Noted public figure Kiana ‘rookz’ Eastmond ♖♖ started her career in music, evolving into an executive – from a founder to a five-time award-winning serial entrepreneur. rookz has been recognized for her impact by global brands such as Nike and Google, making headlines in The Globe and Mail all the way to Complex magazine and, most notably, is a highly sought-after keynote speaker, appearing more than 150 times in over 25 cities. It’s evident her brand knows no boundaries; this celebrated and prolific speaker can be found at the dais with top CEOs and shared a stage opening for Barack Obama, truly reinforcing her #CreateFate philosophy that “your conditions don’t have to be your conditioning”.
rookz’s brainchild Sandbox Studios is one of the most successful Urban Music Artist Development and recording facilities in Toronto. The studio has opened its doors to both international and local talent such as Cardi B, Tory Lanez, illMind, worked with brands like Soundcloud, Native Instruments and Google, as well as being home to the overflowing local scene. Sandbox recently entered the tech space with the launch of its grant search engine platform – Grant Genie. Committed to connecting to building the scene, Sandbox has truly become Toronto’s Creative Playground.
What advice would you give your younger self, or someone who is just starting out working in the music industry?
I would give younger me the advice to be patient and strategic. If you work on something, be bold about it, because being in the business, people can quickly forget how you helped them grow once they are flourishing. Make sure you’re building your brand from day one, not just externally, but you want to build a reputation you’re proud of with your team, peers and competition alike.
What is your favourite resource for Black artists/industry professionals in Canada?
My favourite resource for Black artist/industry professionals in Canada is the House of Milo Industry Mixer by DJ RoseGold. I think it’s going on its 4th year, and it just keeps getting better. That’s one event I never miss, RoseGold really brings in the heavy hitters in the industry from around the globe that mirror her energy of wanting to connect and be open.
Name a career highlight!
TBH, this is a hard one for me. It’s so easy to say working with some of the biggest celebrities in the world. But it’s actually a story about a young man that got to do an EP through a youth justice program that had a contract with us. He was 15 and had been arrested already 4 times, he would come in with his youth worker, rap about some craziness and one day I stopped his session. He wasn’t happy, some words were exchanged, and he left. He said he’d only come back if I was never there, I said okay only if he would talk to me first. He came in, we chopped it up and ended up spending half a day together. We really bonded. On his 4th visit, I pull up, and he was there super early, and he came running to my car, “rookz, I got a job! It’s just at the morgue but it’s a start. You told me I could Create Fate, create my life, that’s what I’m doing!” That story stuck with me so much, that he really connected with what I said to him, that I realized I had this incredible access to people in a really meaningful way. It birthed my whole #CreateFate philosophy. I still talk to him all the time, and it makes my heart beam. His sessions were the greatest sessions of my life, they changed my whole interest in working in this space. It moved me from wanting to break the next artist to wanting to build the environments people found themselves in. It’s not just music or money to me, there’s a person behind every song we love, and they need us to show up for them in a real way.
What does being Black mean to you?
Being Black to me means knowing I can be the most excellent version of anything in my lane. Not because I’m just better or arrogant, but because starting at the bottom means you have to work so hard to get to the top, you’re not the best by chance, YOU BUILT THAT. I know all the cards are always stacked against me, so I have to play smarter, work harder all while being grateful for the work those before me did, while I press for those behind me. Black excellence is just excellent, it’s darkness transformed to light where no one expects to see it.