For years, sports and music have been two sides of the same coin. Athletes walk out to songs from their favorite artist. Rappers name-drop their favorite teams. Style, slang, and swagger pass back and forth between locker rooms and studios, because most of the time, they’re all from similar communities but just chose different >Eesean Bolden, who grew up around both worlds, saw the connection early in life.

“I think it’s twofold,” Bolden said when asked what sparked the idea for his company. “My parents were independent R&B artists. So growing up, I used to see them on their journey. And then I also played sports. So playing basketball my whole adolescent life kept me on the straight and narrow.”

Bolden’s life experiences, along with his vision, eventually turned into Culture Jam, the studio he founded after years working in the record business at labels like Capitol Records, Epic Records, and Warner Bros. Records. Today, the company operates like a hybrid: there’s an agency arm that builds campaigns for brands and networks, a label that pairs athletes with artists