Record Labels
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It’s a Wednesday afternoon in early December, and Monte Lipman is running late, but with good reason: Journalist, activist and feminist icon Gloria Steinem has been in the Republic Records offices in midtown Manhattan for the past two hours, speaking to the staff about equal rights. “It’s amazing — the woman is 88 years old, sharper than ever, and she was just kind of sharing her thoughts,” Lipman says when he comes to the phone. “The Q&A was dynamite and everyone was just geeking out about her.”
Lipman has had plenty of reasons to be in a great mood of late. The chairman/CEO of Republic saw his label land the No. 1 spot on each of Billboard’s year-end label rankings: Top Labels, Billboard 200 Labels and Billboard Hot 100 Labels, the second year in a row the company has topped the trio of charts, and the sixth time in the last eight years it has finished at No. 1 on the Top Labels ranking. Republic ended 2022 with five of the top 10 albums of the year — the second year in a row it has done so — and with 23 albums having reached the top 10 of the Billboard 200, including five No. 1s: Taylor Swift’s Red (Taylor’s Version) and Midnights, Drake’s Honestly, Nevermind (released via OVO Sound/Republic) and Stray Kids’ ODDINARY and MAXIDENT (JYP/Imperial/Republic). (This week, it added a sixth: Metro Boomin’s Heroes & Villains.)
But Republic has also spent the past year in expansion mode, having either launched or strengthened several new initiatives. One was the new independent distribution subsidiary Imperial, which quietly opened last year and quickly caught fire with the release of Bo Burnham’s Inside (The Songs), but then landed two No. 1s through its distribution of Stray Kids, under the leadership of executive vp/president Glenn Mendlinger. Another was the relaunch of both Mercury Records, with A&R execs Tyler Arnold as president and Ben Adelson as GM, and Uptown Records with co-presidents Saint Harraway (executive vp A&R at Republic) and Marleny Reyes (executive vp marketing strategy at Republic) and Republic senior vp of business and legal affairs Khelia Johnson at the helm. There is also a new Kids division, overseen by vp of marketing and operations Bree Bowles, announced in August; and Federal Films, a new film and TV division that will allow the label to expand into Hollywood beyond soundtracks and music licensing, run by Republic executive vp Danielle Price, executive vp of film & television Dana Sano and senior vp visual content and production Devon Libran. And finally, Republic opened a new recording studio in Manhattan this fall, run by senior vp A&R Ken “Duro” Ifill as operations manager and executive vp of brand partnerships Kerri Mackar.
With another year of honors in the books, Lipman spoke to Billboard about Republic’s expansion into new areas of late, the reasons why the label is moving into film, children’s content and distribution, and the benefits of relaunching an iconic label brand rather than starting anew. “We’re not in the business of good or bad, we’re in the business of whether or not we can make a difference, whether it’s working with a new artist or an established artist,” he says. “We’re thrilled with the artists we work with, with the projects and campaigns, and I could bore you with all the milestones that we’ve reached and the impact that they’ve made. But it’s about what’s next.”
How would you describe the past year for Republic?Listen, when you have certain releases by the biggest artists in the world — including Taylor Swift, Drake, Post Malone, The Weeknd — what’s there not to be excited about? And then this past week we just dropped Metro Boomin, which is tracking to be No. 1. [Ed. Note: Metro Boomin’s Heroes & Villains debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 this week.] And through Imperial we had two No. 1s this year with Stray Kids, which is a K-Pop act. For us, I always say that if we don’t win the pennant, we’re not having a good year. And metaphorically, we won the pennant here. So that part of it feels good. But it’s really about what’s next, what does 2023 look like, what are we preparing for, etc. A part of myself and this company and our DNA is we’re never satisfied. And that’s what keeps us going and grinding as hard as we can.
You mentioned Imperial. Why did you want to launch a distribution company?It’s another option, another alternative. There is a community of artists, DIY or independent, who have chosen not to align themselves with a major label because for whatever reason they feel more comfortable staying independent. And this is an option that we created for them. Because Republic came from the independent marketplace, and for a long period of time we were fiercely independent and just liked the idea of operating with a certain amount of autonomy. You know, it’s smaller, historically, but from time to time, a band like the Stray Kids, through our alliance with JYP, there are opportunities where you can land at No. 1 on the charts.
How do you decide what makes an act right for Imperial as opposed to Republic itself?It really starts with the artist and it’s based on conversation, the artist proposition, what they hope to accomplish, their expectations, how much input they want and what kind of partnership they want. So it’s just another option, another dynamic to the relationship. But Imperial is independent; it operates with full autonomy and the idea is to align ourselves with those entrepreneurs and artists that have proven to be resourceful. In our business, resourcefulness is an incredible, valuable trait among the artist community. That doesn’t mean you have to run it through Imperial and be independent, because with the biggest artists in the world, my feeling when I met them and started working with them was just how resourceful they are, which is a large part of their success.
Was launching Imperial a response to how the industry has shifted in the past several years, towards a distribution model for some artists?Well, I think the difference is there has always been independent distributors — in fact, that’s the core of our business. The difference now though is I think the point of entry into the music industry is with a lot less friction than there’s ever been, because when you think about it, an artist can basically wake up in their pajamas, flip open their laptop, record a vocal, cut a beat and in the same 24-hour period make the music available to the world. So technically, in that moment, they have become an independent artist. But things these days just move so much quicker, and I tend to believe there’s more companies out there now that are responsible and supporting ingestion. Glenn Mendlinger, who is leading the initiative, is somebody who is a forward-thinker and constantly challenging the status quo. He’s a remarkable executive and someone we really appreciate working with.
You mentioned that artists now can record music in their bedrooms. Why did you want to open a new recording studio in New York City?That’s the magic — that’s where it all happens. We’ve had a studio in Los Angeles for many years now and it’s incredibly successful, and it’s not just about dollars and cents and financial reasons, it’s also culture and our home, so to speak, because that’s where we have a lot of our meetings and social gatherings and listening sessions. And it just reminds us that it all starts and ends with the music. With that in mind, we saw a great opportunity here in New York City, a studio became available, and it was the perfect time and we went for it. It was a bummer that COVID held us back from a grand opening and moving on it quickly, but where it stands now it’s officially opened, we’ve got an Atmos room that is world class, we’ve had some of the most important artists in the world come in there for Atmos mixes. That room’s going nearly 24/7. And what’s also neat with a lot of artists or potential partners, or even our mentorship program in bringing kids to the studio is, it’s just the vibe. You’re physically surrounded by the music and the production facilities and it makes a difference.
Did you see a need for that in the city? There have been a lot of studio closures in recent years, and COVID-19 did nobody any favors there, either.Well first of all, you’re talking to one of the strongest advocates of New York City; it’s something that’s near and dear to my heart. I grew up here. The world headquarters of Republic Records is in Midtown, and it’s something that I feel very strong about. Investing in the community, investing in the city — New York City, for a long period of time, had been the epicenter of the music industry around the world, and one can argue that no longer exists. And the point is, we want to bring it back.
I talk to the artist community, and what I can tell you is, right now, if you go downtown where a lot of the studios are, most of the studios are filled, are at capacity. There’s a certain energy, there’s a certain vibe that has returned to New York City, and that’s something we’re excited about. There’s a fellow by the name of Duro who runs the studio for us in New York, and a woman named Kerri Mackar, who also works for us, and she’s very involved in the operations, some of the social gatherings, events, staging things at the studio. But it’s a world class operation down there.
You guys also launched Federal Films. Why did you want to get into film and TV?The writing is on the wall of where all things are heading. And so much of what we do involves visual content, and it just makes perfect sense given that, we’re one of the market leaders in the world of soundtracks. And from time to time I find myself getting a bit frustrated, just because I felt like there may be more opportunity for us to participate in the creative process and not just be the soundtrack company or the music label. So we’ve done some amazing alliances with some of the artists, with some of the studios, producing a documentary, or a feature in certain cases, or even a series.
