Isaac M. Hamm: Advocate For Black Music Month & Founder of IM3Media, LLC

IM3Media, LLC Founder Isaac M. Hamm, III is a speaker, author, brand strategist, and event planner. He’s worked with numerous celebrities and organizations through the years such as The City of Philadelphia, The City of Atlanta, The United Negro College Fund, eONE Entertainment, Verizon Wireless, Lexus, 2x Grammy Award Winner Algebra Blessett, Multi-Platinum selling group SWV, Multi-Award Winner Sheryl Lee Ralph, Kenya Moore from The Real Housewives of Atlanta, and actor Robert Christopher Riley, and more.

For the past 12 years, he has been an advocate for Black Music Month and was even coined the godson of this international music month by Ms. Dyana Williams. In 2018 Isaac was appointed as one of the youngest persons to become a board member of Philadelphia’s Legendary Uptown Theater. In November of 2020, Isaac was selected by mentor Dyana Williams to become a key member of the Music Industry Relations Board Collective for Nashville’s TN new Black culture music museum The National Museum of African American Music, a platform that chronicles black music from the 1600s to the present.

In addition to all his accomplishments, he has a book out titled The Brand Is You: 5 Easy Steps To Building A Successful Brand and a beard line called BeUnique. Both ideas were birthed during the quarantine in hopes of helping to improve the lives of others.

Tammy Reese: Please tell us about your advocacy work for Black Music Month?

Isaac M Hamm: My advocacy work for Black Music Month started in February 2010 after witnessing a woman by the name of Dyana Williams talking about Black Music Month. At the time I was doing large numbers at my open mic called Hidden Soul Wednesdays throughout The City of Philadelphia and had no idea this International holiday was a thing to the music community.

I quickly did my research on both Ms. Williams and Black Music to find out there was a whole month to celebrate. So from 2010 to 2019, I created an annual production call The Comeback. In these nine years, I’ve honored fifty-three people in the industry with The Dyana Williams award. The award was named after her in 2010 after honoring her.

Tammy Reese: What does your role entail as a board member of Uptown Theater?

Isaac M Hamm: My role with Uptown is to keep the marketing and branding together and also developing community outreach programs to keep the funding and the name out there in the community. There are a lot of new things happening with the theater. Soon we will be reopening and making jobs available to the Philadelphia community. Isaac M Hamm

Tammy Reese: How did the Brand Is You book come about?

Isaac M Hamm: The Brand Is You: 5 Easy Steps to Building a Successful Brand” was birthed during the beginning of the pandemic in April 2020. I have always wanted to write a book on things that I do in the industry but never had the time. What better time while the world is on lockdown. A lot of what is in the book are things I talk with my clients about when signing them on. One of my favorite steps I mention in the book is being consistent. We start things and never finish or we provide a service one way at the start of the business and months later that service doesn’t get that much attention. It can be as simple as having a consistent e-letter going out to all your clients once a month to skipping a month. Believe it or not, customers love to be informed on what is going on at their favorite store. I finished a workbook too that I will later release in Summer 2021.

Tammy Reese: What feedback have you received so far?

Isaac M Hamm: Man, the feedback is so dope. I feel like a third teacher that had a bad student come back after graduating college to show you he or she did not go down the wrong path in life. This book is an easy read and to the point. I am changing lives and it feels good. Family and friends who are not in the industry are motivated to just live with purpose in their everyday lives because they are understanding they too are a BRAND!

Tammy Reese: Let’s talk about the music industry relations collective. How did you get involved?

Isaac M Hamm: It was first because of mentor Dyana introduced me to Mr. Hick, the CEO of the National Museum of African American Music [location in Nashville] in 2016 in LA at her private dinner during the Grammy’s from there I stayed in contact. In 2018 I honored him in Nashville at my annual Black Music Month production.

So my relationship with Mr. Hicks and his lovely staff grew over the years. I would drive to Nashville and lend a hand whenever I could. I have built great relationships in Nashville which got me to a comfortable place to jokingly call that my second home.

It was such an honor to have been nominated by Dyana at such a high request that I would be a great addition to the collective. Imagine your name following greats like Gospel Legend Dr. Bobby Jones or BET’s Steven Hill and others from various outlets in the industry. Mind-blowing!

Tammy Reese: What other organizations or projects are you currently connected with?

Isaac M Hamm: The Otis Redding Foundation is another organization I have started to get involved in down in Macon, GA. The Redding family is doing such a great job keeping not just Legendary Otis Redding’s legacy alive but building up the youth in the community.

Tammy Reese: What else would you like our readers to be on the look out for?

Isaac M Hamm: I am currently working on my second book. I am super excited about that. My first did and is still doing well. It is like once you write one book you start to get an itch to write another. Besides the second book, I am focusing on building my relationships so I can grow my brand more. Bigger contracts etc. Taking my time.