Biographie
To be successful in the blazing-fast, blink-and-you'll-miss-it entertainment business, players must be able to hustle, create, and recognize opportunities, broker innovative deals, and remain not only persistent but dedicated. Dynamic entertainment executive Manny Halley embodies all these skills and has been on his road to achievement through a variety of successful, far-sighted entertainment projects for more than three decades.
As CEO of Imani Media Group, Halley is steadily expanding his reach across a highly integrated media landscape, building on the multimedia demands of the culturally influential and highly lucrative urban marketplace. Halley oversees a broad-based organization that includes artist management, music publishing, brand development, film and television production, national and international film distribution and more. The impact of Imani Media Group and Faith Media Distribution within the entertainment sphere led to a first-look development deal with NBC Universal for its portfolio of cable networks in 2017 and the release of their first feature film.
A savvy businessman, Halley also recognized music creators as the engine of the entertainment business. His independent Imani Music Publishing company has entered deals with three major publishers - BMG, Kobalt, and Warner/Chappell - representing songwriter/producers who have accumulated smash hits with such artists as Cardi B, Lil Wayne, Soulja Boy, Wiz Khalifa, Nicki Manaj, Trey Songz, and more. As a manager, he has shepherded the artistic careers of Shyne, Keyshia Cole, Young Thug, Nicki Manaj, and mega-producer Wheezy Beatz among others. With a finger on the pulse of popular entertainment as well as new technologies, Halley has built a reputation for success, but where did it all begin?
Born Imani "Manny" Halley to Guyanese parents and raised in Brooklyn New York, the entertainment mogul developed his talent for hustle as an ambitious kid. "I never had a job," the mogul recalls. "I always hustled, from pumping gas, to packing grocery bags at the supermarket or shoveling snow for tips. All my life I've been grinding." When Halley, who spent a year at Brooklyn's Medgar Evers College studying business, met the up-and-coming Belize born rapper Shyne (Jamal Barrow), he became his manager. Shyne signed to Sean "Puffy" Combs' hip-hop label 'Bad Boy' in 1998. Halley's success with that first client led to others including Oakland-born vocalist Keyshia Cole. Keyshia's 2005 debut album, The Way It Is, was certified double platinum and Halley found himself with lightning in his hands. He founded his own company, Imani Entertainment, to build on opportunities for his client roster.
When Keyshia Cole's groundbreaking BET reality TV Series "Keisha Cole: The Way It Is" launched in 2006, Halley was the Executive Producer for 60 episodes of that TV Reality show, as well as episodes of the show's spin-off, "Frankie & Neffie." The show earned him an NAACP Image Award nomination, and he also received a Prism award for its realistic portrayal of substance abuse. That production experience proved to be invaluable. Seeing the potential of the urban audience and the independent market, Halley turned his attention to film. "I invested in a few small films to get my feet wet, then I studied the art of producing," he noted. As an investor, he worked on the feature films: Sacred is the Flesh (2001), Lionsgate's Truth Be Told (2004), and You, Me & the Circus (2012).
Manny Halley brought his expertise to bear when he decided to finance, produce, and self-distribute "True to the Game", a big-screen adaptation of a wildly popular urban romance by Teri Woods. His vision for the film expanded even further as he decided that Imani Media Group should handle the film's national distribution roll-out as well. Through Imani Media Group's wholly owned and operated distribution company, Faith Media Distribution, the film achieved success, screening several theater locations including AMC, Regal, and Cinemark theaters nationwide. Halley also secured deals for the film's post-theatrical life with Sony Home Entertainment, Viacom/BET, and Netflix. He is committed to becoming a force within screen entertainment through the development of more TV and film projects as Imani Motion Films continues to procure stories from an array of talented writers, directors, and actors dedicated to developing and producing engaging theatrical content.
At the same time, Halley continues to oversee an impressive music publishing enterprise. As the home for songwriters, producers, and other studio creatives, Imani Music Publishing has earned ASCAP and BMI Awards, recognizing the chart reach and broadcast longevity of his signees' compositions. His honors include a BMI Award for Cardi B's breakout smash "Bodak Yellow" (BMG), a BMI Award for Lil Wayne's "How to Love" (Warner/Chappell), and an ASCAP Award for Trey Songz' "Neighbors Know My Name" (Warner/Chappell). Halley also maintains his role as a media advisor and talent manager with client Wheezy Beatz.
Staying on top of changes in the industry and continuing to adapt are two of the keys to Halley's success. While he has seen some clients leave the fold, he remains philosophical and dedicated to the grind. Known for his down-to-earth demeanor as well as his maverick approach to business, the married father splits his time between Imani Media Group's offices in Atlanta and Los Angeles. He and his late-wife, Yolanda, also believe in giving back to the community.
Still and always devoted to the hustle, Halley shares three pieces of advice to live by: "Work hard. Own your own stuff. Don't lose that fire inside of you."
