Crystal Carpenter is Studio Manager of 4U Recording, a state-of-the-art recording studio that is part of the Made in Memphis Entertainment (MIME) family of companies. In this role, she coordinates with artists, producers, managers, and labels to schedule recording sessions and ensures that each artist’s experience is memorable and welcoming.

Carpenter joined 4U Recording in February 2019 and has already built a strong client base for the studio, hosting the Recording Academy Writers’ Retreat in March 2019 and establishing relationships with major labels such as Interscope Records, Atlantic Records, and Columbia Records. In less than a year, she earned the studio its first Gold plaque for rapper Moneybagg Yo’s Time Served album, as well as a Platinum plaque for his single “All Dat (feat. Megan Thee Stallion).” 4U Recording also recorded portions of NLE Choppa’s Top Shotta album, which debuted in the Top 10 of the overall Billboard 200 and Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums charts. Other clients include Yo Gotti, Wess Morgan, Kirk Whalum, Jessica Reedy, Jozzy, Swae Lee, Lil Baby, and K. Michelle, as well as MIME Records artists Porcelan, Brandon Lewis, and Jessica Ray. Recently featured in Billboard guest column: https://www.billboard.com/articles/business/9549463/women-in-recording-studio-opportunities-crystal-carpenter-4u/

As a Black woman in the studio space, Carpenter is dedicated to providing opportunities for others like her to learn about and get involved in the recording industry. She does this through 4U Recording’s robust internship program, which has led to full-time positions at the studio for many participants, as well as community outreach through her Turntable Tuesdays and 4U Fridays events, which give local DJs and producers a chance to see how a professional recording studio is run while sharing their art with the community.

Carpenter got her start as a DJ, performing at school functions and orientations at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, where she earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in marketing management, later obtaining her Master of Business Administration degree from DeVry University’s Keller Graduate School of Management. After graduating, she became a Production Intern at Radio One in Atlanta, where she hosted remotes at car dealerships, beauty supply stores, and other local businesses while also DJing at fashion shows, nightclubs, and the Loews Atlanta Hotel. During this time, she used her business skills to earn a living as an independent entertainer, making her name by DJing for Chilli of seminal pop group TLC and TV series Single Ladies. Her gear can also be seen in the Marvel feature film Spider-Man: Homecoming.

After moving back to Memphis in 2014, Carpenter worked for the Memphis Music Initiative, where she hired musicians to teach in schools, hired young people to work in rights organizations, and worked to get more Black youth involved in the arts. After reaching out to David Porter and Renisha Mayes at independent record label MIME Records, she was brought into the MIME organization as Studio Manager at 4U Recording, where she coordinates with MIME Records, independent music publisher MIME Publishing, music distributor Beatroot Music, and sync company Heavy Hitters Music to advance the organization’s mission to develop and promote diverse talent on both the creative and business sides of the industry while re-establishing Memphis as a key music industry hub with global reach.

In addition to her work with 4U Recording, Carpenter continues to DJ around Memphis and is also a Sergeant in the U.S. Army. She lives with her husband and college sweetheart, Curtis, in Memphis’ Glenview Historical District, where she serves as Marketing Coordinator for the Neighborhood Association. In her free time, she enjoys vintage shopping, fashion, playing basketball and tennis, cheering on the Memphis Grizzlies and Tennessee Titans, checking HGTV for the latest gardening tips, and watching the sunset on the Memphis bluffs.