We have program called A2K, which stands for America to Korea. That’s something we’re doing with JYP, and we’re in the middle of production, and there will be more announced at the top of the year in terms of releases. We’re also doing a series with Nick Cannon called Classics in Session. Nick came into my office and the conversation started with a band that he was excited about, and ended with us coming up with the idea of Classics in Session. It’s a high-level interview with legacy artists just having a conversation about their classic album, or in some cases the catalyst album that launched the biggest artist in the world. It’s shot live at HBCU schools around the country. We did that intentionally because we wanted to have a dynamic of being in a room together vs. a Zoom or podcast or Webinar. It’s really about going deep in the process of making the music and the point of view and where the artist’s head was at the time, the lyrical content, and so on and so forth.
Is running that a different type of skill set for you guys, or do you see it as another outlet for creative expression?It’s a great question, because when you talk about creative expression, that’s an easy aspect of it. When you think about the amount of music videos we’ve made over the years, and the production, none of it is necessarily difficult and none of it is anything we haven’t done before. The difference, though, is in the world of Hollywood we are sailing in uncharted waters. The positive in that, and what I love about it, is we don’t necessarily know the rules. So with that in mind, we’re willing to take certain chances that others may not want to take.
Do you see Federal as producing a lot of music-related programming, or do you want to go beyond that?Everything associated with Federal Films, there’s a music connectivity to it. So are we gonna do a horror film? Unless it’s a musical, no. [Laughs] But right now, we’ve invested in a brand new film with Billy Porter called Our Son, and it’s something we feel very strong about, and music is part of the narrative and is critical to the film. Documentaries, obviously, make perfect sense, whether it’s Reggaeton, which highlights Daddy Yankee’s career, or the documentary about Donna Summer. Those are simple enough. But we’ll also get involves as producer for a feature like They Cloned Tyrone, which right now is with MACRO and Netflix, and we are the music partner in that. Same thing with Marlowe, which features Liam Neeson and is with Open Road Pictures. So we’re open.
You guys also this summer launched Republic Kids & Family. Why did you want to get into that?Our saying with Republic Kids is very simple: “We don’t make kids music, we make great music.” It’s run by a woman named Bree Bowles, who has been here now for a little over a year, and she’s incredible — her energy, her excitement, her dedication to kids music. The focus is zero to 12, obviously with their moms and dads; any opportunity to engage in educational or exploratory type of content, we’re all about. We’ve made some great partnerships, including Nickelodeon. We launched in August of this past year, and right now we’re tracking more than 100 songs per month, and that’s only going to grow. But again, it’s different properties like Blue’s Clues, Nickelodeon, Jojo Siwa we’re in talks with right now. Can’t forget The Bubble Guppies. [Laughs] I’ve got three kids, two are much older but I’ve still got an eight-year-old in the house. His new thing is SpongeBob — we’re not involved in SpongeBob necessarily, but there’s more to come. It’s early days, but we’re excited.
Did the recent successes of Encanto and Frozen inspire that?Oh, yeah. The success ratio in the music industry is a single digit or so; I heard the riskiest business out there apparently is kids toys, which I understand is over a 99% failure rate, because you never know what kids are going to respond to. You just don’t know. But when it hits, it hits big. The two you just mentioned, more than just a movie or a soundtrack, those are rides at theme parks now, and then there’s the merch and the rest of it. But more importantly, it’s giving back to the rest of the community and supporting our community. Educational [content] is a lightning-rod of interest for us. And it’s just about working to make the world a better place.
You also relaunched two iconic record label imprints this past year, in Mercury Records and Uptown Records. Why?Uptown, going back to our commitment to New York, they were the premier New York label, the label that inspired me and made an impact. You can’t talk about Uptown Records without talking about the founder, Andre Harrell. He was showbiz, and I remember early in my career watching him operate, the narrative, what Uptown stood for, it was the coolest, hippest label, and the acts that came from there, including Mary J. Blige, continue to make an impact in popular culture. And we had the opportunity to relaunch Uptown, working with Andre’s estate and being incredibly respectful of the legacy. To his credit, it was Saint Harraway who came to me and said this is something that’s near and dear to his heart, and he’s also New York born and bred. We recruited Marleny Reyes, who runs it with Saint, and there’s a third wheel in there, Khelia Johnson, and between the three of them they’ve done an incredible job and they’re off and running.
There’s tremendous passion in this initiative, and it’s still early days, but we’re very proud of what we’ve already accomplished with Coi Leray, who is a premier act on Uptown; we made a deal with Ciara, who we love and we’re very excited about the new music, and we’ve got a hit song on the radio right now. And there’s a band that’s coming over from the U.K. and I’m telling you right now they’re going to blow up big, and that’s a band called FLO. That’s where Uptown is now, and it’s very recent — we just flipped the switch, so there’s a lot more to come in 2023.
And then Mercury, again another legacy label, and one that I as a kid grew up with some of my favorite acts coming through Mercury. And when I took the idea to Tyler Arnold and Ben Adelson, they jumped at it. When we spoke about the idea, their first question was, “Tell me more about Mercury.” It wasn’t a vanity play or anything like that, they took a real interest in the legacy of Mercury and did the research and we had many conversations about what Mercury stood for and what they’re known for. But what I explained to them was, by reactivating this, this is now within your vision. This is a company under your watch. And you can make it whatever it needs to be.
And to their credit, they’ve come out of the blocks hot because of pre-existing relationships: Tyler Arnold signed Post Malone, he made a strategic alliance with Morgan Wallen and Big Loud Records; and Ben Adelson signed Stephen Sanchez and Noah Kahan, two of the biggest breakouts of ’22. And it’s still early days; we’ve got a lot of work to do. But Elton John called me himself to lend his support to Stephen Sanchez, and the last time he did that was with Amy Winehouse. So that’s what’s happening with Mercury. They also signed AJR, and we’ll have new music from them in 2023, but that’s a multi-platinum, arena-size act coming off a monster smash, and if the new music is any indication, they’re going to have a great year.
What do you see as the value of relaunching some of these iconic brands vs. starting a new label or imprint?It’s two things. It’s embracing the entrepreneurial spirit, and it’s essentially encouraging ownership. Because again, now there’s a sense of responsibility with Saint, Marleny and Khelia on behalf of Uptown. There’s a sense of responsibility and ownership with Tyler and Ben. And that’s where you get the best out of people, when you empower them and give them this ownership and encourage a sense of autonomy and independence and free-thinking. Because I don’t want to find myself in a position of micro-managing people. If that happens, we all lose. We can’t do it. So you need people to really take on these added responsibilities and know that at the end of the day, they’ve got to do the job. You could say the same thing about Federal Films, and the Republic Kids initiative.
How do all these new initiatives enrich what you are doing at Republic?Well, Republic started as an independent. And I report to somebody named Sir Lucian Grainge, who empowers me and allows me to operate with an entrepreneurial spirit, with a sense of autonomy. And that’s how you get the best out of Monte Lipman. So just applying that rulebook is something that, culturally, is important. We want to house and align ourselves and partner with true entrepreneurs. And when you look at the success of this company and what we’ve accomplished and achieved, much of it comes from these strategic alliances: Cash Money Records and all the success we’ve had with them over the years, and XO Records with The Weeknd, or OVO Records with Drake — you can go down the line. That’s the nature of our industry, it’s built on the entrepreneurial spirit. So the idea is to celebrate it, enhance it, support it and just make sure that people have that spark of excitement and opportunity.
What are you looking forward to in 2023?I think about that every day when I wake up. The short answer is we want to make the world a better place. How do you do that? We are very fortunate because we represent the biggest, most important artists in the world and we help provide a platform, we provide incredibly valuable label services so their voice can be heard in every corner of the world, so to speak. And we want to make a difference with every artist we work with, and we want to be able to make an impact.
