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Hip-hop changed the course of Tim Hinshaw’s life in more ways than one as explained in the music executive’s new profile in partnership with Billboard and INFINITI.

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As an honoree of the 2024 R&B/Hip-Hop Power Players list and our 2022 Executive of the Year, the Compton native opened up about his family, humble beginnings, and relationship with hip-hop. “One of my best memories as a kid was my first road trip. My dad had the INFINITI Q45. He loved that car. It had gold BBS’s. It was like my first introduction to a luxury vehicle.” Hinshaw admitted in his interview in front of the all-new 2025 INFINITI QX80.“I grew up on the west side of Compton. I could find a CD and what they were saying on the songs was stuff I was going through in my everyday life. It was almost like a therapy session.” Hinshaw, the former Head of Hip-Hop & R&B for Amazon Music, has experienced his share of professional hurdles. In fact, some of his earliest memories of the music industry involved multiple accounts of rejection. “I just don’t accept ‘no’ and I think that’s just about how I came up,” he recalled. “I’ve seen my mom make her way around so many different ‘no’ situations, so you can’t tell me ‘no.’” Fast forward to 2023 and Hinshaw launched his own creative agency, Free Lunch. “I’ve always had a unique way of bridging culture and corporate. That is my superpower,” he admitted.

As a tastemaker in the industry, the exec admitted the car is his ideal setting to press play and turn the volume up. “The car test is the most important test, I think. I can’t really give an opinion until I hear it in the car,” he said.

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While the INFINITI QX80 boasts a range of features perfect for a road trip for eight, Hinshaw has his own relationship with the concept of luxury. “I’m a simple person. Being able to wake up with my kids, take them to school and having premium sound while driving, that’s luxury,” he told us.

Regarding his advice to folks hoping to make a mark on the industry, Hinshaw said it all boils down to redefining yourself. “You gotta tinker with yourself every day from a personal standpoint, from a career development standpoint, from a money management standpoint. You really have to take the time and effort to pick yourself apart and put yourself back together,” he explained.

Click here for the latest announcements on Hinshaw’s Free Lunch agency.

Photo: Rashida Zagon

Photo: Rashida Zagon