The Music Executive Creating a Wave of Good Karma: Meet Karma Jonez

Staying true to his name, Karma Jonez is a firm believer that what you put out always comes back. As the CEO of KarmaxWave culture collective, a full-service entertainment firm, and fashion brand offering unique streetwear in collaboration with Ethik Clothing, the music executive has cemented himself as a force to be reckoned with and a major player in the North American music industry. With roots in Toronto and connections spanning from LA, Philadelphia and New York, his team is committed to only putting out the best and creating a wave of good karma by producing top quality game-changing work while offering the best in fashion.

We chopped it up with the two-time Juno award recipient about his experience as a high-profile artist manager, entrepreneur and lessons he’s learned along the way.  

OBM: Thanks for coming through, Karma! Let’s jump right in. You’re the CEO of KarmaxWave, a culture collective, full-service entertainment firm, and fashion brand offering unique streetwear in collaboration with Ethik Clothing. Tell us about your inspiration behind this and your decision to blend music and fashion?

Karma: I believe that they have always been hand in hand. When you look at things like when an athlete gets signed, the next biggest thing to a contract is a sneaker deal. As an entertainer, your  image matters so I thought that when you collab with a brand that matches with the type of sound, it would bring the right artist to have it all in house. Also, my dad lived in England and owned his own retail clothing store which inspired me to carry his legacy after his passing and I’d continue where he left off. I wanted to figure a way to build my relations/connections within the industry so I would put together care packages and send them out to a bunch of artists. I would show support and love and always ensured that the artists that I’ve connected with were taken care of in the city and let them know that they’re respected once they touch down. 

OBM: In your experience, having worked with some of the country’s top artists and creatives, what would you say are the main qualities you look for in an artist before signing them to KarmaxWave?

Krama: Consistency, consistency is major. An artist who is going to put in work and also be able to take advice and be versatile. Leadership, positive energy and attitude. The artist has to be able to lead their team and let their team members feel motivated to keep going beyond the extra mile. The artist has to have great behavioural attributes and know how to conduct themselves based on the environment. I look for an artist who is also very creative. An artist who is diverse in all aspects ( writing, producing etc) allows the artist to have a unique creative direction that’s different from all the other artists we see these days. 

OBM: Congrats on being a 2X recipient of Canada’s most prestigious music award, The Juno Awards! That’s impressive. The JUNOS are presented annually to Canadian musical artists and bands to acknowledge their artistic and technical achievements in all aspects of music. Tell us about the artists you worked with and what it felt like to win two times?

Karma: Each artist I’ve worked with has been very dedicated and determined. They had the ability to shift their focus on making great music and were able to sit in a room and become creative with consistency, strategically brainstorming each record. They’ve worked hard putting in hours to be awarded. Winning the first Juno was such an amazing feeling and then seeing that we snagged a second one, was an out of body feeling. Everything felt like it was paying off. All the hard work, late sleepless nights started to amount to more than success. 

OBM: What advice would you give to someone interested in following in your career footsteps as an artist manager and entrepreneur? Anything you had to learn the hard way?

Karma: I would tell the people to never give up. No matter how hard things get, no matter how low it feels, never give up. Keep the focus, study the business, read. These are all key factors in order to make yourself a better version of you in the business. If you fail, don’t settle on failure, pick yourself up and push yourself even harder. Create goals for yourself even if that means pulling out the white board and creating a vision board. Manifest things into existence even if you sound crazy or even if it seems impossible. Take risks, just don’t get too greedy. 

Create structure, build a team that is just as motivated as you cause after all we can’t do this alone. What I learned the hard way is that sometimes you can’t keep giving, because people take advantage of your kindness. 

OBM: We appreciate you taking the time to speak with us! Best of luck on all your upcoming projects, we’re excited to see what’s next for you and the artists you’re working with. Where can our readers keep up with you?

Karma: On IG: @karmapuffjonez , you can also check out our website karmaxwave.com