A1 Promotions: Celebrating 10 Years of Hits

In 2015, A1 Promotions was born—not in a boardroom, but in the nightclubs of Atlanta, Georgia, where DJs still broke records and the streets moved faster than any algorithm.

Founded by Daniel “A1” Hayes, then the Urban Promotions Coordinator and Executive Assistant to Geo Bivins, Executive Vice President of Urban Promotions at RCA Records, A1 Promotions came to life out of both necessity and vision. It wasn’t just a hustle—it was a bold move.

At the time, RCA Records was the biggest R&B label in the country. The roster read like a who’s who of urban radio royalty: Chris Brown, R. Kelly, Usher, T-Pain, Fantasia, Jazmine Sullivan, Monica, Alicia Keys, Charlie Wilson, Miguel, Justin Timberlake, and Bryson Tiller. Hayes was inside the machine, hungry for a field opportunity. But living in New York City with a wife and kids while waiting for a promised regional role was financially unsustainable.

Then one moment changed everything. While a Beyoncé documentary played in the background, he heard her say:

“I’m not a gambling person, but if there’s one person I’m going to bet on, it’s myself.”

That spark turned into action.

On Labor Day Weekend of 2015, Hayes flew to Atlanta with RCA’s club priorities in hand: T-Pain ft. Juicy J’s “Make That Sh*t Work,” G-Eazy’s “You Got Me,” and A$AP Rocky ft. ScHoolboy Q’s “Electric Body.” He hit every major club in the city—Strokers, Follies, Magic City, Compound, Onyx, Club Blaze, and more—and to his surprise, none of the DJs had even heard the records.

Back in New York, he showed Geo the video footage of the DJs reacting and spinning the songs. Geo was impressed and told him,

“If you move back to Atlanta and start your own promotions company, I’ll hire you to do exactly what you just did—for our rap records.”

Then with a laugh, he added,

“Now I can’t hire you to work Monica in the club. R&B don’t move like that. But if we’ve got rap, I’ll put you to work.”

And that was it. Hayes moved back to Atlanta and officially launched A1 Promotions, with RCA Records as his first client. The early records he worked included T-Pain ft. Juicy J’s “Make That Sh*t Work,” Solo Lucci ft. Yakki’s “Money Come,” and B. Smyth ft. Young Thug’s “Creep.”

He also worked Sean Garrett’s artist, Avery Wilson—a powerhouse vocalist signed by Clive Davis himself. Hayes physically took Sean Garrett and Avery Wilson through Atlanta’s club scene to promote the single, “Change My Mind” featuring Migos, gaining feedback and visibility directly from the DJs and tastemakers that shape the culture. That campaign, too, was part of A1 Promotions’ earliest proof-of-concept moments in 2015.

Once Hayes started working RCA’s records in the clubs, independent artists took notice. They began reaching out, asking for the same type of rollout: real DJ servicing, real reactions, and real club momentum. And Hayes delivered. He worked closely with a wide network of Atlanta DJs: Nick Love & Big X with the Coalition DJs, DJ Infamous, DJ Swamp Izzo, DJ Shawty Rock, DJ Outta Space, DJ Plug, DJ Holiday, DJ Webbz, DJ T-Rex, Tokars DJs, DJ Jante, DJ Outlaw, DJ Iceberg, DJ Geronimo, DJ Funky, DJ X-Rated, DJ Buu, and Club Lacura DJs including DJ Smirk, DJ Steel, DJ Showtime, and DJ Tom Cruise. Clubs like Club Crucial, Club Bankhead and Chit Chat became testing grounds for new music.

He’d gather footage, film reactions, then go home and use iMovie—a skill he picked up at Full Sail University—to edit visual reels. He’d log DJ feedback like:

“DJ Outta Space at Magic City 1:30 AM said he likes the record and it’s going in rotation.”

This documentation helped A1 Promotions lay the groundwork in the streets before any record hit mixshow or radio.

This club-based hustle turned into a full-blown promotions company, creating a new kind of bridge between the streets and corporate radio. The momentum earned Hayes a spotlight in Forbes in a 2015 article titled “Radio Has To Respect The Streets,” where he broke down the importance of bottom-up momentum for today’s records.

Since then, A1 Promotions has been instrumental in helping shape some of the biggest radio campaigns of the last decade, contributing to over 90 RIAA-certified gold, platinum, and multi-platinum plaques for artists like The Weeknd, Drake, Young Thug, Usher, Gunna, and Meek Mill.

When Megan Thee Stallion returned to independence after layoffs at 300 Entertainment, her manager reached out to A1 Promotions to spearhead the launch of her first fully independent single, “Bigger in Texas.” It went Top 15 at Urban Radio, proving Megan could chart without major label backing. It was a full-circle moment, as Hayes had helped her early record “Big Ole Freak” go Top 5 at Urban when she was first signed to 300.

Another milestone: the Key Glock “Let’s Go” campaign, which turned into a national movement. Under A1 Promotions' direction, the song hit Top 5 at Urban Radio and became part of a massive Radio One national contest that gave away two Tesla’s to fans. Key Glock, signed to Paper Route Empire and the cousin of the late Young Dolph, cemented his solo legacy with a campaign that was both high-impact and high-visibility.

A1 Promotions also played a key role in the success of Lil Durk’s “All My Life” and “What Happened to Virgil.” Though hired through an outside promotions firm, Hayes was directly involved in the campaigns that helped take both singles to #1 at Urban Radio, in partnership with Alamo Records.

Today, while Hayes maintains strong relationships with artists and their management, much of the work A1 Promotions does happens quietly—behind the curtain. Record labels often hire A1 Promotions to generate radio traction as reinforcement to consign their marketing efforts. In fact, many artists don’t even realize how their records end up spinning across the country. They sign to a label, release a single, and suddenly it’s everywhere—without ever knowing that behind the scenes, a promotions company like A1 was brought in to make it happen.

At the same time, A1 Promotions earned its name by giving independent artists a real shot—delivering the same level of impact usually reserved for major-label acts. One standout example is Lil Donald’s single “Do Better,” which A1 Promotions single-handedly took Top 20 on the Urban Radio chart as a fully independent release. Today, the record is certified platinum—proof of what independent grind can do.

Through it all, one truth remains: there would be no A1 Promotions without the DJs in Atlanta. They were the first believers. They spun the records. They moved the crowd. They gave an ambitious executive the confidence to build something lasting.

As A1 Promotions celebrates 10 years of breaking records, it does so with the same principles it started with:

Respect the streets. Serve the DJs. Bet on yourself. And above all—move the culture forward.