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      Francesca Spero aka THE BOSS LADY is one of hip hop’s most well-known and trusted managers. Now, thanks to Diddy, she’s also a publisher, a music supervisor, and a TV producer. The Bad Boy business model has been often been compared to Berry Gordy’s empire: Motown, and like Motown, Spero prides herself on discovering new talent before anyone else does. She’s proudest of signing songwriters and producers who’ve either never released a record, or are very new. (Hmmm…sounds like an episode of Making the Band….)

     Says Spero, “anyone can look at the market and see what’s hot and jump on a sonic bandwagon…I want to give folks a chance just based on what I hear and feel.” And so she has, her first two signings to Janice Combs Publishing: Adonis Shropshire and Makeba Riddick, have both garnered ASCAP and BMI awards, number 1 singles, and Grammy nominations!! Her list of songwriters and producers both past and present are stellar, and having gotten “Puff Daddy” his first job (the internship at Uptown Records that launched his career) isn’t too bad a credit either.

     Her latest challenges: juggling two households (New York and now Miami) and launching careers of new clients: Carmen Cameron (songwriter), Battleroy (songwriter), Amadeus (Producer).