Even as she drives Caribbean musical talent mainstream, Haitian American publicity guru Marie Driven has said she is driven to show love for her native Haiti as the French-speaking Caribbean country celebrated its 217th Independence Anniversary from France on Jan. 1.
Referring to Haiti as “her,” the Brooklyn-based Haitian publicity phenom recently did a photoshoot commemorating the love she said she has for her native country on Haitian Independence Day.
“She has influenced and inspired me to strive for new heights yearly in my career,” Driven, the managing partner of the Brooklyn-based entertainment company, PlaybookMG, told Caribbean Life, alluding to Haiti.
Driven said she dedicates “endless time to ensure that one day she can be an iconic figure from ‘her.’”
In the shoot, Driven has some iconic items from “her”, including, featured on a table, Barbancourt – Rhum 5 star 8 year; Langue De Buoef; Pain; Cola Lacaye, Dous Makos; and Tablet Pistach.
Driven donned a “her-inspired” robe designed by Hi Maintenance Couture.
She said her love for “her” and everything she has done “shine brightly within ‘her’ soul.”
“Jan. 1 is the day Haiti proclaimed herself to be a free, independent nation,” Driven said. “She became the first free Black republic in the world.
“’Her’ great battle for freedom, the Haitian Revolution, is the only successful slave revolt in the history of humanity that led to results,” she added, stating that she embodied that spirit, and more, in her latest shoot.
Driven said her expertise as a managing partner of Playbook Media Group, otherwise known as PlaybookMG, has produced many Caribbean stars throughout the past decades, with her “dedication and hard work.”
Driven said her resume and current rosters feature “an impressive and extensive amount of talent from the islands.”
That list includes: Remy Ma, Papoose; Kranium; celebrity stylist Kidear Youmans; Dancehall Queen Spice; Tara Wallace; Chef Patrick; Stevie J; Tony Sunshine; Future Fambo; Alexus Rose; QQ; Mr Lexx; Cham; Ricky Blaze; Peter Gunz; Wyclef Jean, Jr.; Reid; Marian Hall, previously known as Lady Saw; Kranium; and Mr. Vegas.
Driven said she has also “helped the islands with influencer-marketing,” stating that she “bridges the gap between influencers and companies in the islands on a daily and rapid rate.”
Entering a new decade, in 2020, Driven said she also worked “to continue bridging and closing the gap between the Caribbeans and mainstream culture.”
She said her intuition is serving her “greatly,” adding that she strives to achieve her goal “more every day.”
As the face of Playbook Media Group and co-founder of the company who got her started as a celebrity publicist, Driven said she is “a recognized player on the entertainment scene.”
She said she represents “what it means to have a pulse on popular culture while also narrowing in on establishing a presence in emerging markets.”
Playbook Media Group was formed in 2014 when Jean Jones and Driven joined forces in launching “modernized services for today’s entrepreneurial culture.”
Driven said they have “quite an impressive roster of current and former project affiliations, a high-profile account of publicity, from rappers, to record companies, to clothing lines.”
“Playbook MG acts as a platform for an audience reach somewhere in the neighborhood of 20 million people nationwide, and more than three times that globally and growing,” Driven said.
