Message from the President

At a tender age, Fred “Thinker” Simmons had a very strong love for music. He knew he
didn’t have the talent to sing, but longed to be a part of the music industry. He was finally given
the chance when he and a friend opened a record store on the south side of Chicago.

This opportunity to enter the music industry through retail, gave Thinker the chance to befriend some
of the music industry’s most popular artists of the time, including Earth, Wind, and Fire, the
O’Jays, and Gerald Levert. Through his many business relationships with industry professionals,
he was able to build a strong reputation in artist management. He found himself in demand by
various companies that were aware of his prowess in the field.

He created E’maj Entertainment in 1988, and later moved the organization south to Atlanta,
Georgia. He met the artist Keith Sweat’s management team. From this association, his
organization became the management for Trifin Pac and Jagged Edge. Ultimately, these events
led him to be offered a position with Gerald Levert’s management team, which included other
talent as well.

In 2004, Thinker played a key role in a major deal between Gerald Levert and the owner of
the Alize’ wine brand of beverages. Set for release in 2007, the deal never came to fruition due
to the untimely death of Gerald Levert in 2006.