Biography
Gerald C. Calliste Jr, (professionally known as Jerry Calliste Jr.) born in Bronx, New York on November 26, 1965, also raised in the Bronx and North Manhattan in Inwood/ Washington Heights. Calliste Jr. is a proven leader, lateral thinker, management consultant, angel investor, C-suite executive, award-winning record company executive, music producer and artist, keyboardist, eligible bachelor (“I’m single by design!”), father of two daughters 32 and 28 years old respectively and five grand-kids by the oldest.
For over 32 years Calliste Jr. recruited successful business teams, founded companies, developed and partnered music companies, and in the recorded music business sold an estimated 5.0 million units, generating an estimated $25 million in global sales and in events management grew sales at venues by 350%. His peers say he’s “an authority on music marketing, licensing, and independent talent development.” and “…a natural at identifying new trends and opportunities related to start-ups and strategic business.”
Commencing in 2006, Calliste Jr. studied dual majors in B.Sc. in Information Technology & B.Sc. Management Information Sciences at the Ross School of Management and Leadership at Franklin University where he maintained an average 3.75 GPA. He’s fluent in English, speaks some Spanish and Arabic, and is learning French and Mandarin Chinese.
In 1983, Calliste Jr., 17, founded his first company popular dance music label New York City based Cutting Records Inc. with two co-founder Aldo Marin and Amado Marin. He also created the seminal and now classic Electro HipHop tune “Al-Naafiysh (The Soul)” or as most DJ’s refer to the song “It’s Time” that launched the label and sold close to 2.5 million copies collectively. His success in the music business is phenomenal. Calliste Jr.’s songs are licensed on over 150 “Best Of”, “Definitive”, “Classic Hip Hop”, “Trance” and “EDM” music MP3’s, CD’s, compilations, singles, and appears on numerous independent and major record labels Sony, Epic, Virgin, Universal Music TV, Universal Music, Fabric London, Ministry of Sound, Ninja Tune, Carrere Records, Streetsounds/ Streetwave, Kontor, SuSu, Global Underground, Tommy Boy and more in 7 major countries U.S.A., U.K., Germany, France, The Netherlands, Canada, and Japan. Calliste Jr.’s music also appears on 3 popular video games Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, DJ Hero: Renegade Edition, FIFA 13, his story appears in two books and a web commercial for the German company Native Instruments DJ Qbert’s Breakfast of Champions | YouTube promoting the essential DJ gearTraktor Scratch Pro II.
Calliste Jr.’s music has recently been licensed (but are not limited) to Universal Pictures for Dr Dre’s blockbuster movie “Straight Outta Compton” (2015), HBO’s series “Ballers” featuring The Rock (2015), Red Bull Music Academy (2014), Def Jam Records (2013), Universal Music (Netherlands) for EA Sports FIFA 13 (2012), Native Instruments (2011), Activision Blizzard’s DJ Hero: Renegade Edition (2009), SCEA’s NBA Shootout 2004 (2004) and Rockstar Games Grand Theft Auto: Vice City (2003) and many more.
He received two RIAA Gold awards for 500,000 units sold on each song for Cutting Records recording artist 2 In A Room’s “Wiggle It” and Giant Records Ahmad’s “Back in the Day”.
In 1992 Calliste Jr. left New York City for Fairfax Station, Virginia then was redirected to Columbus, Ohio. where he spent a few years away from the music business and worked as an interim crisis manager and adaptive behavior specialist at a residential treatment center for challenged kids.
Soon Calliste Jr. realized his music business connections could serve the citizens of Columbus. In 1999, Calliste Jr. participated as a volunteer on the Michael B. Coleman for Mayor campaign in Columbus, Ohio. and In 1995 – 2001 he promoted an impromptu V.I.P. birthday bash for then The Duchess of York Sarah Ferguson and managed events with Columbus Monthly, Charles Penzone, M at Miranova, Guess?, FTV.com, Finlandia, Jack Daniels, Corona Extra, Black & Blue at Nationwide Arena, and other event sponsors and partners in Columbus, Ohio.
ADDITIONAL EXPERIENCE
2011 – present Calliste Jr. serves as chief operating officer & President at 2009 start-up Simplestream.us and Simplestream.ca (Simplestream/ @Simplestream) a provider of premium streaming services and PaaS/SaaS systems and affiliate company Simplestreamtech.com.
Simplestreamtech.com sells Domains, Servers, Managed WordPress Hosting, Hosting, Security Tools – Site Lock, Certified Domains, SSL Certificates + more. The company released MediaDesign a proprietary digital media management system (DMMS) in 2009 as PaaS/SaaS and currently processes streaming sales through Simplestream.co.
