We had the good fortune of connecting with Montu Miller and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Montu, how do you think about risk?
Risk has been a significant factor in my success. Many of the moves I made were just me being fearless and taking a chance. I came to Atlanta in 1995 for college; I attended Morris Brown College. Naturally, I study everything around me; I have always absorbed my environment and been a quick study. Being in the AUC center showed me a lot, from the homies from ATL, Cali, NY, Detroit to the business person selling products everywhere. Everyone seemed to be moving and shaking something. We would go to the club, concerts, the mall. I learned a lot about business, marketing, and promotions from my time living in ATL. Fast forward to 1999 to my move to Athens, attending the University of Georgia. I took many of the lessons I learned from ATL and applied them to my Athens business ventures. Most of the time, it was just trial and error, minor and major risks. I had to take a risk when I started doing events at my loft apartment with a UGA organization I help create called the Dreaded MindZ Family, a group of students, poets, community members, Hip-Hop, activists. My apartment got to be so known for Hip-Hop, poetry, and community organizing; we started calling it “The Lounge.” That place is the birthplace and launching pad for many people, artists, and events. I had no clue how that would turn out, but it turned out to be a good move. That risk paid off when it grew to the point that we had to find another space because The Lounge was no longer big enough. That risk guided us to start doing events on the UGA campus and downtown Athens. We produced festivals, brought major artists, started weekly/monthly/annual events; it helped cultivate a wave in Athens that can still be felt today. That lead to me joining ATHfactor Entertainment, which was also a risk. I had no idea joining that team would help catapult ATHfactor and myself to where we are today. Honestly, every move I have made has been a gamble. Most people did not want Hip-Hop shows on the UGA campus, but we took a leap, and they did well. We joined the Hip-Hop movement in Athens and took a risk; we started to do a heavy rotation of events downtown. I took a leap when I started to work with the Hop Corner planning committee to bring more Hip-Hop to the only Black festival in downtown Athens; it paid off. I took a risk when I started working with Athfest, the biggest festival in Athens; now, Hip-Hop is everywhere during that festival. I have taken numerous risks, and most of them continue to pay off for the Hip-Hop community. Don’t get me wrong, we have lost money, had empty shows, and took risks that did not pay off. Overall, I stay committed and continue to take risks that further our company and advocate for Hip-Hop. They say “scared money- don’t make no money,” most of the time, I believe that to be true, and it ain’t always about actual dollars. The risks I have taken have made me who I am today. And I have not taken these risks alone; my ATHfactor-Liberty Entertainment family and the Athens Hip-Hop community have been right there all along, taking these risks with me. I AM WE!

What should our readers know about your business?
ATHfactor-Liberty Entertainment is an independent entertainment company based out of Athens, Georgia. We specialize in event management (planning & promotions) and artist/business consultation. We also build compilation projects as a platform for independent artists. Founded in 2006 by John Vereen, Travis Williams, Hope Iglehart, Reggie “DJ Chief Rocka” Sykes. I eventually joined the team with the persistence of Travis. John and Hope would eventually leave the company to pursue other opportunities, but DJ Chief Rocka (@dj_chiefrocka), Travis, and I built on ATHfactor Entertainment. (All social media @athfactor) Our History Trav Williams was the Hip-Hop artist that helped build the foundation of ATHfactor. Travis Williams has a high-caliber discography that includes some classic material. It all began with “REPARATIONS” (February 2007); he would connect musically with DJ Speek Greene (the Great Soul Parade/Jean Grea’s D.J.) on the “Lean On Me” mix-tape (April 2007). He followed this up with his first full-length album, “The Trickle Down” (2008), which most serious music listeners considered a HipHop classic. Next came “The Trickle Down Bootlegs and B-sides (August 2008), “The Learning Curve” (December 2008). In 2009, he worked with ATHfactor producer John Vereen on “Tangible Content” (Vereencorps). Travis Williams would go world-wide, working with producers from across the globe on “IllTravis” (April 2009). In March 2010, he worked with MoonChild and HipNOTT Records to produce “Better Late Than Never” E.P., “The Learning Curve 2” (October 2011), P.O.E. (May 2013), “Travis Williams Can’t Lose” (August 2015). During Travis William’s reign, he would gain admiration and critical acclaim both locally in Athens and throughout the Southeastern region. Producers from every region (New York, Michigan, California, North Carolina, and Georgia) constantly contacted Travis Williams about doing songs, projects, and full-length albums. He was featured on OKAYPLAYER.COM music player, reaching No. 17, on Jean Grae Radio, and X.M. Radio’s “Show Us What Ya Got.” The blogosphere is filled with interviews, leaked tracks, and reviews of his music. Trav Williams and ATHfactor Entertainment were being heard throughout the music industry. They were making things happen, most of it under the radar- but Travis Williams was starting to be included in influential conversations. After graduating from the UGA Law School in 2008, Travis moved to Gainsville, GA, becoming one of Georgia’s top public defenders. That’s right, Travis Willams and ATHfactor Entertainment were making all these major moves while Travis was attending law school. Travis Williams became a highly sought-after lecturer and was featured in the HBO documentary “Gideon’s Army.” Because of the demands of his law career and speaking engagements, he did not have the time to continue creating music. ATHfactor Entertainment carried on as we created Tasty Tuesday (a weekly HipHop Night at Tasty World that ran for three years), Poetic Soul (weekly poetry open mic at New Earth), Loungin’ @The Lounge (a monthly Hip-Hop showcase that ran for a year at Caledonia Lounge) and countless other projects throughout the years. After the significant loss of Travis Williams, DJ Chief Rocka and Montu continued to build ATHfactor up with more shows and projects. They would start First Tuesdays at Live Wire Athens in 2014, which moved to The World Famous in 2015 and is still a pillar in Athens Hip-Hop today. In 2014, ATHfactor joined forces with Khaalis “Kaliko” Brooks, the C.E.O. of Liberty Entertainment, to form ATHfactor-Liberty Entertainment (ALE). Kaliko, DJ Chief Rocka, and I grew up in Hip-Hop and believe in preserving the HipHop culture. We are self-made entrepreneurs and will do whatever it takes to keep it flourishing. Look out for this entertainment company; they are here to push the envelope, promote Hip-Hop at its highest level, and present top-tier entertainment. Current projects and collaborations: FIRST TUES This monthly event is now virtual and will continue to serve as a platform for Athens music and business communities, providing additional exposure to those that the mainstream usually ignores. Available on ATHfactor-Liberty Entertainment youtube Live From Studio B at Tweed Recording A private monthly live stream of independent artists recorded live in Tweed Recording’s Studio B, presented by Tweed Recording in-conjunction with Athfactor-Liberty Entertainment. Available on ATHfactor-Liberty Entertainment youtube CLASSIC CITY WAX Vol. 2, a vinyl compilation album presenting 15 tracks by some of Athen’s best rappers and producers. Just like the 2020 Classic City Wax Vol. 1, this project is 100% Athens-centric. https://www.facebook.com/ccwax706 Release April 2021 Now Is The Time: Shouting Fire in a Crowded Theater, a Hip-Hop project created to remind us that America’s current climate is nothing unusual. This project is contemporary protest music that draws inspiration from historical trailblazers that yelled fire and left us with the tools to continue the fight. This eight-song compilation consists of 13 Hip-Hop artists, two poets, and six producers based in Athens, Georgia. Release May 2021 Hip-Hop Harmonic A community engagement project led by Connie Frigo, an associate professor of saxophone in the University of Georgia Hugh Hodgson School of Music, who developed it in collaboration with Athens Hip Hop artist Linqua Franqa (Mariah Parker) and ATHfactor-Liberty Entertainment’s Montu Miller, and Cynthia Johnston Turner, professor, and director of bands in the Hodgson School. The Athens Hip Hop Harmonic will explore issues and experiences of racism, inclusion, equity, and social justice through music. There will be a series of performances in community venues. The project will advance what the National Endowment for the Arts refers to as “creative placemaking,” the deliberate integration of arts and culture to support local efforts to enhance quality of life, increase creative activity and foster a distinct sense of place. https://arts.uga.edu/artslab/ Our current Artist Consultant Roster: Kxng Blanco (@kxngblanco) Caulfield (@my_name_is_caulfield) Motorhead 2X (@motorhead2x)

