Founder’s Bio
About Richardine Bartee
Richardine Bartee is an award-winning music executive, journalist, and cultural strategist with more than two decades of experience shaping narratives, curating culture, and building global artist brands. Throughout her career, she has created moments that resonate internationally, developed cross-cultural marketing strategies, and advocated for music communities across continents.
Bartee’s foundation in music marketing began as a Field Representative for Cornerstone Promotion, the parent company of The FADER magazine, from 2005 to 2007. During this period, she contributed to high-profile campaigns, including promotional activations surrounding The Killers’ ‘Sam’s Town’ album, Cool Java outdoor experiences across beaches and state parks, and numerous campaigns for music and lifestyle brands. Around the same time, she designed an early iteration of Afropunk.com, which aired on MTV in the mid-2000s, long before Afropunk evolved from a Brooklyn block party into the internationally recognised cultural festival it is today.
Her career has been marked by identifying and amplifying pivotal cultural moments. Among these was securing the viral interview between Bobby Brown and journalist Shawn Setaro, during which Brown revealed that he taught Michael Jackson how to moonwalk—an interview that quickly became a significant pop culture moment. Bartee also laid the groundwork for Afrobeats star Oxlade’s expansion into the North American market before his global breakthrough with ‘Ku Lo Sa’, coordinating and accompanying the artist throughout the United States for public appearances and performances. Additionally, she has orchestrated impactful interviews featuring Akon and several internationally recognised artists, further strengthening cross-cultural conversations in music.
As a contributing journalist for MTV’s former music platform, MTV Iggy, Bartee conducted notable interviews with artists including Miike Snow and profiled Awkwafina during her early years as a recording artist, well before her rise to Hollywood prominence. Her experiences working from MTV’s Hudson Street headquarters in Manhattan further strengthened her ability to cultivate meaningful artist relationships whilst preserving and elevating brand integrity.
A long-standing member of the Recording Academy since 2015 and contributor to its Global/Reggae Committee, Bartee was recognised in 2023 for her exceptional contributions by being invited to host five guests at the GRAMMY Awards ahead of the inaugural Best African Music Performance category. Over the past five years, she has curated and booked numerous prominent artists for official GRAMMY.com programming, including ‘Global Spin’, ‘It Goes to 11’, ‘Press Play At Home’, ‘Herbal Teas & White Sofas’, and ‘Reimagined At Home’.
Beyond music, Bartee serves as Culture Advocate for the Novo Lisbon Art Festival, where she continues to bridge the worlds of music, art, and community engagement. Her work is driven by a passion for elevating artists’ voices, telling authentic stories, and safeguarding the integrity of creative brands. Through her global network, creative vision, and proven ability to deliver meaningful impact across media, live events, and cultural platforms, Bartee remains a respected force in the international entertainment industry.
In February 2022, Richardine Bartee was awarded BEFFTA’s Woman of the Year Award to recognise her endless efforts to help musicians across the globe evolve. In October, the star publicist joined the ‘To the Top Seminar 2023’ to discuss unlocking entrepreneurial excellence at the University of Ghana Legon in Accra, Ghana, as a guest speaker for the first annual Eat Drink Music Festival with Mr Mathew Knowles, best known for fathering and managing global popstar Beyoncé. As of 2024, Richardine is a member of Women in Music (a non-profit organisation with global chapters committed to advancing equality, visibility and opportunities for women in music) and the New York Women in Film & Television (a non-profit organisation supporting women calling the shots—advocating for inclusion, equity, diversity, and safe working environments in media).
In recognition of her contributions to cultural advocacy, Richardine was recently added to the Women’s Activism NYC permanent archive, a project by the New York City Department of Records & Information Services aiming to collect 10,000 stories of inspiring and empowering women from across the globe.
Life has been rewarding with teachable moments for Bartee. Stay tuned for more updates as she writes history one day at a time.