By Andrea Andy for A&R Duty – The Book
Hard work is key, but persistence will open more doors for you.
If you study the Nigerian music industry long enough, you’ll discover that the biggest moments don’t always happen in front of the cameras. Often, they unfold in quiet rooms: a meeting after midnight to finalize a deal, a backstage huddle to sort out a last-minute crisis, a single email that decides where an artist’s next record will land.
It is in these rooms, behind the scenes where few people look, that Tami Romeo has built a reputation as one of the industry’s most quietly influential forces.
Entertainment lawyer. Artist Business manager. Project architect. Founder of Talk to My Manager. A woman who believes excellence is not an act but a habit—and who has made it her life’s work to lift the quality bar for everyone around her.
Tami’s journey into music was as serendipitous as it was intentional.
She had studied law and, like most young Nigerian graduates, she followed the path set before her: she did her NYSC, applied for jobs, and prepared for a traditional legal career.
“I never thought I’d end up in music. It just wasn’t on my radar.”
Then came a day in 2018 that would change everything.
After a job interview with Air Peace in Ikeja, she stopped by her sister’s office at Chocolate City Music. Inside, she crossed paths with M.I.—one of Nigeria’s most respected rappers and music executives.
“He asked me what I was up to. I said I was job hunting. He told me they were looking for an in-house lawyer. Right there in that office, I did an impromptu interview. And just like that, I got the job.”
It was a pivotal moment—a collision between preparation and opportunity. And though she didn’t know it yet, it was the start of a professional chapter that would redefine her purpose.
Tami didn’t arrive with music industry knowledge. In fact, she knew next to nothing about copyright splits, label deals, or touring contracts.
“I didn’t know anything about music law at the time. It was a fresh start.”
But what she lacked in experience, she more than made up for with curiosity and determination. At Chocolate City, she immersed herself in everything: Legal work, Project management, Artist relations. It was there that she worked on the 2019 CBN Tour, a four-city advocacy campaign that used music to drive civic participation.
“We traveled across Nigeria with Ice Prince, Jesse Jagz, Ckay, and Reekado Banks. That project showed me how powerful music can be when you tie it to a cause bigger than just entertainment.”
After Chocolate City, Tami continued her steady ascent:
“I’ve worked in tiny teams of three or four, and I’ve worked in teams with over 90 staff. Each stage taught me different lessons about collaboration, structure, and resilience.”
When The Guy hit No.1 on Apple Music Nigeria, it felt like a validation of years spent honing her craft.
“I told myself: You know what you’re doing. You’ve earned your seat at the table.”
What does it take to manage talent effectively? For Tami, it starts with one word: synergy.
“The first month working with any artist, I don’t even touch strategy. I observe. I listen. Artists will say they want to do stadium tours and go global, but are their habits aligning with that? Are they consistent? Are they putting in the work behind the scenes?”
Her approach is built on structure—meticulous routines that set clear expectations:
“Excellence looks different for everyone. But if you say you want to be global, I’ll hold you to that standard.”
Few people have seen the evolution of Nigerian music up close as Tami has.
She believes the post-COVID era was a turning point:
“2020-2021 gave us some of the best Nigerian albums—Made in Lagos, Somewhere Between Beauty and Magic. The quality went up. Now, we’re seeing a maturity in how artists approach their careers.”
She’s especially fascinated by how artists are finding alternative routes to success:
“Those examples show you that there isn’t one formula anymore. Artists can customize their path.”
She also believes that global partnerships—like Mavin x UMG and Chocolate City x Warner—will unlock new levels of infrastructure.
“In five years, the industry will look very different. The seeds have been planted.”
Tami has navigated a landscape where women often remain under-credited and underestimated.
“People assume the manager must be a man. I get called ‘bro’ or ‘sir’ in emails all the time.”
But rather than internalize that bias, she’s committed to rewriting the narrative.
“I don’t lead with my gender. I lead with competence. When I walk into a room, I see myself as an intelligent professional first. Then I prove why I’m there.”
She’s also building bridges for other women, fostering deeper relationships and safe spaces for honest conversations.
“It can feel isolating to be one of the only women at the table. But we’re slowly changing that. We’re creating a community that doesn’t just look good in photos but genuinely supports each other.”
One of her most emphatic lessons is about credit:
“If you don’t say it, it will disappear. People are not naturally going to give you credit.”
Earlier in her career, Tami believed she could quietly do the work and her results would speak for themselves.
“I learned the hard way that in a noisy era, the loudest voice gets the recognition. If you’ve done something, document it. Talk about it. Because someone else might take credit.”
When asked what she loves most about her work, she doesn’t hesitate:
“Seeing an idea come to life. When you work for months on a project—late nights, back-and-forth calls—and then it finally hits the world and people connect to it? There’s no better feeling.”
And what does she wish more people understood about the business side of music?
“It’s not glamorous. It’s discipline. Systems. Data. Execution. That’s the work that makes the art sustainable.”
Tami leaves us with a mantra worth framing on every office wall:
“Hard work is key, but persistence will open more doors.”
It’s a philosophy she’s proved over and over again—quietly, deliberately, and with the unshakable belief that the work, in the end, speaks louder than any hype.
Whether she’s managing an artist, designing rollouts, or mentoring other executives, Tami Romeo is driven by the same north star: to set a higher standard.
She is a reminder that even in an industry obsessed with fast fame and viral moments, there is still power—and longevity—in structure, clarity, and integrity.
This is The Book.
This is Tami Romeo.
And this is the story of a woman who is quietly—and persistently—holding the strings and showing the rest of us what excellence can look like.
On the side, we played a fun game where I asked Tami her top three picks if she had a “Tami Romeo Playlist,” and here’s the list