Exploring Life & Business with James Frankera of Tropa MGMT

Today we’d like to introduce you to James Frankera.

Hi James, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
It all started in community college. As a Filipino, I was fully committed to going into health care until I took my first chemistry class. After going for a week, I decided that music was the way to go for me. Being surrounded by music my whole life, it just made sense. I was in band in elementary school, school choir in Jr. High and High School, and church choir in High School, but was also surrounded by talented individuals in my family and in my friend group. When trying to find a college to go to, to study music, I came across a technical school that caught my eye. At the time, I was getting into DJing and was interested in “mixing”. When touring the school, my definition of mixing did not match the music industry’s definition. I ended up getting my Bachelor’s degree in Interactive Audio/Audio Engineering and started my music industry career in the studio, day and night, putting out songs with local artists and friends as a recording and mixing engineer.

After college, a couple of friends and I started a collective called “Callan Kings” and that’s where my interest in Artist Management/Music Business came from.

After completing an internship with The Family Affair Productions as an audio engineer intern and with Feltone as an artist manager intern in Los Angeles, Covid hit and I couldn’t continue on with my in person internship. Luckily enough, I was still surrounded by talented individuals, such as Shogun V and Ceej Frankera, who were more than happy to take me in as their manager. With their support and their talent, we were able to make some good moves in the scene in Los Angeles and in the San Francisco Bay Area. I knew that we had something going and I was excited for this growth. I don’t think I could’ve done this without the two of them, my best friend Angello, and without my cousins, Mav and Mylenne. They played a huge part in building up my confidence all around and definitely got me to where I am today. Thank you to my beautiful wife Maria for always pushing me to be better, pushing my passion, and to really focus on the art. And last but not least, thank you God for all the opportunities to learn, grow, and blessings.

Today I am running an Artist Management company called Tropa MGMT. Tropa MGMT believes in community and creating an environment where you are treated and feel like family.  Tropa MGMT is the family you choose. We are more than a business, but a deeper friendship. Being welcomed with open arms and nurturing togetherness.

As of today, I am currently managing MIKEY VEE, Chazer11, SONWIL, and Shogun V.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
This has definitely not been a smooth road. Navigating the music industry is tough and not for the weak. With no proper business training, being able to network, figure out SMM, content creation, how to handle sales/business deals, project management, but also learning how to talk to/navigate each artist, is difficult but FUN. Being able to learn all of these skill sets, on my own, has been an interesting but fulfilling one.

We’ve been impressed with Tropa MGMT, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
At Tropa MGMT, we empower artists to achieve creative excellence and sustainable success. Our artist-centric approach, fueled by passion, patience, and hard work, cultivates a nurturing environment for artistic growth and innovation. Through collaboration and compassion, we connect artists with global audiences, leaving a lasting impact on the music industry.

Tropa MGMT believes in community and creating an environment where you are treated and feel like family.  Tropa MGMT is the family you choose.

We are more than a business, but a deeper friendship. Being welcomed with open arms and nurturing togetherness.

Risk taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.
I believe that you should take calculated risks. Look at all of the pros and cons and decide, from there, whether or not it’s a good risk to take. I’ve taken risks multiple times and do not regret any of them. My internship at Feltone asked me to start 2 weeks from the day I got accepted. I was still living in the San Francisco Bay Area, working 2 jobs, with no where to live. I made that happen. Quit both jobs, asked family members if I can live there, and moved all in 2 weeks just to get an opportunity to learn.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://linktr.ee/tropamgmt and Tropamgmt.com
• Instagram: Instagram.com/tropamgmt