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When Charles Wakeley says he's one of the top managers and record promoters in the South, it is by no means an exaggeration. Combining proven business savvy with grassroots methods and a dedication to helping independent artists surpass their regional limitations, "Wake," as he's known to many, has built up a reputation as The man to go to for anyone wanting a strong presence in the Florida, Georgia, Alabama, and South Carolina markets. His clients include one of the most anticipated new artists in the South (CTE/Def Jam recording artist BloodRaw); one of the top mixtape DJs in the South (DJ Chuck T); and a regional independent group which Wake is rapidly turning into a national sensation (Earthwake Entertainment recording group the S.E.GA BOYS). Just five years ago, the Gainesville, FL native was a successful jeweler with absolutely no interest in the entertainment industry. That was until his friend and now business partner, Anthony "Big Amp" Parker (co-owner of Earthwake Entertainment), suggested Wakeley try his hand at it. Parker had observed the way Wake had successfully built up his small business, starting out making custom pieces for individual customers and progressing to working corporate accounts - from the local Ford dealership to national organizations like Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. and Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. Parker knew that his new partner would not only bring to the table business practices tried and tested in the corporate world, but also a sense of structure that is often lacking in the Hip-Hop game. In addition, Wakeley's dedication to his customers' satisfaction would translate into the type of personal attention only a rare few in the business lend to their projects. That would prove to be Wake's winning edge. First entering the music business as a record promoter, his tactic was simple yet effective: "I just grabbed three or four records and hit the road," says Wakeley of his early days. He traveled to every small town and secondary market in his region, building records up - from the streets to the club to radio. He quickly discovered that by simply visiting these often ignored small towns, he could count on the loyalty of the locals, who essentially became his street team and passport to their cities. Within about two years, he had built up a network of DJs and event promoters who supported any and every project he brought to them and still do. While on these promo runs, Wakeley discovered a wealth of talented indie artists with a strong buzz in their immediate markets, but who lacked the structure to take their careers to the next level. Knowing that each of these artists had the potential to blow up at least on a regional level, Wake would enter into loose verbal agreements that gave him the opportunity to share his knowledge and help the artists be heard. His first fomal agreement was with the Dirty South Mafia, parlaying their local following into an indie distribution deal that placed them into quite a few retail locations throughout Florida. His next client was BloodRaw, a.k.a. Mr. Florida, who had conquered his home state through performances and independent releases, but had not been able to push his buzz further north. Wakeley devised an 8-week plan whereby they would grab the industry's attention by creating a strong presence in Atlanta. The plan consisted of BloodRaw establishing relationships with Atlanta's top DJs while he and Wakeley networked around the city nonstop. By week six, they had caught Young Jeezy's attention, who took advantage of a major label's hesitation to make BloodRaw a part of his Corporate Thugz family. For DJ Chuck T, the decision to bring Wakeley on board as his manager was an easy one. After becoming acquainted with Wake through his work as a promoter, the "Carolina King" knew that as his mixtape empire grew he could trust him to help handle the business aspects of his career in the same hands-on, marketing intensive way as Chuck T would have done it himself. With the S.E.GA BOYS, it was Wake who initiated the management relationship. He attended one of their performances while on one of his promotions runs in south east Georgia and witnessed over 500 S.E.GA BOYS fans acting as though the local group were certified celebrities. As he did more research, he found that 70-80% of people in Georgia had heard of the group, whose members had been together for about 7 years. Yet despite their respectable fan base, it was not until they joined the C. Wakeley Management family that they were able to expand that buzz to the rest of the South. Now, in less than a year, the S.E.GA BOYS are becoming one of the top groups to watch, garnering press and spins across the country and even in Europe. And with Wake working their first independent release, it is certain that the S.E.GA BOYS will continue to blow, showing the world that they ain't playing no games. With his impressive track record, Wake has no immediate plans on changing any of his strategies. He hopes to continue to use his grassroots approach to help develop artists who have shown the dedication it takes to build a career, but simply need that added structure. C. Wakeley is undoubtedly the man for that!

ITS GOING DOWN REAL BIG!

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