Sope Soetan

Name: Sope Soetan

Company: SS Publicity

Job Title: Music Publicist, Journalist, Writer + Speaker

Sope Soetan is a writer, journalist, researcher, speaker and music publicist.

He has spearheaded award-winning PR campaigns for acts like SuperJazzClub, Headie One, Ayra Starr, Rema, Joan As Police Woman and cktrl. In addition to events including The MOBO Awards and Notting Hill Carnival and community-run organizations like Black Lives In Music.

As a writer and journalist, he’s published editorial work with GRAMMY.com, Dazed, Complex UK, Mixmag, Okayplayer, CLASH Magazine, Rolling Stone UK and many others. Interviewing esteemed artists and figures like Mathew Knowles, Ezra Collective, Corinne Bailey Rae, Jazmine Sullivan, JoJo, Brandy, serpentwithfeet, Durand Bernarr, Che Lingo and Ravyn Lenae.

As a speaker, he’s chaired conversations and participated in panels at The V&A, London College of Contemporary Music, We Out Here Festival and Kings Place.

Question 1: Who would you say is someone pivotal to your journey so far?

Marcus Barnes (https://marcusbarnes.com/)

Question 2: Who would be your ideal mentor, and why?

Questlove because he’s fashioned an entire supplementary career spanning music, books, documentaries and podcasts purely out of being a music nerd + connoisseur. He’s living the dream!

Question 3: What advice would you give the next Trailblazer looking to break into your field?

Diversify your skillset and don’t limit yourself to one “trade” – transferrable skills are always attractive. I’d also say, start building your own database of contacts as soon as you can.

Question 4: Who would you like to spotlight as your Trailblazer?

Ekow Eshun (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ekow_Eshun)