Sean “P. Diddy” Combs began his journey as a party promoter, and, at age 15, high school student Kobie Randolph was also honing his party-promoter ambitions and skills.
Through his college experiences at Tennessee State University, Randolph and his alter ego, the World Famous DJ K Luv, stealthily built an event-marketing empire. His new book, The Champagne Life, is the incredible, but true, rags-to-riches journey.
Randolph sat down with rolling out to chat about what it takes to live the champagne life. –chanel davis, rolling out intern
How did you come up with the concept to brand yourself as DJ K Luv?
I always wanted to pick a profession where I had the choice to market it as big or as small as I wanted to. I had a radio show in college, and I’ve always had a love for music. I think you have to envision and think and start off where you want to wind up.
Were you at all nervous about branding yourself as a deejay without any prior experience?
I practiced a lot and got pretty good pretty quick, and I had a radio show, and I knew what a good deejay sounded like. It’s just about studying the industry. It’s one of those things. Just step out on faith, and do it.
What was it like starting First Klass Entertainment while you were in high school?
It was the obvious challenges of trying to start a company in high school and in an expensive industry. And when I went to college, it got a lot easier because you live with your community.
What was it like promoting your first party at Tennessee State University?
I thought I was going to come off as a threat, but they didn’t see it, and the competition — or lack thereof — let me just come in and position myself, and they didn’t really realize I plan on launching my company right now. It played in my favor, and it was a lot easier than I thought it was going to be.
When you decided to open Rain Ultra Lounge, was it a tough decision to make?
I knew it was my time to open up a night club when I saw people’s careers go from hoop dreams to being on 106 & Park. Kevin Liles really made me realize you’re trying so hard to build this world and be of hip-hop, but you are it.
What has been your best experience thus far?
One night at the nightclub, Akon, Bu Thiam, Yo Gotti, Hosea Chanchez, Vince Young, Vivica A. Fox … they all showed up in one night. It was probably like 14 celebrities. They showed up in one night.
What do you want readers to take away from your book?
It would be to understand it’s going to be you who sets the limitations on yourself, stay focused and understand the world at its simplest form. Make up in your mind that you’re going to do it, and the universe will move around you to make it happen.
