AYEDNICOLE

By AyeDNicole | October 15, 2026

Before I discuss why Allison Barrett, also known as AB, is no longer my manager, I want to acknowledge that she has a motherly, auntie spirit. That was something I genuinely appreciated about her.

However, from my experience, that same spirit could be inconsistent.

“You trying to be in and out, and I didn’t have time for that because I was always down for AB.”

This is not about a woman I met through the entertainment industry. This is about somebody I knew professionally, respected personally, considered a mentor, and genuinely had plans to build businesses with.

Unfortunately, those plans changed.

Corporate Before Music: How AB and I Met

Allison Barrett and I originally connected while working together at Peachtree.

During that time, I helped AB with an internal project while building out the ACH infrastructure for our former employer. Treasury operations were beginning to get off the ground, and I was involved in developing financial processes to support the organization.

I viewed Allison as a mentor and role model. She had experience navigating Atlanta’s professional environment, and I appreciated her perspective on careers, business, and success.

Our relationship was not strictly corporate.

We went out for tacos, enjoyed lunches together, talked about life, and spent time doing regular homegirl activities.

“We had the whole nine yards.”

Allison did not initially know me because I was AyeDNicole, the recording artist. She knew Adrienne Floyd, the treasury professional, the educated Black woman, and the friend who was willing to support her.

That distinction matters.

Atlanta Connections, Beta Alpha, and Respect

Throughout our relationship, Allison mentioned knowing Rashan Ali, an Atlanta media personality whom I recognize through my Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, Beta Alpha connection.

I have never personally met Rashan Ali, and I can respect another woman’s professional accomplishments without believing that I owe her personal submission.

“Respectfully she’s a Probytte, but she’s nobody I gotta kiss ass to.”

My frustration is with the social expectations I have encountered surrounding certain individuals who have achieved public recognition.

“Beta Alpha Probytte that do have some type of stardom in Atlanta, swear to God you gotta kiss they ass, and I’m not doing that shit.”

Greek-letter affiliation should encourage service, scholarship, sisterhood, and professional excellence.

It should not create an expectation that someone must flatter another individual to receive basic respect.

The Conversations That Raised Concerns

Another issue I noticed involved Allison repeatedly discussing a light-skinned woman who worked at the Omega Psi Phi office.

During our telephone conversations, Allison would bring up this woman’s appearance, perceived advantages, professional circumstances, and the way she believed the woman received opportunities.

From my perspective, these discussions appeared overly focused on the woman’s image and what Allison seemed to perceive as pretty privilege.

My response was simple:

“Okay, fix the problem, but you so worried about this girl and her image and who she is, how she gets things.”

I began questioning whether these conversations reflected workplace concerns or personal frustrations.

I cannot speak for Allison’s private motivations, but those conversations influenced how I evaluated our relationship.

Returning to Jacksonville: Personal Hardship and Support

When I moved back to Jacksonville following my abortion and the breakup I was navigating, I was experiencing a difficult personal transition.

I expressed concerns to Allison about what was happening in my life. I believed I was speaking to someone who understood me personally and professionally.

To her credit, Allison did show me love during that period.

One particularly memorable experience was her helping facilitate a FaceTime interaction with Key Glock.

I appreciated that gesture, and I am not going to erase the positive things she did simply because our relationship eventually deteriorated.

However, appreciation does not require overlooking disappointment.

The Omega Psi Phi Employment Opportunity

One of the biggest turning points involved a potential employment opportunity at Omega Psi Phi’s corporate office in Atlanta.

From my perspective, Allison spoke about the opportunity with a level of confidence that made me believe she could help facilitate my employment.

She also referenced her connections, including what she described as a connection involving a white sorority member, and discussed knowing how to navigate professional relationships.

I ultimately participated in an interview.

During that interview, I became emotional while explaining why the opportunity was meaningful to me.

I attended Florida A&M University and developed friendships with individuals affiliated with Omega Psi Phi. One of those friends passed away, and I shared how that loss affected my understanding of friendship, service, and professional purpose.

“Friendship is essential to the soul in whatever you do.”