There’s much to be said about the deep lineage connecting the symbiotic worlds of basketball and hip-hop. Former NBA star Zach Randolph is looking to write a chapter in that book and add to his own decorated legacy with his NLess Entertainment record label.
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Going on his fourth team in as many seasons, the power forward affectionately known as Z-Bo arrived in Memphis in 2009 as a polarizing 28-year-old with a chip on his shoulder. The blue-collared city wrapped its arms around the burly Randolph, who became the face of Memphis’ Grit N’ Grind era.
After stops in Portland, New York and Los Angeles, Randolph helped lead the Grizzlies to seven straight playoff appearances in the 2010s. His jersey now hangs in the FedEx Forum rafters after the franchise retired his famous No. 50 last year.
A few years before closing the book on his NBA career, Randolph already had his next endeavor lined up with the launch of NLess Entertainment in early 2016. The Michigan State alum co-founded the independent label alongside Marcus “Head” Howell, and made Memphis rap staple Moneybagg Yo its inaugural signee.
Z-Bo and Head bonded over their love for exotic cars, and they now own a used car dealership together in Memphis. They initially met through a mutual friend and Memphis native by the name of Qyntel Woods, who was drafted in the first round by the Portland Trail Blazers in 2002, a year after Randolph joined the West Coast team as a heralded rookie out of Michigan State.
Moneybagg Yo was creating a buzz for himself around Memphis in the mid-2010s, and a local DJ by the name of Larry brought the neophyte to Z-Bo and Head’s car dealership in late 2015 to gauge their interest in potentially signing him.
The NLess heads weren’t completely sold, until heading to a Thanksgiving weekend concert where Moneybagg rocked the stage opening for Young Jeezy and had the entire crowd shouting every lyric to his Relentless mixtape trap anthem “I Need A Plugg.”
“When I came to the show, everyone in the whole club was singing his ‘I Need A Plugg’ song word-for-word,” Head recalls. “I got back in the car and told Zach, ‘We need to sign this kid tonight.’ He’s like, ‘You sure?’ I’m like, ‘Yeah, we need to.’ I had him come back to the [car] lot the next morning and we drew up the paperwork. Moneybagg pulled back up, and we got the business part done and we was a family.”
There wasn’t much hesitation on Bagg’s part in putting pen to paper on a deal with Z-Bo and Head to run the three-man weave at the top, as he felt the spirit was “genuine” from the start since their initial meeting at the car lot office.
“I felt the vibe,” Moneybagg states on Zoom. “I’m good with people’s intentions, and they had nothing but the best for me. Even before teaming up with Gotti, this situation happened off mutual relationships with each other.”
With the label finally taking shape, the NLess Ent. execs suddenly had to deal with a pair of devastating losses. Bagg’s right-hand man Muhammad “ELO” El-Amin, along with Z-Bo and Head’s close friend John “King Fish” Jones, were both murdered within weeks of each other in December 2015. The tragedies only made the bond between the NLess bosses that much stronger to power ahead.
Moneybagg Yo kept his foot on the gas, and he continued his ascent in 2016 by flooding the streets with another four mixtapes, and pledged his allegiance to the Collective Music Group family by year’s end when Yo Gotti planted $200,000 in cash in front of him.
Head, Z-Bo and Moneybagg Yo were all complimentary of Gotti sharing his secrets to success when it comes to navigating the cutthroat music business. “[Yo] Gotti took me all around the world and under his wing and showed me a lot about the music business,” Howells adds. “I understood the game through Yo Gotti.”
Of course, Zach Randolph wanted to show off having one of the hottest rappers in the city signed to his label, so he’d often bump Moneybagg Yo’s music before games on the team’s speaker system — but not all of his Memphis Grizzlies teammates were impressed. Some (like defensive stalwart Tony Allen) were non-believers, and often tried to turn off the hometown rhymer’s tunes. (“Ay Z-Bo, did you tell ‘em when you used to bump me in the locker room they would turn that off?” Bagg reminds Randolph matter-of-factly on the video call.)
While he’s now a proven commodity and pre-game playlist favorite for plenty of hoopers league-wide, the trio can laugh off the early doubters filling the Grizzlies’ locker room. “I used to put it in their face, and a couple of the guys like [Tony Allen] and a few more [didn’t like him],” Z-Bo remembers about trying to put his teammates on. “They wouldn’t get out of line with me, so whatever I wanted to do, I did. I knew he was so talented listening to him. The sky’s the limit for him — and you see what he’s doing [now].”
Moneybagg Yo has developed into a bonafide rap titan, and has played an integral role in Memphis’ streaming era renaissance over the last five years or so. Bagg’s even bossed up in his own right, with the creation of his Bread Gang label imprint, in addition to his NLess and CMG affiliations.
The 31-year-old cemented his star status with 2021’s Billboard 200 chart-topping set A Gangsta’s Pain, powered by hits such as the platinum-certified “Time Today” and “Wockesha.” Both records are produced by Tennessee-bred beatmaker Turn Me Up YC, who signed to NLess and Warner Chappell Music in a joint partnership in late 2021.
“My brothers Marcus ‘Head’ Howell and YC along with the whole NLess Entertainment crew have been incredible partners, and we look forward to continuing to rack up the hits with this incredible team,” Warner Chappell Music President Ryan Press relays in a statement.
The budding label has continued to add a mix of talent with a roster that currently consists of BIG30, who signed in partnership with Interscope Records, Big Homiie G, Dee Mula, Lonely Girl, SouljaaOnGo, Leebo, and Mud. Randolph and Head have also beefed up the NLess staff, with a pair of new hires in executive roles. Kemario Brown will serve as the General Manager/Senior Vice President of Business Operations while publicity wizard Breon Robinson joins the team as the Senior Vice President of Branding.
Being a fan of Jay-Z and signed to his Roc Nation Sports agency, Z-Bo is looking to manifest a business meeting with Hov in 2023, where he can soak up endless gems to apply back home at NLess.
“I’m supposed to be having a meeting with Hov next year to pick his brain and get to chop it up with him,” he says. “I’ll take some gems and some advice. I want to grow this thing internationally and do it big like a Roc-A-Fella.”
Randolph chuckles when the “dinner with JAY-Z or $500,000” debate is brought up. “I’m sitting at the dinner, I don’t need the $500,000,” Z-Bo confidently answers, as someone who made nearly $200,000,000 in on-court earnings throughout his 17-year NBA career.
All three of the NLess honchos tease a banner year in store as Randolph hopes to eventually get the sports agency branch of the business off the ground in 2023 too. The low-post bruiser believes his reputation and relationships around the NBA will allow him to build a strong client list and compete with the premier agencies.
“Just having a relationship with all these young guys and being a guy in the league that treated everyone with respect, I get a lot of respect back,” Z-Bo explains. “Just knowing I’m a man of my word and 100 percent genuine, so we hang our hat on loyalty and integrity.” (Moneybagg Yo saluted Randolph last year for his being a man of his word, gifting Z-Bo’s daughter a Mercedes-AMG for her sweet 16.)
The Memphis rapper is readying a new album as well, which he has penciled in to arrive in “January or February,” after setting the tone with his Outkast-sampling “Quickie” single earlier this month. “We gon’ be the biggest for sure,” he boldly predicts of his label ventures. “All of our labels. 2023 gonna be the year that I really see this.”
Going back two decades, when a young Randolph suited up for Portland’s “Jail Blazers” era, it would be tough to predict he’d evolve into the ultimate selfless teammate and a beloved franchise player, but he did just that — so he shouldn’t be doubted in his second career here.
“Memphis is on top,” he proclaims. “Teamwork makes the dream work, and the sky’s the limit for us.”
