After college, Massenburg spent several years in marketing positions, including two years as a district manager for
PepsiCo (maker of
Pepsi Cola), and a year with
SmithKline Beecham Clinical Labs Pharmaceuticals. In 1995, he established Kedar Entertainment, originating out of his New York home, with a $1,700 outlay from his own pocket and consisted of a desk set, fax machine, copier, and portable phone.
Erykah Badu In 1995, Kedar Entertainment signed one of its first artists:
Erykah Badu. Massenburg's work on behalf of Badu got him wide notice in the industry. His first move was to pass out 1,000 copies of Badu's debut single, "
On & On", at the 1996
Soul Train Music Awards. "And man, when I heard it banging out of somebody's car going down the street that same night, I knew I had something."
Badu embodied the new approach Massenburg was looking for.
"Neo soul" Massenburg wanted to start a genre that acknowledged the influence of hip-hop and of other electronics-influenced musical styles, but was a return to earlier forms.
Kedar Beverages LLC Massenburg founded Kedar Beverages LLC in 2005, which makes
chardonnay,
merlot and
cabernet sauvignon. ==Personal life==