From the tasks of Queens, New York, to changing into one among Billboard’s Prime Music Legal professionals, John Rose’s journey embodies the ability of dreaming huge. As an leisure lawyer at Fox Rothschild, Rose has remodeled from a soccer scholarship athlete to a authorized powerhouse representing a number of the music trade’s greatest names. With certifications from Harvard Enterprise College and Emory College College of Legislation, his experience spans enterprise analytics, transactional regulation, and disaster administration.
His groundbreaking victories, together with a notable lawsuit between Rick Ross and 50 Cent, have earned him recognition in Selection’s Authorized Impression checklist. Past his authorized achievements, Rose dedicates himself to inspiring the subsequent era, talking at quite a few regulation faculties throughout the nation and displaying younger Black college students that success in regulation is attainable.
[Editor’s note: This is a truncated transcription of a longer video interview. Please see the video for the extended version. Some errors may occur.]
What does it really feel wish to be an lawyer who can symbolize and share intelligence with so many individuals?
Actually, I feel, for lack of higher phrases, a dream come true. I used to be the primary in my household to go to high school and didn’t actually know what a lawyer regarded like rising up within the tasks in Queens, New York. And also you heard of Johnny Cochran. You noticed him on tv, however didn’t suppose there was an area for us to symbolize those that regarded like us and did these issues that we had been most drawn to rising up.
I used to be a soccer scholarship athlete all my life. That’s how I received my training to get out of the quote-unquote hood. And a number of my pals liked music and aspired to be rappers. So, I feel right here I’m now, 32 years outdated, representing a number of the greatest artists on the earth and shutting a number of the offers with main corporations. It’s actually a dream come true.
How ought to younger individuals put together to learn the room and be ready?
Keep prepared so that you don’t need to prepare and understanding the local weather leverage factors that you’ve got. Each deal, each transaction, you must perceive there’s a journey and there’s a vacation spot. I’ve purchasers the place I’d perceive that there are numerous deal factors that I’d love for them to get, however this consumer won’t have another choices. They may not have a spot to dwell subsequent month, and we’ve got to determine the most effective deal for his or her specific state of affairs. It’s not a shouting match. It’s not an ego contest.
We’re right here to be of service to our purchasers, to make sure they perceive the state of affairs that they’re coming into into and fostering a relationship to the place we are able to come again to this desk and do enterprise once more. I wish to depart a room of individuals feeling like, “Wow, that man not solely is educated in what he’s doing, however he’s only a nice particular person to work with. And I stay up for being on one other aspect of the desk with him.”
How do you see expertise and AI impacting the music panorama?
I imagine so. I feel with something, like with expertise, it’s going to get forward of it and perceive how you should use it as a resourceful device, otherwise you’re going to get left behind. It’s our jobs as attorneys to guard our purchasers to make sure in the event that they don’t need their voice being utilized in a specific medium, we’ve got guardrails arrange for that. But additionally understanding that document labels, music executives, they’re going to start out utilizing or proceed to make use of AI to chop their sources, to chop their overhead on staff, to streamline processes.
So, understanding AI is essential. Forecasting the place we see it going is essential and staying on top of things or updated with the brand new legal guidelines which might be surrounding synthetic intelligence and its use in inventive expression. To suppose that the world isn’t going to vary and also you gained’t change with it’s being naive. So, it’s my job as a lawyer to remain forward of the sport for our purchasers.
What are a few of your proudest moments?
I’d say it’s form of like surreal. I’d suppose it appears like an NFL athlete who lastly will get drafted on draft night time or they win the Tremendous Bowl or an artist that opens up for Jay-Z at a cut-off date. As a younger lawyer, once I see a victory for a multi-million-dollar lawsuit with names on either side of the motion, these had been those that I listened to rising up on the radio.
You form of sit again and also you’re like, wow, did I simply win a lawsuit for Rick Ross in opposition to 50 Cent? Like, did I get that chance? Is that actual? And now once I run into aspiring regulation college students or regulation college students or younger legal professionals which might be like, “Hey, I learn your case once I was in regulation college. It’s a pleasure to satisfy you. I wish to be such as you.”
I couldn’t even imagine I’d be on this place. So, it’s a surreal feeling. Typically I’m gonna need to pinch myself to even present that that is actually taking place. Nevertheless it’s a testomony to the laborious work that you simply’re placing in and simply understanding that something is feasible whenever you actually put your head down, imagine in God and simply work.
If you consider changing into an athlete for a younger brother sitting there considering they received me right here in school on a scholarship, how can he greatest put together himself to know there’s a recreation after the sport?
Being actual with your self, you undergo these experiences and also you really perceive what comes most best to me. What am I actually good at? I used to be an excellent soccer participant, I used to be ok to get a scholarship. I went to Hampton College, received a scholarship to highschool and that was nice. However I by no means felt, irrespective of how laborious I labored, that I used to be simply above and past my friends. I needed to understand and be actual with myself that in relation to this regulation stuff, I really feel like I’m there. I really feel like once I’m within the courtroom, I’m the most effective participant on the sphere, quote, unquote.
Proper right here in my thoughts, understanding that I could be a lawyer for many years to return, it form of introduced me some peace in understanding that I’m doing not solely what I’m good at, however I’m going to have the ability to do that lucratively for fairly a while. Type of upset I didn’t make it to the NFL, I’m not going to misinform you, however I couldn’t, I wouldn’t change something.
What can be your message to graduates when you had been giving a speech at Hampton?
Title of my speech will definitely be Dream Huge. I imply, anyone that is aware of me understands that you must manifest it. You need to see it. The 2 issues that I need individuals to remove from is primary, your psychological well being is essential. Present your self grace. I feel on this microwave society that we dwell in now, individuals suppose that all the pieces is instantaneous gratification. You need to have it now, however be current within the second. Be intentional. Present your self grace and simply be aware as to the place you’re at. Don’t be so laborious on your self.
And the second factor can be something price having by no means got here straightforward. By no means. If you happen to go searching, everybody’s not driving a Lamborghini. Everybody doesn’t dwell in a mansion. Everybody’s not a billion {dollars}. Everybody isn’t successful multi-million-dollar lawsuits. It takes particular individuals who do extraordinary issues to make one thing occur.
You wish to be the proprietor and CEO of a platform like Rolling Out. You bought to place that grind in. You bought to place that point in. You need multi-million-dollar plaques behind you. You bought to place that grind in. However the story behind it’s one to inform. And I’m sure that it simply wasn’t a handout. It wasn’t straightforward. It was a number of lengthy nights, a number of grinding that needed to get put into it. So, you retain these issues near you all whereas dreaming huge. The world is yours.