BRISBANE, Australia — Universal Music Australia taps Sean Warner for the top job, which will vacated by the incumbent George Ash at year’s end.
Announced Tuesday (Dec. 13), Warner is promoted to president, Universal Music Australia & New Zealand, with effect from Jan. 1, 2023.
The incoming chief is a UMA stalwart with 15 years’ experience leading the company’s commercial business, both physical and digital.
Warner joined UMA in 2007 as national sales manager and has served on its senior management team in recent years, most recently as senior vice president of commercial, with duties for the commercial growth, innovation and digital development for UMA & New Zealand.
During his time with Universal, Warner has overseen the commercial strategy in Southeast Asia (SEA), launched the Bravado merchandise and licensing interests on both sides of the Tasman, and developed UMA’s eCommerce activities.
Prior to joining the music major, Warner held senior roles with BMG Interactive, Sony PlayStation, DMX Music and Foxtel. Also, he serves as chair of the AMTD fundraising committee for the music industry charity organization Support Act.
“Sean’s deep understanding of the Australian market combined with his operational experience and the respect he has earned from his UMG colleagues and artists—both domestic and international—makes him the ideal executive to take on the role of president,” comments Lucian Grainge, chairman and CEO of UMG.
“I’m confident he will expand our track record of creative and commercial success in a market that so culturally important.”
Warner will succeed UMA’s long-time leader Ash, who, as previously reported, plans to retire from his position at UMA.
Ash, who led the company as president since 2010, marked the end of an era in the Australian music industry when he announced his departure on Monday (Dec. 12).
“The time is right for me to step down from Universal,” Ash explained in a separate statement. “I feel confident that with the brilliant leadership group we have now, the organization will continue to grow and thrive.”
As previously reported, Ash last year initiated an investigation into workplace culture at UMA, and engaged Darren Perry at law firm Seyfarth Shaw to conduct the probe.
“As the region’s leading music company, we will continue to innovate and evolve our businesses,” says Warner in a statement, “and support our artists and labels as they deliver the very best music and culture to fans.”
When Ben Kline and Cris Lacy took over Warner Music Nashville (WMN) as co-presidents in June, they let the staff know that their disagreements would be hashed out in the open.
“I want the kids to see Mom and Dad fighting,” jokes Kline, but then adds, “These are two people that are in the middle of [problem] solving, and hopefully, everyone learns from it and sees how we get to a decision.”
The hope is that airing out conflicts in public “empowers the staff to disagree with us,” says Lacy. When the pair took the reins from WMN chairman/CEO John “Espo” Esposito, who will ascend to chairman emeritus in January after 13 years, the last thing they wanted was “people sitting in the room just going along with whatever we throw out there. We need everybody to come in with the big ideas and be disruptors.”
Disruption is already happening at the artist level as the executives begin to put their stamp on the label: One of the first signings was Giovannie & The Hired Guns, the Texas-based band led by Mexican-American frontman Giovannie Yanez, whose breakout single, “Ramon Ayala,” spent five weeks at No. 1 on Billboard’s Rock & Alternative Airplay chart. They are also seeing huge streaming numbers with nascent country rockers Bailey Zimmerman, who is co-signed with Elektra, and Zach Bryan, who is signed to Warner Records but co-works with WMN.
Kline and Lacy, who were unofficially touted as Esposito’s successors for many months, have been preparing for the changeover. “We both have coaches, and we’re working at this relationship because we know that it’s not as simple as, ‘Well, we love each other now, and it’s all great,’ ” Lacy says.
Kline’s parents gave him this Boston baseball, which he says is a reminder of his roots and love of the sport. “This is the one item that has sat on every desk I’ve occupied.”
Emily Dorio
“We had each done some executive coaching individually, but as this came about, we leaned in and the company was great, and they have offered solutions,” says Kline. “As new challenges and situations arise, it’s very reassuring to know that we have that type of resource. It’s an evolution, and what it is today probably isn’t what it looks like in six months.”
Kline, who was most recently executive vp/GM, started at WMN in 2014 as vp of revenue before becoming senior vp of global revenue and touring. Lacy joined in 2005 after stints at several publishing companies. She was most recently executive vp of A&R and has been responsible for bringing acts such as Kenny Chesney, Cole Swindell, Cody Johnson, Ashley McBryde and Gabby Barrett to the label. WMN, which ranked third on Billboard‘s 2022 year-end list of top country labels, also counts Blake Shelton, Dan + Shay and Ingrid Andress among its roster.
In their first joint interview since taking over WMN, the executives, who report to Warner Music Group CEO of recorded music Max Lousada, talked about their vision for the company, what they admire about each other, ongoing challenges at radio and what keeps them up at night. What do you admire the most about the other?
Ben Kline: Cris is incredibly inclusive as a manager, at soliciting everyone’s opinion and coming to a conclusion. Her ears and her heart go into our signings and 25-plus years of relationships that are drawn upon on a daily basis. I cannot tell you the level of safety I feel knowing that’s what my partner brings.
Cris Lacy: Ben is very decisive. I have so much respect for how laser focused he is in a meeting. That inspires a lot of confidence. The other is his business acumen. That makes me feel confident to go out to be creative — to jump off a cliff knowing that he’ll help me pull the parachute.
A print from the 1986 photo shoot for Dwight Yoakam’s Guitars, Cadillacs, Etc., Etc., which fueled country’s neo-traditional movement. “The picture captures the spirit of Dwight,” says Kline.
Emily Dorio
In February, Robert Kyncl will replace Stephen Cooper as Warner Music Group’s CEO. What interactions have you had with him so far? And since he is from YouTube, do you expect a greater emphasis on technology?
Kline: Yes. Cris and I have had a chance to meet Robert virtually. It’s hard not to get excited when you look at the companies that he has helped build.
Giovannie & The Hired Guns’ new album, Tejano Punk Boys, leans more rock than country. What drove the signing?
Lacy: What we heard felt like the spirit of the outlaw movement: rebellious, visceral, urgent and honest. Toby Keith is one of Gio’s influences. Toby has said things that pushed the boundaries. Gio is pushing the boundary a little further into rock musically. We also heard unreleased music that is more classic country in its structure. As a label, we have to look past what is probable in the current moment and ahead to what is possible. We believe in what Gio is doing right now, but we also believe in his vision to release different music down the road to the country, rock and Latin audiences.
Emily Dorio
That signing was in partnership with Warner Music Latina and Warner Records. Is the country market ripe for a Latin explosion?
Lacy: Yes! There’s a lot of opportunity, especially for our genre: the storytelling, the cadence of the music, the swagger. When we speak with our partners in that space, it feels like a natural fit for us. There will be more.
Your other initial signings were Madeline Edwards and singer-songwriter Chase Matthew. What does that reveal about your A&R philosophy, and how is it different than it was under Esposito?
Lacy: I was here for all of Espo, so I would say the A&R philosophy has always been consistent, which is: It’s storytellers. What Madeline and Chase and Gio say when you put them all together is there’s no boundary for us. We don’t sit in a room and say, “We need one of those.” The artist that we want is an artist that we don’t know exists yet.
Kline: The marketplace has also evolved, so how we judge success, how we’re able to amplify artists and get their music heard has changed. As important as [radio] is for critical mass, we are seeing incredible breakout success for artists in our genre through avenues that weren’t available.
How does that change A&R if you aren’t as reliant on radio?
Lacy: Honestly, it feels like freedom because it was so frustrating to know that when an artist came to a country major record label, what they were saying was they wanted radio. So if, as an A&R person, you loved the music but you realize it can’t go to radio, then you cannot ethically say, “I’ll sign you.” You ended up passing on artists that you truly loved. Now there are all these other ways to develop stories and break artists. The handcuffs are off.
