From a corporate background to the grind of hip hop management, Jake Amankwaah’s journey is anything but typical. A strategist by nature and an organiser by trade, Jake’s story is rooted in taking initiative, seizing unexpected opportunities, and mastering the art of focus in an industry that demands you wear a dozen hats at once. As the right hand to Benny the Butcher and the engine behind Black Soprano Family’s rise, Jake has navigated everything from websites to signing deals with Jay-Z at Roc Nation. His ability to break down complex roles and tackle them with precision has made him one of the most trusted figures behind the scenes in modern hip hop.
In this edition of The 5 Series, Jake opens up about five distinct roles he juggles simultaneously across the business, the invaluable lessons learned, and the relentless hustle driving Black Soprano Family forward. From managing worldwide tours and scaling merch operations to seven-figure heights, to shaping the creative vision behind music videos, Jake’s approach is anchored by one key principle: focus. From sending a resume via Snapchat his role has evolved into the ultimate multitasker, the unsung hero of a family-first label and a visionary balancing legacy with explosive growth. Thanks to God Living and Varns for their support in making this happen.
Role 1 – Benny The Butcher Manager
It all began when I was working in the Environmental Science, Technology & Health sector at the U.S. State Department’s Beijing Embassy. Feeling ready for a new challenge, I took a leap and joined a tech startup as the founder’s assistant, working closely with lawyers and accountants and taking a significant pay cut to do so. Within a year, I was promoted to Head of Business Development, helping grow the company from $300K in ARR in its first year to $1.2M the next, and then to $3M and $5M in the following years. While the experience and growth were invaluable, I eventually decided to take my equity and move on, realising that, although rewarding, this role didn’t fully satisfy my personal and professional ambitions.
Around that time, I heard that Westside Gunn and Conway had signed with Shady Records. I knew immediately I had to connect with Benny. I shot him a message on Snapchat, and before long, I found myself at one of his shows. Over the thump of the music, he told me to send him my resume. By chance, he needed someone to handle a contract for legal. I suggested DocuSign, got it sorted, and completed the task. He looked at me and said, “Man, you’re overqualified.”
Still, I showed up to his next gig, soaking in the energy. It was a wild night, but Benny only performed a couple of songs himself, letting his crew and guests take the stage. I ducked out early, and as I walked past the venue’s back door, there he was. My apartment was just up the street, so it felt like fate. I introduced myself as the resume guy, and he told someone nearby, “Get this guy’s number.” That was it, or so I thought.
Two weeks later, my phone lit up. “Yo, this is the Butcher. Can you build a website?” I’d worked at a startup, so even if I wasn’t a pro at web design, I knew I could figure it out. I binged YouTube tutorials and built him a Shopify store for his merch. Within a week, we were moving 500 CDs. I was floored. Who is this guy selling 500 CDs in a week? Did he know how big this could get?
Working with Benny was a whirlwind, but it reminded me of my startup days. No two days were ever the same. We were selling social media software that could fit almost any industry, but we eventually zeroed in on legal and accounting firms. That focus paid off, we became the top employee advocacy software in those sectors. It was a huge win, and we owned that space.
That experience drilled one lesson into me: the power of focus. It’s how I operate now, whether I’m tackling branding, clothing, or logistics. I dedicate specific hours, or sometimes entire weeks or months, to one thing at a time. That’s my formula for getting results. It’s all about channeling energy where it counts.
James – What do you think have been some of the biggest moments since becoming Bennys manager?
From the moment Benny first asked me to build a website to those early days selling CDs by hand, our approach to direct-to-consumer products has always been intentional—and honestly, it should be studied. We leaned on Supreme-like supply-and-demand strategies, building anticipation and ensuring sell-outs, while also pioneering the resurgence of physical formats like vinyl and CDs before it became a trend. Every move was about creating culture as much as it was about creating product. I realized just how far things had come when I had to rent a warehouse just to keep up with the orders. What started as a few boxes in the corner of a room turned into pallets, forklifts, and daily shipping runs. The operation had scaled beyond anything I had imagined, and with one particular drop, demand skyrocketed past what we could even handle. For the first time, we broke into six figures, and for the first time, the machine we had built felt almost too big to control. That moment was both terrifying and electrifying
Another that always sticks with me is meeting Raekwon from Wu-Tang Clan at a gritty Brooklyn venue, the kind where the air’s thick. Benny was onstage when Raekwon in a black hoodie and fitted, leaned over and asked if I’d helped master the Tana Talk 4 album. I laughed, shaking my head, “Nah, I’m just his manager, keeping the chaos in check.” He smirked, nodded, and vanished into the crowd. Later, at a dive bar down the street with sticky floors and a ‘90s jukebox, we crossed paths again watching a heavyweight boxing match. As a lifelong hip-hop fan who memorized every bar of 36 Chambers, I was floored, thinking, “Is this a dream?” We talked about the fight and the scene, and at the end of the night, he shook my hand and said, “You’re the engine, kid.” Someone later explained it meant, “Nothing moves without you.” That nod from a legend like Raekwon hit me hard, and it’s still fuels my grind.
