect.”

She is hoping tons of, if not hundreds present up. Rising up and never having festivals of their neighborhoods, Gatlin says the world wants one thing just like the Purple Block Social gathering.

“It’s about going into these communities and having the ability to additionally convey a reimbursement into it. However, additionally giving them that have,” she stated. “I’m a product of the West Aspect. I’m doing it throughout from the place I went to highschool and I’m an entrepreneur that’s investing again into this space. So, I’m enthusiastic about not simply that half, however excited as a result of, once more, it’s a brand new journey for me.”

Gatlin could also be a publicist for musicians, however that’s not all she is. She is a traveler, an inside designer, and somebody who has educating, dwelling in London, writing a e-book and studying to DJ on her bucket checklist.

“That is going to be certainly one of my greatest and main contributions to music,” she stated of the Purple Block Social gathering. “I don’t have the music enterprise business in me like everybody else, however I simply wish to continue to grow.”

“She’s the Chicago woman and everyone’s favourite publicist,” stated Dana Anderson, actress, playwright, visible artist and PR skilled. “It is a fruits of all of the issues that matter to her — neighborhood, music, leisure, younger folks, Black folks, the West Aspect — someone must see that that is attainable. Our legacy as Black girls in media and leisure is letting different Black girls, younger Black folks usually, know that it’s attainable and that there’s all the time one other degree. She does the work. I like that about her.”

Purple Block Social gathering runs from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Aug. 28 at Garfield Park, 100 N. Central Park Ave.; tickets begin at $25 for youngsters and $55 for adults. For extra data go to thepbparty.com

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