Mikael Moore, who once had worked on “The Hill” in the nation’s capital, says he has known one of music’s biggest stars, Janelle Monae, for some 10 years now. “She was walking down the street with a guitar slung over her shoulder,” he explains, adding that he was still a student at the historically black Morehouse College for men in Atlanta, Ga., “and she asked me to come to her concert–and it was amazing.”

The rest, as they say, is history.

Janelle Monae Becomes a Mini-Mogul With Her Revamped Label
Janelle Monae and the artists signed to Wondaland. (Photo credit: Billboard.com)

Moore, 35, left his position as Rep. Maxine Waters’s chief of staff last year to work full-time with Q.U.E.E.N. singer Monae.

“If not for the game changer that is Janelle Monae, I would have stayed in Washington,” Moore said.

Currently Moore, along with managing Monae, heads up the five-person label signed to the Atlanta-based custom record Wondaland including, Jidenna, Roman GianArthur, Deep Cotton, and St. Beauty. Billboard’s Jem Aswad writes that the artists “hew a bass-heavy fusion of R&B and hip-hop.”

“It’s not just one type of artist, but there’s a connective tissue,” said Moore. “It’s about the collective rather than individuals — Janelle is the proprietor, but they’re partners with her.”

Head over to Billboard to read more.

Tommy G. Meade Jr. is the Editor-in-Chief at HBCU Buzz. Follow him on Twitter.

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