“I try to start every day in gratitude,” says Lacy. “The Book of Awakening by Mark Nepo puts everything in perspective. The cross came from a meditation journey, and the candle is from this amazing artist counseling nonprofit, Friends of Porter’s Call, where I serve on the board.”
Emily Dorio
Are you rethinking the costs of radio? It can take a year to get a song up the chart and six months before you know if you’ve got a hit.
Kline: I don’t think we’d be doing our jobs if we weren’t rethinking how we spend every dollar. For a really long time, your marketing efforts began the day you went to radio with your first single on a new artist. That was when the clock started. If you’re doing that in 2023, I don’t know if that’s a recipe for success. There has never been more ways to do it.
It used to be you were only competing against your fellow Nashville labels for acts. Now you’re competing with the coastal labels as well. How do you deal with that?
Lacy: The last artist that we looked at had, according to Billboard, 18 labels interested. The New York- and Los Angeles-based labels are seeing something very exciting in this genre, so that’s good for the business. As much as we joke about, “Gosh, I wish they’d just leave us alone to do our thing,” it means that our music is traveling in a way that it hasn’t before. We have really good lines of communication with our sister labels, and we talk openly about, what is the native genre for this act? Having very good relationships is important to Max Lousada and to the philosophy of the company.
Is the increased competition driving up signing costs?
Lacy: Signing costs are going up because you have data that is predictive. If you map out the next five years of an act who is streaming X, there’s no sense in offering them less than they’re going to be able to make if they never signed a deal. What we didn’t have before was a way to measure where something would be in five years.
Kline: There has never been more data available around unsigned artists, and everyone has access to generally the same data. The rosters in this town were [previously] built out of people going to clubs in cities where the only A&R person was from a label in Nashville. It’s a different ballgame now, and it puts added pressure on — and we’re up to the task — to prove why we add value for the artists that we’re talking to.
What keeps you up at night?
Kline: The weight of the responsibility for 80 people that work at our company and the impact that the decisions Cris and I make have on their lives.
Lacy: And also the inability to break an artist that chose to sign with you — if we still can’t make them a superstar after they’ve made all these sacrifices and worked their ass off. When someone signs to a record label, they’re really giving you the thing they value the most. And it keeps me up when I can’t help them fulfill that in the way that they always wanted.
“This is a photo of my mom, Andrea Cris Lacy — who was ahead of her time in a male-dominated industry — directing and producing a PBS documentary about a death row inmate,” Lacy says. “She also made the dress she’s wearing. She did it all. The belt buckle is a gift from Cody Johnson.”
Emily Dorio
BRISBANE, Australia — George Ash is stepping down as president of Universal Music Australia and New Zealand.
In a surprise announcement that hit inboxes as the music industry settled in for the first day of the working week, Universal Music Group announced Ash would retire from his position at the end of the year.
“The time is right for me to step down from Universal,” says the outgoing executive in a corporate statement. “I feel confident that with the brilliant leadership group we have now, the organization will continue to grow and thrive.
New Zealand-born Ash will leave UMA as part of a “long-planned personal decision to focus on new goals and projects,” reads the statement, “whilst leaving the company under the leadership of a new generation of executives, who will continue to build on the legacy of creative and commercial success that has flourished during his tenure.”
With Ash at the helm of the Sydney-based business, UMA helped establish the careers of a long list of artists from these parts, including Lorde, Baker Boy, Amyl and The Sniffers, Tame Impala, Gotye, Dean Lewis, Troye Sivan and many others.
“Under George’s leadership, the UMA team has delivered countless local and international artist successes in this incredibly dynamic market,” comments Lucian Grainge, chairman and CEO, Universal Music Group. “We are grateful to George for his dedication to, and passion for, our artists, and for the historic achievements of UMA during his tenure.”
A musician early in his career, Ash relocated to Australia in 2001 to become managing director at UMA, and was promoted to president in 2010, with duties for Universal Music’s companies on both sides of the Tasman. In 2013, he added duties for the Asia Pacific region.
During his tenure, Ash also served a member of the ARIA board and as chairman of Phonographic Performance Company of Australia (PPCA) board.
Prior to his move west, Ash enjoyed stints at BMG NZ and PolyGram in his homeland, and was instrumental in the creation of MCA Geffen, Universal Music’s first operations in New Zealand, back in 1995.
In an internal message to staff, seen by Billboard, Ash writes: “Having been with the company for nearly three decades, the time feels right. I am so confident in, and proud of, the brilliant leadership team we have in place, as well as the positive changes we have made in the past couple of years, and I am excited to see the company, staff, labels, and artists continue to grow and thrive in the years ahead.”
The company is “filled with exceptional people, and it has been a privilege to share this journey with you all. My heartfelt thanks go to Sir Lucian Grainge for his incredible support and guidance, and to Boyd Muir, with whom I have worked since the very beginning of my time at UMG.”
As previously reported, Ash last year initiated an investigation into workplace culture at UMA, following allegations of inappropriate behavior within its ranks. Ash tapped Darren Perry at law firm Seyfarth Shaw, to conduct a probe into workplace culture, after a string of allegations emerged online and an internal complaint was lodged with HR.
“After 35 years working in music, my love for it has not diminished,” comments Ash in his message to staff on Monday (Dec. 12), “and I’m as excited for the future as I was back then, when I was working the nightshift in the Polygram pressing plant in Wellington.”
A successor will be announced “at a later date,” reads a statement.
Read Ash’s message to staff:
Dear colleagues,
I am writing to let you all know that I will be stepping down from my role as President of UMA at the end of the year.
This is something that I have been planning for a long time, as I still have many areas of personal interest and passions that I want to explore.
Having been with the company for nearly three decades, the time feels right. I am so confident in, and proud of, the brilliant leadership team we have in place, as well as the positive changes we have made in the past couple of years, and I am excited to see the company, staff, labels, and artists continue to grow and thrive in the years ahead.
I am also proud of the role that I have played in transforming UMA into the market-leading music company. It has been an honor to work with so many talented and creative artists, including Lorde, Baker Boy, Amyl and The Sniffers, Tame Impala, Gotye, Hayley Westenra, Wolfmother, Dean Lewis, Hilltop Hoods, Troye Sivan, Empire of the Sun, A.B. Original, Tina Arena, Havana Brown, The Presets, Boy & Bear, Powderfinger, Bernard Fanning, Sarah Blasko, Tkay Maidza and countless others, especially those that we have helped introduce to new audiences around the world. It has also been a pleasure to welcome so many of UMG’s international artists to our shores, and to help them achieve great success here.
This company is filled with exceptional people, and it has been a privilege to share this journey with you all. My heartfelt thanks go to Sir Lucian Grainge for his incredible support and guidance, and to Boyd Muir, with whom I have worked since the very beginning of my time at UMG.
My adoration, respect and gratitude go to so many of my colleagues here in Australia, New Zealand and around the world. I have so many fond memories, favorite shows, and most of all friendships from my time here.
After 35 years working in music, my love for it has not diminished, and I’m as excited for the future as I was back then, when I was working the nightshift in the Polygram pressing plant in Wellington.
My enduring thanks and admiration.
Sony Music US Latin has officially opened its new headquarters in Puerto Rico, Billboard can confirm today (Dec. 8).
The multinational record label, which has had its facilities on the island since 1980 (formerly CBS Records), is relocating to the modern office complex Ciudadela in Santurce, where the label’s artists will have access to a press room, recording studio, content creation room for networks, and other benefits.
“These new offices are a tangible demonstration of what Puerto Rico represents for Sony and for Latino culture,” Alex Gallardo, president of Sony Music US Latin tells Billboard via email. “In addition, this expansion will allow us to provide a better service and support our current artists even more.”
