Naz Idelji
Product Manager, Universal Music
it and then see it in the shops. I and when it was due to finish, one
get the midweek’s [a list of sales of the directors kindly offered me a
figures for albums] everyday. To fulltime job in his department which
see that people have actually was Warner compilations.’
gone out and brought what I made ‘During my time at Warner, I
– it’s a really nice feeling. ‘ worked my way from assistant
to product manager. I worked on
Harder than it looks projects including Pure Garage,
Free CDs and a job where you TwiceasNice, Cream Classics,
can listen to music all day sounds Magic FM album, Acoustic Love,
like the perfect job to me, and Pure Urban Essentials, R&B Love,
very easy to do. Naz assures me Hip Hop Love, The Evolution of
otherwise. ‘People think it’s easy Hip Hop and many more. After two
and it’s not. It’s not nine to five. years I left Warner’s to consult on
You really put a lot of your time TV advertised compilations to other
into it,’ she says as she looks at record labels. I consulted on many
her watch anxiously and mutters projects in the year and a half and
that she hasn’t got long because
she has to get back to work.
With the time approaching “People think it’s easy,
4pm most of us would be looking
forward to winding down and going
and it’s not. It’s not
home rather than going back to
the office. Not Naz. ‘I love my job,’
nine to five. You put a
she chimes. ‘I wouldn’t change it
lot of your time into it”
Young and ambitious for the world.’ In a country where
we work longer hours than most
You can’t let people walk all and some people feel trapped in then got asked to apply for the
‘
over you. You just have to be the rat race, it’s refreshing to meet product manager job at Universal.’
able to stand your ground,’ someone who is happy with her lot Since taking on the role,
comments Naz Idelji on working and eager to climb the corporate the Persian/Russian beauty has
for a record label where the major- ladder. Naz is certainly putting her launched a competition to find the
ity of people at the top are men. Advertising and Marketing Com- new face of the multi million selling
The feisty 26-year-old is a munications degree to good use. compilation brand Massive R&B.
product manager for all Urban and After studying at Bournemouth ‘I have also been trying to bring
Dance compilations at Universal University Naz began working in in new aspects to my brands. My
Music and is responsible for many Fashion PR. ‘I hated it,’ she says projects are like my baby – and I
of the hit compilation albums that giggling at the memory. ‘It was do like to watch them grow.’
you have probably purchased. a completely different world. It’s With that competition being
With a roster of the likes of Mariah everything that they say it is. It’s a success what’s next? ‘There’s
Carey, Eminem, Amy Winehouse, bitchy and OTT and that’s just not nowhere else to go. Universal is
Jay-Z and Ne-Yo, Naz isn’t short me. I’m a little bit more chilled out. the biggest so I’ll just stay put.’
of good music to fill her CDs. In So I left and became and intern at
the short five months that she has Warner on their graduate scheme www.umusic.co.uk
held the position, she has already
achieved four number ones.
‘I don’t think the majority of the Young and ambitious Creative team
people understand what I do,’
she states. ‘The Blackberry starts
beeping around 8am and I get into
Flavour highly recommends the services of the team that worked
the office about 9.30am where I’ll
on the cover and young and ambitious feature photo shoot are:
be looking at projects and we have
a general team meeting, and sales
Photographer, azza, www.myspace.com/azzaphotographer
llen
a
meeting. I’ll be looking at artwork
or ads and tracklists or coming up
make-up, Pandemonium make-up artistry,
with compilation ideas.
www.myspace.com/cr8pandemonium nnika
‘Everyday there’s something
a
getting done and then there’s the
Hair, nibras alwasiti, www.myspace.com/nibras_themakeupartist
boring bit of doing finance plans.’
‘What’s nice is that I create
styling, neesha sharma, www.myspace.com/luminary_london
ds by
or
something from scratch, develop W
26
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