The Brothers of Disruption: How Jordian Ross x William Foster Are Stamping Their Flag In Today's Cultural Industry (Copy)

Written by Greg Harris

It was towards the latter months of 2018, Coming off the heels of his latest project, “Freewave III”, and Lucki is towards the last few dates of his headlining “DaysB4” tour. Looking for somewhere to eat and possibly somewhere to spend his backend, Lucki and his crew were just getting their feet wet in the streets in “The Bayou City” as they were only in Houston for the night.

Typically the feature would be expanding on the course of the day and the performance of the artist, but this was the opportunity to highlight some of the hardest working folks in the industry that were helping re-birth the stardom and relevancy around the Chicago star. Coming from the depths of Ohio, Jordian Ross and William Foster have not only established themselves as a dynamic duo who carved out their own lane through artist management but they have a planted seed that has successfully grown into a multi-faceted platform that has helped changed lives in the process. 

Starting from their humble beginnings, they were the brain trust behind the popular indie blog, AnimalxHouse. AxH was a popular avenue to introduce + put people onto some of the hottest acts who were on the verge of stardom but at the same time give a platform for a lot of Midwest artists + creatives. 

Becoming a staple in the blog space and then later on in the space of live events, (they played a part in booking Young Thug, Fredo Santana, Denzel Curry, Maxo Kream, Rich The Kid, Lil Uzi Vert, Key!/Two9/Reese, Lucki, and more in earlier parts of their career) AnimalxHouse have set their flag and provided themselves their own lane. As time moved forward so did their growth, Jordian and Will knew where to make their next move and that was further Northeast in the entertainment jungle of New York City. 

Between Jordian’s base as being the playmaker + administrative maestro and Will’s ability to deliver taste with his sharp eye as a photographer + keen ability to matchmake as an A&R, they’re a deadly combination to any business. The duo was in a good position to level up and The AnimalxHouse re-brand took shape with their initial site launch in NYC in January 2016, but the group officially struck gold in the NYC party scene with their innovative outing experience, 3rdShiftNYC.

Between Will, Jordian, and close collaborator + friend Kolby Turner, 3rd Shift became a new way for artists/creatives to throw their events as they became more of an accessory to a good party than being the main spectacle of the event with a performance. This new turn on New York City’s Late Nite scene gave light to what young black creatives in the city can pull together and make timeless moments in the process. 

“Between Jordian’s base as being the playmaker + administrative maestro and Will’s ability to deliver taste with his sharp eye as a photographer + keen ability to matchmake as an A&R, they’re a deadly combination to any business.”

The creative trio have brought to life signature moments for the likes of Trippie Redd, Alamo Records + 1017 Eskimo, Cousin Stizz, CalBoy, and others. As much as they set the stage for different labels and acts, their own curated signature functions cause just as much hysteria. For example, their 2018 New Years Eve Party was the first place the world heard of Drake’s iconic record, “God’s Plan”. The formula that the trio has done to craft memories that not only focuses on the headliner of the night but for the sake of the people’s experience in attendance sets them in a class of their own. 

In addition to their efforts of creating cultural stepping stones, Jordi and Will’s initiative to push the envelope in music management is an added bonus. Not only building a premier foundation for Lucki’s career, they’ve also play a part into the rise of Harlem producer/artist Lunchbox, and Ohio rising star Lil Loski. Between these plays, they have earned a place on Billboard’s Top 200 Album chart, production credits in Travis Scott’s Documentary on Netflix, two new deals for their artists, and an extensive streaming following that pushes beyond the multi-millions. 

The versatile efforts from these two goes to show what a mission with sweat equity can provide over time. Jordi and Will’s journey has been well traveled, but it’s nowhere near from over. Expect to see these two on someone’s red carpet for an award party very soon. 

Follow Jordi Here

Follow William Here