Then there’s the Roc Nation signing and those unreal festival moments. Years back, a friend, a huge Benny fan, texted me late-night rumours about a Roc Nation deal, but I brushed it off. Fast forward, and I’m shaking Jay-Z’s hand in his Manhattan office, platinum plaques lining the walls, casually telling him to take zinc for his cold. I left thinking, “What is my life?” Then came the festivals like Coachella, Lyrical Lemonade Fest, and Rolling Loud, pure chaos and magic atmosphere. Backstage at Coachella, under the sun, or at Lyrical Lemonade with fans chanting Benny’s name, it hits you: “We’ve made it.” You grind for years, booking gigs, sorting contracts, pushing merch, with no clear milestones. Then festival season explodes, and thousands of fans screaming lyrics you helped bring to life show you what it was all for.
Role 2 – President of B$F
B$F, or Black Soprano Family, is all about Benny the Butcher’s lifelong friends, people he grew up with and wanted to uplift. When Benny’s career took off, he came to me with a real, honest pitch: “Can you do for them what you did for me? Let’s replicate this formula with other artists.” That’s how B$F was born. After Benny’s success and signing with Roc Nation and Agency 78, he brought in more managers and built a bigger team. We talked it out and agreed to focus on elevating the other guys, carrying forward that momentum. In a way, Benny was passing the torch, giving his crew a real shot at the big leagues.
This label isn’t just a business, it’s family. These guys are like brothers, so tight they call themselves uncles to my kid. The vibe is laid-back, where you can roast someone for messing up a couple of recording sets and say, “Yo, you better not screw this one up!” It’s real, it’s honest, and it’s all love. At its heart, B$F is about unity, holding each other down, pushing each other to grow, and always keeping it honest.
The name B$F is versatile. We use the acronym for everything. There’s Big Smoke Farm, our cannabis company, and Big Sports Firm, another venture. It’s a double entendre that fits whatever we’re doing, keeping things light.
Since starting B$F, we’ve had some huge moments. The partnership with Roc Nation was a game-changer, and managing Benny early on was a big win. But securing a distribution deal through Monarch, formerly E1, took things to another level. Shoutout to Alan, Sean, and Abe for making that happen, it gave us the budget and freedom to push recent projects. Lately, the biggest thrills have been watching ElCamino and Rick Hyde perform overseas. Seeing them on stage at the Jazz Cafe in the UK, with 6,000 people singing every word? That’s the kind of moment that hits you deep and makes it all worth it.
Role 3 – Tour Manager
Being a tour manager is a completely different beast compared to my other roles. Since 2018, I’ve handled eight tours, and let me tell you, it’s the hardest part of the job. On the road, I’m juggling 15 to 20 roles at once. I’m coordinating transport, advancing with venues, managing the run of show with the DJ, staying in constant contact with promoters, handling payments, ticketing, the website, literally every detail of the tour. We’ve worked with big agencies like WME and Clockwork, plus some independent folks, but at the end of the day, I’m the one running the entire logistics operation. It’s absolute chaos, but I live for it.
I can lean on guidance from Agency 78 and Roc Nation, but at this point, I’ve got it down. As the road manager, I’m handling everything on the ground, too. The biggest challenge? Dealing with family. Benny’s such a hood dude, always rolling with a hundred guys from his block, and I’m responsible for making sure they’re all good. On tour, you’ve got this massive entourage, people who aren’t necessarily part of the business but are part of Benny’s circle. They love bringing folks along for the ride, which is cool because it feels like a bigger family, a real support system. But it’s tough, too. I’m often the “jerk” of the crew, telling some guy who’s been Benny’s friend for 15 years, “Sorry, you can’t come in.” Over time, you learn who’s who, figuring out who’s important, whose call you can dodge, and who you absolutely have to pick up for.
