Inside Culture Jam, The Studio Bringing Athletes, Artists And Brands Into The Same Room
For years, sports and music have been two sides of the same coin. Athletes walk out to songs from their favorite artist. Rappers name-drop their favorite teams. Style, slang, and […] The post Inside Culture Jam, The Studio Bringing Athletes, Artists And Brands Into The Same Room appeared first on Essence.
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By Okla Jones ·Updated February 4, 2026 < /> Getting your Trinity Audio player ready… For years, sports and music have been two sides of the same coin. Athletes walk out to songs from their favorite artist. Rappers name-drop their favorite teams. Style, slang, and swagger pass back and forth between locker rooms and studios, because most of the time, they’re all from similar communities but just chose different >Eesean Bolden, who grew up around both worlds, saw the connection early in life.
“I think it’s twofold,” Bolden said when asked what sparked the idea for his company. “My parents were independent R&B artists. So growing up, I used to see them on their journey. And then I also played sports. So playing basketball my whole adolescent life kept me on the straight and narrow.”
Bolden’s life experiences, along with his vision, eventually turned into Culture Jam, the studio he founded after years working in the record business at labels like Capitol Records, Epic Records, and Warner Bros. Records. Today, the company operates like a hybrid: there’s an agency arm that builds campaigns for brands and networks, a label that pairs athletes with artists for original music projects, and a foundation in development focused on community work. For the multihyphenate, the goal is to create work that feels natural to both sports and music.
“I always say what separates us is the authentic storytelling at that intersection,” Bolden said. “We understand both sides of the coin, the sports coin and the entertainment coin. The athletes want to be the artists, the artists want to be the athletes.”
Now, Culture Jam has secured collaborations with names like Kawhi Leonard and Anthony Edwards, each handled differently. Leonard, known for keeping a low profile, required patience and trust. Edwards, who leans into his personality, brought a different energy.
“With Kawhi, that was me taking this idea out of my head and making it tangible,” Bolden said. “He jumped on board and gave us the co-sign we needed.” By the time Edwards came along, the team had experience. “We kind of know what we’re doing at this point,” he added. “It really comes down to the team and the partnership.”
“Honestly, we don’t force it,” he continued. “We try to work within their confines, what they’re organically willing to do. We’re not a service company, we’re a partner. We want to go on this journey with you only if you want to go on the journey too.”
In addition to athletes themselves, Culture Jam also takes the model of duality (or more) into their brand work. One recent highlight was helping ESPN step into New York Fashion Week last year with a WNBA-focused event that mixed sports,rel="tag">Black Music black women in sports Culture Jam Eesean Bolden Sports
The post Inside Culture Jam, The Studio Bringing Athletes, Artists And Brands Into The Same Room appeared first on Essence.