Reaffirming its commitment to Boricua talent, Victor Manuelle, Pedro Capó, and Luis Figueroa were some of the Sony artists present at the inauguration, alongside Gallardo and Tuti Bou, vp and general manager of Sony Music US Latin (Puerto Rico Branch).
“After 42 years of having founded our company in Puerto Rico, today we celebrate this new stage,” Bou adds. “At Sony Music PR we are proud to be the only established multinational committed to the development of our music and culture. The space is modern, and spacious, and in which we have our own recording studio to continue developing, promoting, and discovering new talent. Sony Music Puerto Rico will continue to be ‘The House of Artists.’”
In addition, the label has commissioned a mural from the renowned artists of The Stencil Network in support of the urban development in Santurce.
Sony Music Latin offices in Puerto Rico
Dianeris Nieves/Sony Music Latin
Popular music in 2022 is more diffuse than ever. With TikTok entrenched as the industry’s most effective (and maddening) marketing tool, streaming services continually democratizing listening and dulling the impact of conventional singles, and songs from years (if not decades) earlier resurfacing as contemporary hits, it’s increasingly rare to see new releases rule over all sectors of the pop landscape.
But this past year, that very rarity was the norm for Columbia Records. As listeners’ ever-evolving consumption habits pulled them every which way — and rarely toward the same handful of releases — the label dominated in a way that could be described as old-fashioned: with acclaimed full-length albums from established superstars that spawned massive hit singles and sold lots of physical records. The monoculture may be long dead, but Columbia delivered a pretty convincing flashback to it in 2022.
Evidence of the label’s all-encompassing impact was on clear display during the Grammy nominations announcement in November. Columbia claims three of the most-nominated artists for the awards in February 2023: Adele, Beyoncé and Harry Styles, who have a combined 22 nods. An album of the year win seems especially likely for the label, with Adele’s 30, Beyoncé’s Renaissance and Styles’ Harry’s House considered the three front-runners to take home the award, according to betting site GoldDerby.
And the albums’ commercial performances easily matched their industry plaudits. Each debuted at No. 1 on both the Billboard 200 and Top Album Sales charts during the same weeks that their respective lead singles (“Easy on Me,” “Break My Soul” and “As It Was”) also led the Billboard Hot 100, as part of their combined 27 weeks atop the chart.
Meanwhile, the gains Columbia made in 2021 with The Kid LAROI and Lil Nas X — artists who had found commercial success before Columbia signed them, but who the label helped establish as A-level hit-makers — carried over, with the radio success of their respective chart-topping singles “Stay” (with Justin Bieber) and “Industry Baby” (with Jack Harlow) spilling well into the new year and helping Columbia earn Billboard’s Top Radio Songs Label distinction for 2022. And the label kept an eye on the future, aggressively signing up-and-coming sensations like Nicky Youre (“Sunroof”), Megan Moroney (“Tennessee Orange”) and Yahritza y Su Esencia (“Soy El Unico”), helping those acts get footholds in the industry following their early TikTok virality.
“We’re always focused on two things, really: One, breaking new artists, and two, elevating the careers of superstars,” says Peter Gray, executive vp/head of promotion at Columbia. “We don’t control the timing of the calendar, or the tides or the moons or the stars — the material flows as it flows, and we’re certainly happy to deliver it as it comes. But to see both of those things happening simultaneously — turning new young talent into household names, and then finding superlative moments for the world’s biggest stars — are equally gratifying and exciting for our team.”
Captaining that team are chairman/CEO Ron Perry — installed in the position in 2018 to take over for his mentor Rob Stringer after the latter’s move to run parent company Sony Music Entertainment — and Jen Mallory, the label’s executive vp/GM. Though label veterans like Adele, Beyoncé and Styles predate the duo at Columbia, Perry and Mallory have helped to expand those artists’ reaches and keep them vital to the contemporary pop mainstream, while also signing artists like LAROI, Lil Nas X, “Boyfriend” breakout Dove Cameron and recent Latin Grammy album of the year winner Rosalía, developing them to new levels of stardom.
Described by his staff as a master of A&R, Perry is known as an executive with a unique understanding of artists’ perspectives. It helps that he’s a musician himself, as well as a producer and songwriter — he even landed production and writing credits on BTS’ Columbia-released 2021 megahit “Butter.” “He’s the only major-label chief who’s also a musician and truly in the studio,” Gray says.
He also brings an artist’s pure passion for music to his position as Columbia’s lead decision-maker. “My favorite thing in this entire job is getting a song from an artist that’s just incredible — that excites me more than anything else,” Perry says. “Things are changing, things are evolving, things are always going to be different. But at the end of the day, great music is the biggest factor.”
Meanwhile, Mallory is a marketing specialist, approaching Columbia’s album campaigns from a global perspective (previously, she served as Sony’s senior vp of international marketing). Sitting together and talking to Billboard, it’s also clear that while Perry takes the lead, he relies on Mallory to fill in the gaps in his thinking — even down to a single word. As he searches for the most precise adjective to describe the nature of musical successes in 2022, Mallory offers options — “Transient, like they don’t last very long? Ephemeral?” — as Perry racks his brain.
“There’s not really one answer to [who does what between them] — it’s very fluid, it’s by project,” says marketing senior vp Erika Alfredson. “But that’s the beauty of the two of them: They’re able to sort of see that in real time — and they’ve gotten in a great rhythm of being able to kind of know where each of their places is, and where they can be the most effective.”
Ron Perry photographed on November 22, 2022 at Columbia Records in New York.
Aaron Richter
The combination of Perry’s expert touch with artists and Mallory’s global marketing vision has allowed Columbia to both land and grow successful artists at all levels of the industry — and while their 2022 success has a classic feel, both remain fixated on securing the label’s future. “We’re constantly trying to evolve and be better, honestly,” Perry says. “And we’re always learning… we’re never satisfied with the way a thing is done. We always want to improve, and…”
“Improve the status quo,” Mallory finishes. “I mean listen, [the market] is just all so fractured now, it’s all so…”
“That’s the word I was looking for earlier — ‘fractured’!” Perry interjects.
When you start a year like this, do you get the feeling that it’s going to be one when everything aligns?
Jen Mallory: I mean, you never know. But all the artists that were [Grammy] nominated, and of course the top three that we’re talking about [Adele’s 30, Styles’ Harry’s House and Beyoncé’s Renaissance], they’re incredible bodies of work. So it’s thrilling.
Ron Perry: And it’s well-deserved. We’re happy with the outcome.
And in the meantime, you’re still aggressively going after new artists like Yahritza, Megan Moroney and Nicky Youre. Is it important to keep stockpiling up-and-coming artists while you’re enjoying those successes up top?
Perry: I definitely wouldn’t call it stockpiling. We’re very deliberate in what we sign. I don’t think we sign that much, to be honest with you. Columbia’s just an amazing place to be, both historically and currently. And I think — Rob [Stringer] taught me this — that people that come in here, we give them a lot of love, a lot of attention, a lot of strategy. And we’re pretty careful in who we sign, to make sure that’s the right fit.
I’ve heard that you’re very aggressive in going after the artists that you’re really excited about.
Perry: Yeah, when you’re passionate, and you want something… I’m very aggressive about doing that. If it’s someone that I feel belongs here, then I really want them to be here.
Those three artists — Yahritza, Moroney and Youre — all had early success on TikTok. Is that where most of Columbia’s artist scouting is happening these days?
Perry: All these platforms, it’s always changing. We’ll be talking about something else a couple years from now. At the end of the day, you have to sign incredible talent. The platforms will always change and the talent won’t. So if someone is working on TikTok, you want someone because they’re great. Because… look at Twitter right now. If something happens [to the platform], you want to be able to have a great artist no matter what the situation is. Not necessarily because they’re great on one platform.
I actually prefer to avoid a viral hit early on in someone’s career. It’s too difficult to overcome that, if it’s too early.