My first tour was the “Butcher Is Coming tour”, and it was wild. I was still working at a startup, trying to balance both jobs. When they called and asked if I could help, I said, “Nah, I’m either running this or I’m not doing it at all.” They gave me the reins, we was making $1,000 a show and had to sell 2 bitcoin’s to finance it. I was constantly thinking, “How the hell are we pulling this off?” But it was my dream, and we crushed it.
A big inspiration for me was watching Wiz Khalifa’s day-in-the-life vlogs back in the day. I wanted to be like Will, the guy organizing everything behind the scenes. So, being on tour felt surreal, like my dreams were coming true. I’ll never forget riding little motorbikes in Salt Lake City, thinking, “Oh my God, I’m actually on tour. I’m part of the story.” From there, I stepped up to tour managing for Griselda, handling Conway, Westside Gunn, and Benny. That was next-level insanity. Managing Benny alone is a lot, but adding two other major artists and their entourages? It’s triple the workload, but you’re still only getting a fraction of the results because the logistics don’t scale. You’re still on the hook for every single detail.
Role four – Executive Producer
A lot of people don’t realize this, but I’ve always had a creative side, even though the team sees me as the business guy. I love being creative, it’s in my blood. Back in the day, I used to make beats and rap, and I’ve always dreamed of making movies and directing. Right now, I’m even working on two films just for fun. But to the team, I’m the logistics master, not the creative visionary, and I’m cool with that.
When it’s time to shoot content, I naturally slide into the role of the logistics guy. Need a car? I’m on it. Shooting at a specific location? I’m arranging it. On set, I’m like the “General,” barking orders: “Back up, start the song, stop, wrap it up!” I’m coordinating with the director on payments, call times, and approvals—all the behind-the-scenes details. For a lot of our videos, I’m the one picking the directors, too. So, even though it might seem like I’m not involved in the artistic side, I absolutely am. I just don’t shout about it or take the credit.
In this industry, a lot of folks chase clout, wanting everyone to know “I did this” or “I did that” so they can tell cool stories or flex. That’s not me. I believe in compensation over credit. The results speak for themselves. If my daughter’s fed, I’m traveling the world, and I’m rocking Supreme, that’s my proof of success. I don’t need titles or recognition to feel good about what I do. Like the saying goes, “Let the work speak for itself.” That’s my motto, and I live by it.
Role 5 – Brand Strategist
Brand strategy isn’t something most people think about, but it’s been a game-changer for us. I learned a ton about it from my old boss, Adrian Dayton, when we were rebranding and strategizing our startup, which sold for $33 million a couple of years ago. Adrian used to say, “You’ve got to create a story and a narrative. People buy into a narrative more than the actual product.” That stuck with me, and it’s shaped how I approach branding.
When it came to building Benny’s brand, I asked him, “Do you have a logo?” He mentioned a girl he knew who made these clever designs for a skateboard, and we agreed to roll with that vibe. Then I asked about his favorite ad-lib, every rapper’s got one. At the time, Benny was experimenting with a few, but he eventually settled on “The Butcher coming.” I saw potential there and said, “Let’s lean into that, make it a thing.” I even suggested some gimmicks to amplify it, but Benny, being the street dude he is, pushed back, saying, “Man, I don’t do gimmicks.” Still, we kept at it, and it started to click naturally.
We had a real talk about going all in on “The Butcher” persona. At first, Benny thought it felt forced, maybe even corny. But two weeks later, he dropped the Pork Chops, and they started catching fire. Two weeks after that, they were blowing up. A couple more weeks, and he’s on stage rocking an apron. It all came together so organically. Honestly, Benny’s one of the best marketers I’ve ever worked with. I’ve collaborated with top 100 law firms and massive marketing teams with million-dollar budgets, and Benny’s branding instincts still stand out as some of the sharpest I’ve seen.
I recently started Inner Sight Consulting Inc to help companies refine and implement business development strategies while also supporting artists in growing their careers. Leveraging my background in social media, I’ve helped transform client platforms by applying strategies I previously taught to lawyers, accountants, and other professionals. For example, I worked closely with Benny to elevate his social media presence, when I started, he had around 30k followers, and guided the growth of his audience and engagement through targeted, strategic approaches.
Benny and I make a killer team, he’s the yin to my yang. There’s a beauty in how we bounce ideas off each other, but it’s not always easy. As a rapper, Benny’s all about authenticity, which can make branding tricky. You’ve got to read the room and create an experience people can buy into while staying true to who he is. Benny said this is year 8 of a 10 year run. I’m looking forward to growing the brand and expanding into different ventures. From Cannibis, to merch to movies.. we are not stopping anytime soon!
