Worcester Magazine
When entertainment publicist Leasah Sparks noticed that artists were giving back during the pandemic by providing art for social justice events, volunteering their efforts, or just keeping the community’s spirits up, she looked for ways to give something back to them. “Since the pandemic, we’ve reunited for protests and mourning,” she said, “but I think we need to rechannel that energy and think about the creators who are stuck at home.”
The pandemic has made traditional avenues of arts promotion difficult, especially for music and fashion. “We have to reinvent how we are presenting our artists,” said Sparks.
Last Call with Jimmy Kang, VP of Wu-Tang Management
Sarah Connell Sanders
Correspondent
Jimmy Kang has worked in the entertainment business for nearly two decades. Originally from Seoul, South Korea, Kang views Worcester as a rich hotbed of underground hip-hop talent. Kang was thrilled to strike a recent distribution deal with Sony Orchard, a music distribution platform that he believes will elevate his artists’ reach and pave the way for their mainstream success. The Orchard became a subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment in 2015. According to their website, “The Orchard is a leading music distribution company operating in 45 markets worldwide with a comprehensive artist and label services offering including full-service marketing, sync licensing, video services, transparent data analysis, advertising, rights management, digital and physical distribution and more.” Kang’s Worcester outpost operates on Pleasant Street where he also owns the retail shop, Exclusives Music Me