Nicky Youre’s management told Billboard that one of the main reasons they decided to come to Columbia is because you have such a great reputation for radio. Do you take pride in that? Is it something you feel you can offer to up-and-coming artists?
Perry: Well, first of all, I think our reputation is that we’re artist-first. And that comes from Rob Stringer. And Rob, who’s really my mentor, taught me how to go from being an A&R person to being a chairman/CEO, and that the reputation of this company is really the artistic integrity and the amazing artists that this company has had… since the beginning of this company until today.
Have we done well at radio? I think we’ve done great. Peter Gray has come in, and I think we’ve gone from No. 9 to No. 1 in market share over a four-year period. I call the shots of which record to go with. I think we have a very high batting average with what we go to radio with. And I think Peter has done a tremendous job across all formats to make those records a big success.
In 2022 and 2023, I’m not sure that radio’s the No. 1 selling point in an artist’s career. It is a selling point, it is part of the picture, but we offer a lot of strategic help, and creative support, and with so many things that go just beyond this one thing.
So when you’re talking to those younger artists, telling them what Columbia can offer them that they can’t do on their own, what are you telling them?
Perry: Um… Jen?
Mallory: I think, again, it goes back to artist-first, and I think Rob has set us both up for success. What we do is we help an artist amplify, and help an artist build a world, right? Obviously radio’s a part of it, international’s a part of it, figuring out how to create a kind of community, fan-building… But no one campaign is like the other, and it’s all bespoke to the artist. And at the end of the day, artists need to find teams that they feel comfortable around, that they feel understand them. I think, ultimately, we’ve built a team here that does that.
Jen Mallory photographed on November 22, 2022 at Columbia Records in New York.
Aaron Richter
When you talk about the evolving landscape, what’s the biggest evolution that you’ve noticed over the last year or two that has really changed the way you think about how business is done here, or just the industry in general?
Perry: Obviously in the past year or so, catalog [consumption] has gone up. And with TikTok, the older records are climbing the charts, so front-line records take a little less space right now.
So are you taking a more open-minded view to what could be promoted, or what could be considered a new release, in light of the fact that songs from five to seven years ago are basically being treated like new hits?
Perry: Absolutely. We put everything on the table.
Mallory: Good music is good music, right?
Perry: There’s really no rules anymore.
And is that exciting to you?
Perry: Oh, it’s exciting to us.
Mallory: Super exciting.
Perry: We talk about that all the time. I mean… listen, two to three years ago we started teasing records [online], and that was an exciting time. And now as it’s happening within the entire marketplace, we’re looking at the next thing. What’s the next thing that’s going to be groundbreaking? So we love being challenged, and right now, the market’s interesting.
Going back to the bigger artists that you’ve had this year — each of them had immediate impact. Big first-week numbers, not just on the albums side but on the songs side, with each of those albums having an accompanying Hot 100 No. 1 single the same week the album was No. 1. Is that something that’s a priority to Columbia, to come out of the gate screaming and capture those big moments and headlines with the first-week performance?
Mallory: I mean, with those three artists? Absolutely. Again, each one is different. I think all the work that was done on [Styles’ 2019 album] Fine Line for Harry brought his fans into Harry’s House in a big, big way. So we had a huge, seismic kind of launch. And “As It Was” is an incredible song, and the album is fantastic front-to-back. So all of that played a part in such a big week one.
Perry: And with Harry, Beyoncé, they’ve been in this company for a long time. And Rob Stringer is extremely involved creatively with them. Very helpful.
Mallory: And Beyoncé, I think the way that she welcomed people back outside [with “Break My Soul”] off the back of the pandemic — that song was just a celebration of being out of the mask and back outside and with people again — from a narrative perspective, that played a part in [its success]. I think this lives in the streets, this lives in culture. Not only with “Break My Soul,” but now again with “Cuff It” — it has been beautiful to watch.
I talked to a couple of people in your promotions and marketing departments, and they said, “Well, yeah, the first week’s great and important, but we’re looking at 12 to 18 months on an album.” Is that harder to do in 2022? What’s most important to keeping the album fresh for that long?
Mallory: I also think it’s about building a long-term narrative and strategy and world for a fan to celebrate and step into, right? With Harry, we’re continuing to roll [out] singles and new kinds of chapters of this Harry’s House that stay fresh every time. And same thing with Beyoncé. We have so much more coming, obviously. Even Adele, I mean [30] is a year old and she just launched [her Las Vegas residency] and was incredible.
Perry: The [residency debut] was insane. One of the best things I’ve ever seen.
Jen, you mentioned “Cuff It.” TikTok is very unpredictable as a marketing tool, but is it a powerful thing to have in your back pocket when it helps a song like “Cuff It” take off?
Mallory: I mean, it’s just exciting to see people celebrating this music the way they are, right? This album has landed in culture, and people have just made it their own, in a way. And that hasn’t been the case before. And this is all Beyoncé — this is rolling out exactly how she wanted it to.
Perry: TikTok is a mirror of culture, you know? And therefore, if you’re impacting culture, people on the app are going to use the sound.
You mention more coming with Beyoncé — I think everyone basically knows that to be the case but isn’t sure when or what or where. Is it challenging to keep that balance between fans paying attention and listening to the album but also waiting for more to come?
Perry: I think nine Grammy nominations kind of speak for themselves in terms of what’s happening right now with Beyoncé.
Is there anything you can tell me about what Beyoncé has coming up?
Perry: No. She’s nominated for the Grammys, though!
Do you look to your artists’ live shows to not only raise awareness of an album but also give a boost to their entire catalog? Are you looking at the numbers there?
Mallory: Yeah. I mean, specifically, I think Rosalía is a good one to talk about. As she made her way through Europe — she started in Spain, and we kept a close watch on how that was lifting [her 2022 album] Motomami. It had a tremendous effect, because it’s probably one of the best live shows I’ve ever seen. And so people saw it and then engaged with the music again.
Perry: Another show you have to see. We’re going to give you a whole list of shows! (Both laugh.)
Rosalía
Kevin Winter/GI
Let’s talk about some experiences you’ve had with artists who are still more up-and-coming. I find Dominic Fike particularly interesting — there were reports about a bidding war and a $4 million offer to sign him. And he has had success, but I’m sure you would agree that there’s still potential to be reached there. Meanwhile, he’s on maybe the hottest TV show in the world right now, Euphoria. How do you convert that sort of buzz and success into eyes on his music career?
Perry: I think 2023 will be the year that… musically, all the stars align [for Fike]. He’s on tour right now, his new music is unbelievable. And obviously the show has done a lot for him. He’s just naturally gifted in almost everything — and incredibly good-looking. I really believe that this is the year that he could be one of the big, big breakthroughs across the industry.
And you had success like that with The Kid LAROI last year. I think people were looking for him this year to take even a step further, and it has been a bit rocky — he had a high-profile management switch, and his single “Thousand Miles” did well but didn’t quite take him to the next level. How do you see his 2023?
Perry: LAROI’s got great new music that he’s working on as well. He toured for most of the year. He toured everywhere, really for the first time. “Stay” is one of the biggest songs of all time. I think you can’t really compete with that record. Just like Lil Nas X couldn’t really compete with “Old Town Road,” you know what I mean? And I’ve heard the [new] music, it’s unbelievable. And so I think sometimes we have perceptions that actually aren’t accurate. It’s a touring year, and he’s got a real fan base. And so I think that he’s going to come back big this year.
You’re known to be a sort of artist whisperer when it comes to dealing with younger acts. What’s the most important thing in communicating with a younger artist?
Perry: Communicating! That’s exactly what’s important. You communicate — again, our job is to support [the artists]. Not everything we deal with with them is positive. Not every record is going to work for every artist. So I think it’s having a long-term plan, having the artist knowing that the label is there for a long time to support them.
