Hassan Shareef

::FOREVER ON THE HUSTLE::At first glance one might view Hassan ‘Connexx’ Shareef as the average cat just doing what he can to get by. However, those closest to the up and coming Entertainment Executive would be the first to let you know how far from the truth you stand. With an innate gift for absorbing his surroundings and adapting to any given environment, Hassan has placed himself on up street; swiftly becoming one of many people in the music business “you just need to know.”Born in Manhattan, NY on September 16, 1977, Hassan Shareef stepped into the game as one of four brothers. The family’s security of a two parent household was cut short in 1981 when his parents decided to part ways. Soon after the severance Hassan, then four years old, his four brothers and mother relocated to Bronx, NY. Hassan calls his mother, “a go getter before her time.” “I didn’t know it then but there were lots of times she went without just so we could have a normal childhood,” Hassan says . “I learned from the best.” A self made entrepreneur herself, Lady Shareef was always known as an active contributor in the community. She is the founder of ‘Thoughts and Expressions’, a community initiative formed to raise funding for library construction in and around the Bronx area.Hassan’s serious interest in the music business surfaced at age 15 when he and his friends became loyal fans of ‘The Ralph McDaniel’s Show’, a popular cable 80’s hip hop show based in New York. Just as most music hopefuls carve their start, the group decided to form their own rap trio. The boys monopolized time with music videos and freestyling over beats while their friends could only think of rushing home from school to change into play clothes. When Hassan discovered that a member of his crew’s brother owned a studio a couple floors down, they moved home base from the living room to the new locale. The group eventually recorded their first demo under the supervision of Larry Payne. He would later become one of Hassan’s closest mentors.The production aspect of the industry intrigued Hassan when he began spending time with Lenny S and Burt Bazin, both Directors of Bad Boy’s street team at that time. Hassan shadowed them both absorbing every aspect of the game. “I ultimately decided that production was the thing for me and that it was where my true passion lie,” he says. Although his focus was deterred for a short period of time, Hassan eventually made his way back to Lenny and Burt several years later. They had since earned executive titles at Roc-A-Fella Records. They offered him an assistant A&R position at the label. Under the new title Hassan’s responsibilities included coordinating studio time and recording sessions while working closely with artists such as Memphis Bleek, State Property, Cameron and Rell.Soon after Hassan reconnected his roots by joining forces with Larry and long time friend Ali. Together they formed Mad Large Music and began building their brand as a production company and entertainment consulting firm. Work came quickly as the group began spearheading projects for Benzio, Memphis Bleek, A. Cage, and working on film soundtracks such as Rucker Park and State Property.The Mad Movement was further expanded with the inception of Nobody’s Safe Management, a company founded to foster Hassan’s ability to negotiate deals for artists while simultaneously hustling tracks. The company’s first deal was with indie label Baby Grand where Hassan persuaded the label to sign DK, an up and coming rapper from Baltimore, MD. “A package deal just made sense so we made it happen,” he says. As if his plate of success weren’t already full, the booming business exec has also taken on the position of Event Coordinator and Associated Partner for Game Sports Magazine, an entertainment and sports publication owned by twin sisters Shenese & Monique Brannon.Hassan’s immediate priorities include the expansion of his production company and management firm by creating a state of the art upscale recording and artist development facility. “I want to span my wings as far as they will go and be known as someone with a true loyalty to everything hip hop.” Such drive has put Hassan on the front row of entertainment executives making a considerable impact in the industry. Despite all of this, Hassan shyly admits that he will never stop pursuing his love for the game and will always be ‘forever on the hustle’.Contact Information: Hassan"Connecxx"Shareef [email protected]
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