My emotional expression was not intended to demonstrate professional weakness. It reflected the importance of the organization’s values and the personal experiences that shaped my interest in contributing to its corporate operations.

I believed the interview went well.

What disappointed me was the feedback I later understood had been shared concerning my presentation, emotional state, and professional appearance.

“Oh, she wasn’t in her right mind, she wasn’t dressed appropriately.”

Those were the characterizations I felt were being used against me, and I strongly disagreed with them.

I felt judged rather than understood.

“The integrity conversation, I think that went over the head of Allison Barrett and the individual who was also interviewing me for the position.”

In my opinion, organizations representing historically Black fraternities and sororities should be especially mindful of how they evaluate Black professionals who bring both technical qualifications and meaningful personal connections to their institutions.

That does not mean every applicant is entitled to employment. It means applicants deserve thoughtful, consistent, and professional consideration.

I was disappointed because I believed the opportunity had been represented to me differently from how the process ultimately unfolded.

Treasury, Power BI, and Professional Boundaries

Another concern involved my Power BI portfolio and the treasury-related work I shared with Allison.

I discussed financial reporting, business intelligence, and analytical capabilities with her because I believed we had a relationship built on mutual professional respect.

I later became concerned that my ideas and portfolio materials could be used to advance her own professional interests without appropriately recognizing my contributions.

“Allison Barrett did take the Power BI portfolio that I was showing her and trying to use it for her own will with her career needs for her title.”

That is my account of the concern, not an independently established finding of unauthorized use.

I believe professional relationships require transparency about who developed the work, who owns it, and how it may be used.

I also believe Omega Psi Phi’s corporate financial operations could benefit from reviewing its treasury infrastructure, reporting practices, organizational responsibilities, and financial technology strategy.

That recommendation is based on my professional perspective and experiences, not a completed audit of the organization.

After Key Glock’s “Q Dogs”: My Concerns About Motives, Money, and Respect

Another important detail in this chronology is that these developments occurred after Key Glock’s song “Q Dogs” had already been released.

Looking back at the situation, I began questioning Allison Barrett’s intentions and whether her interest in my professional and entertainment opportunities was genuinely rooted in mentorship.

“I do feel like it’s some nasty setup get back within Allison’s heart because she’s pressed for money, and she need to get hers too.”

That is my personal interpretation of the situation. I cannot claim to know what was in Allison’s heart, but I can speak about how her actions made me feel.

“She don’t know how to just be a good person on her own and get her ass out the motherfucking industry.”

I expected kindness, consistency, and professional respect from someone I had already supported as a friend and colleague.

“While she should have been being a nice person to me, and she shouldn’t have been trying to treat me like I’m her motherfucking neophyte or somebody.”

There is a difference between mentorship and hierarchy.

I did not enter this relationship looking for somebody to supervise my personality, demand personal loyalty, or make me feel indebted to their connections.

“I don’t know who the fuck she think she putting online trying to make me kiss her ass, but she better understand I don’t kiss my sorority ass, and I damn sure won’t kiss her ass.”

That statement reflects my frustration with what I perceived as an expectation of deference. It is not a claim that I have independently established Allison’s intentions regarding online activity.

I am a God-fearing woman. My faith, education, professional experience, and personal dignity are not negotiable.

“I’m a God-fearing woman, and I’ll tell any flesh to back the fuck down and man the fuck down and bow the fuck down, like Beyoncé said.”

That is about asserting boundaries, not threatening anyone.

I do not need to compete for somebody else’s approval. I do not need to become anybody’s neophyte outside the context of my own sorority experience, and I certainly do not need to treat another person’s entertainment connections as a prerequisite for my success.

Allison Barrett is entitled to pursue her own financial success and professional opportunities. However, I am equally entitled to decide who represents me, who receives access to my creative work, and who participates in my business affairs.

The Missed Opportunity: Floyd & Ivory Partners and Atlanta Business Development

What makes this situation even more disappointing is that I genuinely had plans to work with Allison Barrett beyond music.

Through Floyd & Ivory Partners, my treasury consulting platform, I envisioned opportunities to bridge our professional experiences and potentially establish collaborative business initiatives in Atlanta, Georgia.

