Zay Money: From Pushing Lawnmowers to Pushing Records in Decatur

Before he was known as Zay Money, he was a teenager in Decatur managing an artist at just 16, still figuring out how the music business worked. His path took a detour through military school, but when he came home, opportunity found him in an unexpected way — an older figure in the promotions world spotted him pushing a lawnmower and decided to give him a shot. That chance encounter became the foundation of a career. Today, Zay Money works as a marketing executive and manager, handling everything from head of marketing duties to promotions and DJ spins. He describes himself simply as "basically the streets A&R," a title that reflects his hands-on, boots-on-the-ground approach to breaking music in Atlanta and beyond. His current focus is the rollout for Hoodrich Pablo Juan's new album, "BLO PRINT," where he's applying the same street-level strategy that's defined his career. For Zay Money, that strategy isn't complicated — it's about consistency and reach. "As long as people have eyes and a brain, street marketing will always and forever work," he says, adding that success in his world comes down to a simple philosophy: you have to talk to everybody to be somebody. Zay Money credits his mother, his brother, and loved ones he's lost as his biggest inspirations, grounding his work in personal motivation rather than industry hype. When it comes to his own bio, he keeps it short: "I work. That's it. Work speaks for itself." As he continues building out promotional campaigns and album rollouts across the city, Zay Money — known online as ZayMoneyAtl — is positioning himself as one of the connective threads in Atlanta's street marketing scene, the kind of behind-the-scenes figure who helps turn music into movement.