How has the entertainment industry changed since you began your journey?
When I started in the entertainment industry, cable was at its infancy. Social media was not a thing and access to a mass audience was limited. Outside of MTV and BET there weren’t many ways for artists to break into the industry outside of the radio grind. Now with advent of social media etc, influencers and content creators have a plethora of avenues to get exposure.
Tell us about your most proud accomplishment as an entertainment professional.
I have had many proud accomplishments over the course of my career. From being nominated for an NAACP Image Awards for my family’s work with our Mental Health Platform, “The SonRise Project”, to successfully re-branding the BET network with the award winning “Shining Star” campaign, to seeing my original concept format for a basketball lifestyle show turn into what is now the “Basketball Wives” franchise, to winning a NAMIC Visionary award for executive producing “Turnstile:Darryl Chill Mitchell”, there have been too many to pick just one.
Tell us about your book.
“The Man Behind the Curtain” is autobiographical in part, but mainly stories from inside with some of the biggest names in the music and entertainment business. It chronicles 30 years of celebrities that I have aided, influenced, discovered or otherwise crossed paths with that most people are unaware of. If Forrest Gump was an entertainment story, this would be it. :-). At the end of the day though, it is an entertaining, funny, and inspirational story of surviving poverty in Baltimore to reach the level of a Senior Executive at Paramount and all the interesting stories along the way.
What advice would you give someone who seeks to work in the entertainment industry?
I would say do what you love and don’t let other people’s idea of success dictate your happiness. If you do what you love with excellence, the money will follow. Also, know that sometimes to move forward you might need to go sideways.
What does success look like for you?
For me, success is about the creative process. As long as I can continue to feed my creative and continue to make whatever I do bigger than myself I consider myself successful.
Where can people purchase the book?
The book is available on the Archway Publishing website, Amazon, my website “IamSpartacusMedia.com” and wherever you buy books.
Keith Lawson is 30-year veteran in the entertainment industry. His resume includes music video and commercial production, music and entertainment management, and film and TV production. He has overseen production of music videos and video press-kits for artists including EnVogue, Shabba Ranks, Sounds of Blackness, TLC, Jon Lucien, S.O.S. Band and many others.
In addition to being Founder & Creative Director of Spartacus Media, Keith is Sr. Vice President of Brand Solutions at BET Networks/ Paramount Global. Formerly Executive Producer of Prime-Time Entertainment at BET, he was responsible for numerous award-winning productions including “Turnstyle” and “NYLA”. He launched the careers of LAZ ALONSO (“The Boys” – Amazon Prime and various), LAMORNE MORRIS (“The New Girl” – FOX), ANANDA LEWIS (“The Ananda Lewis Show”- King World, “While You Were Out” – TLC, MTV, various) and AL SHEARER (“Hits From The Street”, “Punk’D”). Keith was also responsible for developing various other original programs including “Turnstyle”, “UnReal”, “Made You Look”, Music Inside Out” and others.
Keith has earned more than twenty-five Telly Awards for commercial design and production, a Classic Telly for design and production, BDA design awards, a Rosebud Film Award nomination for film short, NAMIC Visionary Award, Cable Positive POP Award, as well as nominations for NAACP Award, SHINE Awards.
Keith is a best-selling author and has written four original screenplays. Along with Eric Watson, he created and produced the reality show “Committed: The Christies” which created the format of the Billion Dollar “Basketball Wives” reality show format.
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