9th Ward Production & Promotions
Indie artists, built from the ground up.
Born to protect independent artists. New Orleans gave the name meaning. Houston gave the mission a home. El Paso proved the model could scale. Today, 9th Ward reaches wherever serious artists are building without compromise.
The people
Founders
Jay Davis
Co-founder · aka Blaquestalyon
Brought the brand, the model, and the mission — a producer and artist set on building careers the independent way.
Shakara Weston
Co-founder
The first artist to fully buy in — she brought the belief, discipline, and drive to bring the model to other artists.
The journey
Fifteen years, one standard
2010
The 9th Ward name begins in Houston as Jay Davis' artist-protection brand and independent music model.
2012
Shakara Weston becomes the first artist to buy in; together they form Somethin' 4 The Fellas (S4TF).
2015
Jay and Shakara formally found 9th Ward Production & Promotions Company, LLC.
2017–18
The Foundation develops in El Paso as a community-owned venue model built around artist ownership.
2025
9th Ward and the 144K Collective launch iMused.ai, the first ethical AI music platform.
Today
Based in Houston with international reach — from El Paso and the Bronx to Seoul, Aruba, and beyond.
International reach
Our foundation runs through New Orleans, Houston, El Paso, and the Bronx — and our artists and collaborators now connect us to South Korea, Aruba, and the UK by way of Nigeria.
Our Story
The name 9th Ward began in Houston in 2010, before there was a company, a label, or a roster.
When Jay Davis, also known as Blaquestalyon, moved to Houston, he started connecting with independent artists and testing a simple idea: that indie artists could build real careers, make real money, and keep control of their work without surrendering themselves to the predatory side of the music industry.
As Jay worked the Houston music scene, he kept meeting artists from New Orleans who had been displaced by Hurricane Katrina and had made Houston their new home. Many of them were still carrying the pride, culture, and survival spirit of New Orleans with them. That connection helped give the name its meaning.
A play on words
“9th Ward” is a deliberate play on words. The Ninth Ward is a real place in New Orleans. The number nine is the highest and final single digit in our number system. And a ward is a place of protection. So, at first, Jay used the name almost like a saying: if you were an independent artist trying to survive, stay independent, and make a living without being exploited, you needed to “come to the 9th Ward”.
From a name to a company
In 2012, Jay met Shakara Weston, a Houston native with the ear, discipline, and belief to help turn the idea into something real. Shakara became the first artist to fully buy into Jay's model, even vetting the plan through her father before committing to the journey.
Together, Jay and Shakara formed the female group Somethin' 4 The Fellas, also known as S4TF, with Jay producing and Shakara as the first member. The model worked. It was no longer just a theory, a pitch, or a name Jay was using in the Houston music scene. It had an artist, a sound, a system, and proof.
That partnership became the foundation of 9th Ward Production & Promotions Company, LLC.
Jay brought the brand, the model, and the mission. Shakara brought belief, talent, discipline, and the desire to help other artists benefit from the same system. Together, they turned 9th Ward from a name associated with Jay into a company, then into an independent label built around the same principle that started it all: protect the artist, protect the art, and build without compromise.
The story did not stay in one city
New Orleans gave the name meaning. Houston gave the mission a home. The Bronx helped carry the roster and creative reach beyond its first borders. And in El Paso, 9th Ward helped push the model even further through The Foundation, a community-owned venue concept designed around artist participation, public access, and shared ownership.
The Foundation matters because it showed that 9th Ward was never only about making records. The mission was bigger than the studio. It was about building systems where artists could own more, earn more, and participate more fully in the business created around their work.
Today, 9th Ward is still based in Houston, Texas, but its reach is international. Our foundation runs through New Orleans, Houston, El Paso, and the Bronx, and our artists and collaborators now connect us to South Korea, Aruba, the UK by way of Nigeria, and beyond.
Every artist may come from a different place, but the standard is the same: they show up, they put in the work, and they mean it.
2025: the mission enters a new era
In 2025, we took the mission further. Together with the 144K Collective, 9th Ward helped launch iMused.ai, introduced publicly as the first ethical AI music platform built to protect, credit, and pay artists when their Musical DNA helps inspire new music.
For 9th Ward, iMused.ai was not a departure from the original mission. It was the same mission entering a new era.
Where many AI music tools raise questions about consent, credit, ownership, and exploitation, iMused.ai was built around the opposite principle: artists should not disappear inside the machine. They should be seen, credited, protected, and paid.
Through Musical DNA Technology™, public attribution, PRO registration, co-producer credit, and auditable royalty participation, iMused.ai gives artists a way to participate in AI-powered music creation without being erased by it.
Different technology. Same mission.
Protect the art. Pay the artist. Build without compromise.
What We Do
We handle the three things that make or break an independent career.
Production
Beats, recording, mixing, and mastering. We help artists get a record that sounds like it belongs next to anything on the charts.
Management
The strategy and the business side most artists don't have time for. Release planning, branding, bookings, and the long game of building a career instead of chasing one moment.
Promotion
Getting the music in front of the people who matter. Playlists, press, and social campaigns, plus the grassroots push that actually moves streams and fills rooms.
How We Work
We're selective on purpose. We take on artists we believe in and give them real attention, not a spot on a list. That means honest feedback, a clear plan, and a team that answers when you call.
If you're an indie artist who's serious about the work, we want to hear you.
Work With Us
Two ways in. If you want to be managed or featured on the roster, send us your music through the submission page. If you're looking for production, management, or promotion, tell us what you need through Contact and we'll take it from there.
Based in Houston, TX · 2800 Post Oak Blvd, Suite 5600, Houston, TX 77056