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
The first thing I would do is give them the Atlanta tour, probably spend a day just driving, riding on MARTA, and seeing all the obvious. That would include College Park/East Point Area, AUC Center, The Underground, Centennial Park/CNN/College Football Hal of Fame Area, Lenox Mall, Phipps Plaza. During this tour, we would stop off and eat at some of the best food spots. I would have to call my people in Atlanta because I do not go there much. After getting ATL out of the way, I would drive them to Athens, my stomping ground. During the rest of the week, we would get some good food all around and many styles. We would go to a couple of soul food spots like Weaver D’s, Food For the Soul, next a couple of Jamaican spots, Damunchiezz Food Truck, Kelly’s Jamaican Restaurant, Rashe’s Jamaican Cuisine, then Mexican at Sr Sol, Aqua Linda, and TLALOC. I would take them to the different neighborhoods and show them how these spaces were formed. Definitely have to hit the historic Morton Theatre, built-in 1910 by Monroe Bowers (“Pink”) Morton. It is one of the first and the oldest surviving vaudeville theatres in the United States, uniquely built, owned, and operated by an African-American. We would go thrifting and to the flea market. Go for a bike ride around all the dope trails around Athens. We would go to The World Famous, Oglethorpe Garage, and maybe a few other little bars. I am a beer nerd, so we would go to Creature Comforts Brewery, Terrapin Brewery, Southern Brewing Company, Athentic Brewing Company, which most usually have some good food trucks or at least good eats nearby. Lastly would take them to the University of Georgia Campus and show them all that.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
The most important people, the loves of my life my fiance Ymmilia “Pooh”, and my cubs Brayana, Sekayi, Brandon, Gyasi and Liam, my Queen Mother Mary Miller, my siblings Ellen, Walter. Maurice (RIP) and my big brother Kliphton. The Athens Community has helped make me the person I am today, so I SOULUTE ATHENS GEORGIA. Special shoutout to my mentors Mr. Wilson, Hattie Lawson, Dr. Rhym, Travis Williams, Lemuel “Life” LaRoche, and that’s only a few. Major shout out to my ATHfactor-Liberty Entertainment (ALE) family, Reggie “DJ Chief Rocka” Sykes, Khaalis”Kaliko” Brooks, Tahron “Maxim Debonair” Watkins, even the ones that are no longer active but helped build this company Sebre Miller, Hope Iglehart, John Vereen. There are too many to name, so blame my limited space and mind not my heart to those I did not personally name. SOULUTE to ALL MY PEOPLE & FOLKS!!!

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Image Credits
Jaikal Photgraphy Gentleman Made Photography

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