2008 – 2010 Calliste Jr. served as special adviser at not-for-profit Stargazer.org.
2008 Calliste Jr was invited by a New York City attorney and participated as a finance committee volunteer on then Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton’s Primary for President of the United States of America.
2006 – present Calliste Jr. is a volunteer panelist on the Economist Intelligence Unit Opinions Leaders Panel at Economist.com.
2005 Calliste Communications (Calliste.us) officially launched in 2006 as Calliste.us and now operates under Callistecomm.com. Calliste Jr. is founder, managing director, management consultant at Callistecomm.com – Connecting You to Better Business. Callistecomm offers affordable management consulting to entrepreneurs and small business owners.
2004 – 2007 Calliste Jr. created online curriculum for two internship programs – media and public relations and marketing assistant internships for credit for 12 accredited universities including but not limited to The Ohio State University, Ohio University, Capital University, University of Miami (FL), The University of Hartford (CT) and an international university in Lithuania Vytautas Magnus University and others spending over 4,500 hours supervising 30+ interns.
2001 to present Calliste Jr. serves as Chairman & Chief Executive Officer at Bassmint Music Inc. a Ohio C Corporation and independent music company and music publisher.
2000 Calliste Jr. hosted a Summer fashion show with Guess Inc., FTV.com, Charles Penzone and secured sponsors for events with Finlandia, Corona Extra, Budweiser, Jack Daniels, aLive magazine at Nationwide Arena, Columbus Monthly magazine and numerous nightclubs such as Mekka, Red Zone, Club 504. Calliste Jr. had the honor of hosting a V.I.P. impromptu birthday bash for then The Duchess of York Sarah Ferguson.
1995 – present Calliste Jr. founded Massimo Investment Association, LTD. a Ohio registered limited liability company focused on managing his personal investments and revamped in 2013 to make investments in aspiring and passionate entrepreneurs operating in the Leisure & Entertainment Industry – recorded music and film, Technology Industry – networking, cloud computing and custom software and Telecom – mobile.
THE BEGINNING
As a young budding entrepreneur in 1982, 16 years old and in high school, the first event Calliste Jr. promoted was a success. “rap music wasn’t even on wax yet.” and he pitted two old school HipHop music heavy weights the now legendary DJ Grand Wizard Theodore vs DJ Whiz Kid (Dj Whiz Kid was out of the legendary founder of Hip Hop DJ Kool Herc camp) against each other and secured Mary Thomas of WRKS KISS FM (New York City) to host the event at an uptown Manhattan skating rink, Spin Easy. Calliste Jr. negotiated with the skating rink owners to allow dancing for the night. The venue capacity was 1,000 he gained 783 paying guests. Calliste Jr’s entrepreneurial career had officially launched.
In 1983 – ’87 Calliste Jr. co-founded the popular independent dance music label Cutting Records Inc. with two other partners, Amado & Aldo Marin brothers. Calliste Jr. served as vice president of Cutting Records and managed operations, national retail promotions and national radio promotions and the development of the artist repertoire (A&R). Calliste Jr. also worked for Tommy Boy Records, Trax Records, Mercury Records, East West Records. Calliste Jr. appears as an artist, songwriter and co-producer on the classic Electro HipHop song “Al-Naafiysh (The Soul)” by Hashim on 150+ definitive Electro and Hip Hop music compilations with popular artists Afriak Bambaataa, Gwen Steffani, Herbie Hancock, Rick Ross, Scarface featuring Jay-Z and Beanie Sigel, 2 Chainz, Daft Punk, Missy Elliott, David Guetta, DJ QBert, Timbaland and Magoo, Run DMC, Beastie Boys, Common feat. Pharrell, Jay-Z, Kanye West, Eminem, 50 Cent and many more. Calliste Jr. appears on video games by Rockstar Games Grand Theft Auto: Vice City (2003), SCEA’s NBA Shootout 2004 (2004), ActivisionBlizzard’s DJ Hero: Renegade Edition (2009). He appears on DJ software by Native Instruments Traktor Scratch Pro II DJ [See YouTube: Qbert’s Breakfast of Champions](2011) and EA Sports FIFA 2013 TV commercial aired in U.K. and U.S.A. (2012).
That same year DJ Whiz Kid referred Calliste Jr. to Tommy Boy Records to create graffiti artwork for Tom Silverman where Calliste Jr. officially started his music industry career at Tommy Boy Records…as a janitor. Then in November 1983, he co-founded, Cutting Records Inc.
Last Updated December 21, 2015
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