MS. VENITA MCCOLLUM

What sparked your decision to write the book: How to Raise A rapper?

Let me just be clear, a lot of people look at the title and see, “ Raising a Rapper”, but the book is for any parent that is raising a young person these days in any industry and [they’ve] overnight made a bunch of money or want to make a bunch of money and become a star. So i just said “Raising a rapper” because my son is a rapper but it’s for youtubers, dj’s, producers, anyone in any industry that’s a young person. I wanted to write the book because I wanted to give parents a blueprint. When we started no one gave me a blueprint. I had to wing it and find out things for myself so I wanted to give other parents a head start so that they wouldn’t make some of the mistakes that we made. So that was my whole purpose, to help other parents coming behind me.

In the book you discuss the transition of Lil Yachty going from the college dorm room to making the Forbes list in just 2 years. What was the transition like for you as his mom?

It was interesting, it was overwhelming. It was a whole lot of things, but you know we just had to step back, organize and get in place for the move because it was going to happen whether I was ready or not. So it was just about preparing [and] getting everything together. When he said he was not going to school, he was leaving school and he was going to be an artist. I didn't really understand that. I didn’t really know how to process it, but I think it just took its course. He came home and he was in Kanye’s fashion show and then he was signed to QC, then he was signed to Capital. The rest is history. He’s still doing it today.

Do you have mother’s that come up to you that ask to manage their kids?

Alot, not as much as I used to because I’ve kind of been off the scene a little bit because we’ve been doing some other stuff. In the very beginning a lot of parents would come to me and ask me “should they hand their kids over to different people to manage”, would I manage them, and ask for advice {such as] should they let their kids drop out of high school, should their kids drop out of college. That’s another thing that inspired me to write the book to be able to help them when they have to make those hard decision. Should I tap into my 401k that I’ve been saving for my whole corporate life, What should I do?” So that was part of the inspiration.

With the major succes of this book, can readers expect a sequal to the book soon?

It will definitely be a sequel. In the sequel I think that I’m just going to add some of those most needed things about the industry. Those things can also be heard and found on my podcast because I do have a podcast that follows the book. And I talk to a lot of experts in the industry. That’s what I want to put in the second book, a lot of experts that people can rely on whether it’s a lawyer or a jeweler or

Tell us about your podcast, “The Wrapup with Venita”. Who has been your favorite guest thus far?

I probably would have to say someone that I have become very good friends with [is] my friend Cleo. Cleopatra Bernard who is the mother of XXXtenxion. She and I have become really good friends. So I would have to say [her]. A friendship that cultivated from that interview. [Actually] A little bit before the interview because my son actually introduced me to her. Her son passed and he was at his funeral and met her. He said “Mom I want you to meet her” and so we met and have been friends ever since. Dear friends!

What’s next for Ms. Venita McCollum?

Oh my gosh that is a good question! Growing my followers on the podcast and the book. Growing the brand, just getting more parents involved and giving them more information. Maybe doing a tour with other moms [and] go around the country and we bring other professionals into the industry and just provide parents with a little bit of hope. There is so much competition in this industry a lot of times parents don’t know where to begin. Oftentimes kids are really young and parents don’t realize that. In this industry a lot of people take advantage of you. The tour would be a way for us to give them information and for other moms to tell their stories. These moms and dads have got some amazing stories about how these kids have said that they’re going to be famous and you kind of just brush that off when your child says that. And then it happens and you’re like “wow”! What good is it to you if you’re not helping someone.

Raising A Rapper is now available for purchase on Amazon and RaisingARapper.com in paperback, ebook and audiobook versions.