Allison, whom I have referred to as a “quote-unquote tax professional,” was someone I considered incorporating into that vision because of our previous corporate working relationship.

My intention was to explore how treasury management, financial consulting, tax-related services, and business development could complement one another.

“It sucks because I did have plans of working with Allison.”

I was not simply looking at Allison as somebody who could introduce me to entertainers. I saw the potential for two women with corporate backgrounds to build something meaningful.

That is why the deterioration of our relationship was so disappointing.

“It also sucks that she basically just ruined a lot of things with me because of how she felt.”

I cannot speak for what Allison was feeling internally, but I can speak about the way I experienced her treatment of me and how it changed my willingness to collaborate with her.

“Just looking at who she is from flesh and spirit, it just gives ugly.”

That is my personal assessment of the energy I experienced in our relationship. It is not a statement about her physical appearance, but about the behavior and character I felt were being demonstrated.

As a God-fearing woman, I believe that how someone treats others matters just as much as their credentials, professional titles, and industry connections.

You can have the connections, you can have the letters, and you can have the professional title. But if you cannot treat somebody with genuine respect, what good is all of that?

I genuinely wanted to see Allison succeed. I wanted us both to have opportunities to grow professionally.

However, I will not compromise my standards to preserve a relationship that no longer feels mutually respectful.

Floyd & Ivory Partners will continue pursuing its own business development opportunities, including future expansion and partnerships in Atlanta, without Allison Barrett’s involvement.

Why Allison Barrett Is No Longer My Manager

The decision ultimately came down to trust, consistency, communication, and professional boundaries.

When I was experiencing a breakup, relocating, navigating personal hardship, and trying to rebuild professionally, I needed someone who could distinguish between personal struggles and professional capability.

I did not need someone whose relationships or industry connections made me feel that I had to compromise my dignity.

I also did not need uncertainty about how my work, professional ideas, or personal disclosures might be interpreted.

“Allison Barrett has her alibi, her story of what she thinks, and I have the truth and the facts, so help me God.”

I stand by my account of what I experienced, while recognizing that Allison may have her own perspective.

Paper Route Empire, 4HIO Label, and Creative Independence

Let me make something else clear.

“She don’t control shit with Paper Route Empire or 4HIO Label, and she don’t control me, and she knows that.”

My artistic direction, business aspirations, and decisions concerning 4HIO Label are not subject to Allison Barrett’s authority.

Any proposed management, licensing, creative, or entertainment relationship must be based on clearly established responsibilities and mutual agreement.

I have also heard references to connections involving Beyoncé and her CÉCRED brand. I do not consider another person’s industry relationships a reason to surrender my independence.

“That bitch ain’t Beyoncé.”

I do not know the precise nature of any such professional relationship, and I will not present speculation about how someone obtained an industry opportunity as fact.

The principle remains the same: knowing somebody famous does not make you that person, nor does it give you authority over another artist.

Closing: Gratitude Does Not Mean Permanent Access

I can acknowledge that Allison Barrett supported me during certain moments while also acknowledging that I no longer consider her the right person to represent my professional or artistic interests.

I appreciated our friendship, our lunches, our conversations, our professional experiences, and the support she showed me when I returned to Jacksonville.

I also genuinely envisioned working with her through Floyd & Ivory Partners and potentially developing meaningful business initiatives in Atlanta.

However, those positive memories do not cancel out the disappointment I experienced.

“I was always down for AB.”

That is what made the situation disappointing.

I do not believe every former friendship needs to become a permanent professional relationship, and I do not believe every mentor is meant to remain in your life indefinitely.

I wish Allison Barrett the best in her career and personal endeavors.

But moving forward, my management, my business decisions, my intellectual property, and my artistic future will be handled according to my own standards.

“Corporate is corporate. Music is music. And I don’t have to kiss nobody’s ass to be successful.”

— AyeDNicole

Editorial note: This article represents AyeDNicole’s personal recollections, opinions, and interpretations of her experiences. Statements concerning employment decisions, professional conduct, financial motivations, online activity, and the use of portfolio materials have not been independently verified. No allegation should be interpreted as an established finding of wrongdoing.