Kaisha Askins Blackstone (Kaisha Adia) is the embodiment of the phrase “well rounded musician.” She has been a touring background singer, a 16 year high school music teacher, and a songwriter for recording artists and television. Today, she is an accomplished businesswomen specializing in music and media publishing, branding, and finance in the music business. With each new branch on her musical tree, Kaisha’s root remains the same, the desire for quality in music.
Blackstone grew up in Baltimore, Maryland where she started creating her own songs to sing, at the age of 4, at her home church. Cultivated by her mother’s strong musical influence and father’s acumen for business, it was set from the beginning that those two paths would align in her life. After earning her Bachelor of Science in Engineering from The Johns Hopkins University, she enrolled at The Peabody Conservatory of Music for a Masters in Recording Arts & Sciences. Soon, the opportunity of a lifetime arose for Kaisha to live her dream, as a touring singer, and her dean gave her the encouragement to pursue it! Over the years, Kaisha has toured the world with Billboard topping artists such as Vivian Green, Mike Posner, and Demi Lovato, and written music for gospel and R&B recording artists, including a television mini series underscore.
As her desire for business never faded, her strength in cultivating and promoting quality music grew. In 2001, Kaisha launched Ray’s Sister Publishing, LLC, a music publishing administration and web, print and media branding company. Additionally, in 2006, a fast paced rise to District Branch Manager with a large regional bank, added many of the skills she would need for the next chapters of her musical journey.
In 2009 Blackstone partnered with her husband, to start BASSic Black Entertainment, LLC (BBE). BBE is a full music service company that provides live music production, connecting artists and musicians, and studio production. Under the same moniker, they launched BBE Records in 2013. In 2020, Kaisha sought to find a path for the next generation in the music and entertainment business and established The Youth Creative Initiative (501c3).
She currently sits on the executive board of the Recording Academy (Grammys) Philadelphia Chapter and serves on their National Diversity, Equality & Inclusion Board. She was honored as a 2020 Top Women in Business by Delaware Today Magazine. Never straying too far from her roots, she continues as a Praise & Worship leader at her church and volunteers with their outreach and children’s programs to encourage a love of music from a young age.
Kaisha Blackstone’s expansive background keeps her as a sought after resource for the music community and as her core values of faith and family center her, she continues to expand her musical empire. You can follow Kaisha on Social Media on Twitter: @kaisha or on Instagram: @kaishaadia.