Naima Cochrane

I'm Naima.

For almost 20 years, I've worked behind the scenes of the music industry building the careers and brand stories of artists like John Legend, Maxwell, Beyoncè, Mary Mary, Jidenna, and more. As a marketer in a business that thrives on trends, my goal was to always keep my artists’ voice, content and messaging authentic.
Now, I'm utilizing those skills and practices on a broader level as the creator of the popular #MusicSermon Twitter series, and as the founder of cltr., a multi-functional agency that works with brands, organizations and public-facing figures to shape their stories in authentic ways.
I also write a few things about music and culture here and there, watch a whole lot of tv, and eat entirely too much candy for a grown person.
I often say I do a little bit of a lot, and after some grumblings from people I love, I realized it was time to create one space for everything Naima. This is also a look into my life, my work and my personal journey of authenticity as I'm transitioning from long time executive to creative entrepreneur.
WELCOME!

FEATURED IN/ON

TALKING WHITNEY...

I joined Jon Caramonica and a round table of other music and culture critics to discuss how the documentaries Whitney (in theaters now) and Whitney: Can I Be Me? (currently available on Showtime on demand) handled Whitney's legacy, if either provided new insight or revelations, if there's a larger story to be told about her career, and how folks need to put some respect on Bobby Brown's name!

READ MORE + LISTEN

THOSE WHO IGNORE HISTORY...

My partner and I traveled from #EssenceFest by car with my mom, flying home from Atlanta, so that we could stop at the EJI National Memorial for Peace & Justice (aka the National Lynching Memorial) in Montgomery.
I'll share a full recap on the blog in the next few days, but I posted a video along with images of the placards in the museum that detail a few known stories (out of thousands), noting the striking and unsettling similarities between the random reasons for punitive actions against black people both then and now. The posts went viral, and while I had quite a battle in my mentions for a good 36 hours, some people heard about the memorial for the first time. Others realized they didn't know nearly the depth of the horrific history of lynching. That's worth the bots and racism deniers who were camped in my mentions.

TWITTER

We’re taking the “long way” back home so we could stop in Montgomery to visit the lynching memorial. Found the counties we knew. Found the name of a victim my grandfather used to tell stories about. (READ MORE)

THE DAILY DOT

#MusicSermon is a place of musical "worship" where we praise our legends, testify about the good works of the unsung and rejoice in the blessings of soul music. Started as a weekly twitter series, it's grown into a community of music lovers and a source of communal nostalgia. You'll even spot some celebrities in the virtual pews, including Ava Duverney, Lin Manuel Miranda, Missy Elliott, Chuck D, MC Hammer and more.
The below posts offer a sampling of the #MusicSermon experience. For more, visit the church home or follow via twitter on Sunday evenings for "live" service.

VISIT #MUSICSERMON