Fuelled by a passion for British underground music, at 16 James began to document the emerging UK grime scene, producing articles for the likes of RWD Magazine, MOBO and Blues & Soul whilst immersing in London's rich nightlife landscape.
In 2007 at the age of 17, James was inspired to launch his own grassroots music platform and created Urban Nerds, a club night that proceeded to dominate London’s warehouse party scene, whilst touring the European festival circuit to showcase raw British talent from the realms of grime, rap and UK bass.

In 2011 James made his mark on the festival landscape, creating FOUND, an electronic music brand that in just a couple of years evolved into a series of five London festivals, attracting 100,000 ticket holders across a diverse programme that featured 400 international artists over 30 stages throughout the summer season.

Today, James is a partner and Managing Director at NERDS, the Gen-Z and Culture marketing agency that delivers insight, strategy and creative consultation for a roster of global clients including such as Havana Club, Lacoste, Levi's, Nike, Puma, The North Face and Timberland. Powered by their proprietary research platform, Frontline, NERDS specialise in helping brands connect with street-culture-inspired youth audiences across Europe.