Mallory: Not just when you’re in cycle, right? So just making sure that there’s communication, always.
Perry: And not just when it’s positive results. And that’s why Jen is so great, because Jen has amazing relationships with our artists, our managers — and not just amazing ideas, but also execution.
When you’re both communicating with these artists, do you play different roles? Is there a contrasting style in your strengths at dealing with artists in these respects?
Perry: Um… (Indicates Mallory should answer first.)
Mallory: I mean, listen… he’s an incredible A&R guy. His superpower is the music. But he’s also very, very involved with everything else. He’s an incredibly creative person generally, so very much involved in marketing and digital, very good with numbers, the rest of it. So yes, he probably spends more time talking about the music, and I talk about other things… the rollout, the marketing, the strategy. But again, he’s not not involved with that — he’s very much involved with every facet of the campaigns.
Perry: And I play Jen music all the time, and she’s got great ears. We just have an amazing collaboration and friendship, and I think that it makes what we do and how much time we spend here really fun, honestly.
Mallory: I would agree with that… I mean, listen, we both have very strong personalities, I would say. But we see eye-to-eye on a lot of things. I think that’s accurate. I don’t think there’s a lot of infighting.
Can you remember a time when you disagreed on a best path forward with someone or something? Or philosophically…
Perry: I can’t recall anything. I can’t recall right now.
Mallory: No, I can’t recall right now. For the most part, we’re a really good team. Not “for the most part” — we are a really good team.
And who else is in the inner circle of trust when making the bigger decisions? Who do you lean on when it comes to areas where you don’t feel yourselves the strongest?
Perry: I think we’re really good at collaborating with our senior staff. The reality is I could get ideas from really anywhere.
Mallory: That’s a benefit of the culture here… to his point, ideas can come from anywhere. There maybe isn’t that same sort of hierarchy that there used to be in an old-school system. We very much want to hear from every person. And we play to people’s strengths.
What are you looking forward to in the future? What trends are we going to see go even further, or what are we not talking about yet that we will be in years to come?
Perry: Future trends. Wow. Well, I have ideas, as we always have ideas, but I will not give them away. Because they’re our ideas. (Laughs.) So we’re always thinking about the future. We’re always trying to do things differently. We’re always trying to innovate. We’re trying to always think ahead. I think what we’ve accomplished here as a company in the past several years has shown that.
Mallory: I mean, it’s all so niche now. Niche communities, right? So we have to figure out how to knit those communities together and create importance and a long-term narrative and build out worlds. And that’s what we love to do here, and we have so many incredible artists that we get to work with to do that. But there’s always going to be disruption. Every year, we’re saying, “What’s going to be around the next bend?”
This story will appear in the Dec. 10, 2022, issue of Billboard.
Julie Greenwald, Atlantic Music Group chairman/CEO, and Craig Kallman, Atlantic Records chairman/CEO, will receive the 2023 Grammy Salute to Industry Icons award. The award will be presented at the Pre-Grammy Gala at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, Calif. on Saturday, Feb. 4, 2023. The annual event is presented jointly by industry legend Clive Davis and the Recording Academy.
This will be the first time since 2020 that the event will take place. Sony Music Group chairman Rob Stringer was announced as the recipient last year. He was scheduled to receive the award on Sun, Jan. 30, 2022, the night before the 64th Annual Grammy Awards, but the event was canceled because of a surge related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Grammys telecast itself was pushed back to April 3, 2022 and moved to the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. The award was presented to Stringer in Las Vegas by Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason jr. Stringer was also acknowledged as the Icon honoree on the Grammy Awards telecast. But he missed out on the gala.
The Recording Academy and Davis will celebrate Greenwald and Kallman’s accomplishments at this year’s event, set for the night before the 65th Annual Grammy Awards, which will return to Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles (formerly the Staples Center) on Feb. 5, 2023.
“Respected across the music community, Julie and Craig have fostered the careers of an incredible range of talent,” Mason said in a statement. “They both have a passion and love for music, and they are constantly pushing the music industry forward with their transformative work with the artist community. We are so honored to celebrate these two industry titans at this year’s Pre-Grammy Gala.”
“I’ve personally known Julie and Craig for many years and it’s so very exciting to celebrate their exceptional creativity and achievements at this year’s Pre-Grammy Gala,” said Davis, a previous honoree at this event. “What a special night it will be spotlighting them and their incredible music and artists!”
Greenwald and Kallman first joined forces in 2004, when Greenwald moved to Atlantic from Island Def Jam. Greenwald and Kallman will be the first pair to receive the Grammy Salute to Industry Icons Honor since Herb Alpert & Jerry Moss, the co-founders of A&M Records.
In addition to Davis, Alpert & Moss and Stringer, the roster of previous Pre-Grammy Gala honorees includes Clarence Avant, Irving Azoff, Martin Bandier, Sir Richard Branson, Sean “Diddy” Combs, Shawn “JAY-Z” Carter, Ahmet Ertegun, David Geffen, Berry Gordy, Lucian Grainge, Debra L. Lee, Doug Morris, Mo Ostin, and Antonio “L.A.” Reid.
The recently formed Atlantic Music Group, which includes the Atlantic and 300 Elektra label families, garnered nearly 40 Grammy nominations this year. Its top nominees this year include Lizzo, with five nods, including album, record and song of the year; Coldplay and Jack Harlow, with three nods each; and GAYLE with a nod for song of the year.
The Atlantic Records site has a list of nearly 200 “active artists” for its various labels, including Big Beat Records, Canvasback, Elektra Records, Fueled By Ramen, Maybach Music Group, and Roadrunner Records.
The site also lists more than 60 “legacy artists” and six Broadway cast albums, including the blockbusters Hamilton and Dear Evan Hansen.
Atlantic Records is celebrating its 75th anniversary. The label was founded in October 1947 by Ahmet Ertegun and Herb Abramson. In 1967, Atlantic became a wholly owned subsidiary of Warner Bros.-Seven Arts, now the Warner Music Group. In 2004, Atlantic and its sister label Elektra were merged into the Atlantic Records Group.
The invitation-only Pre-Grammy Gala has become one of the most exclusive Grammy Week events. Sometimes, the event makes news, as it did three years ago when Combs put the Recording Academy on notice that he wanted to see major changes in the way it operated.
“Truth be told, hip-hop has never been respected by the Grammys,” Combs noted in his acceptance speech. “Black music has never been respected by the Grammys to the point that it should be … And that stops right now. I’m officially starting the clock. You’ve got 365 days to get this sh-t together. We need transparency, we need diversity.”
Deanie Parker was a high-school glee club member aiming to be a star when she first met Stax Records co-founder Jim Stewart in 1962. Instead, she ended up occupying a front row seat as one of Stax’s longtime executives, witnessing the storied label’s rise, fall and rise again. Appointed publicity coordinator in 1965, she advanced to director of publicity in 1967, director of publicity, artist relations and public relations in 1968 and then vp of public affairs in 1973. Now retired as the founding president/CEO of the Soulsville Foundation, located at the original site of the Memphis-based label, Parker pays tribute to Stewart in this as-told-to reflection.
When I first met Jim Stewart in 1962, it had everything to do with my wanting to be on the road with Gladys Knight, Aretha Franklin, Patti LaBelle and Tina Turner — and to rival them. Of course, that never happened. Fortunately, both Jim and I were smart enough to know that I lacked the power and the tenacity. I also didn’t have Tina’s legs [laughs].
In the early ‘60s in Memphis, there was at least one talent show a week, mostly on Beale Street. A male group that was part of our high school glee club with me was looking for a lead vocalist. After we got together, the glee club teacher decided that we were good enough to enter one of the talent shows — the first prize being an audition for this new studio, Stax. We won first prize and auditioned for its founder, Jim.
He signed us and we later had a regional hit, but nothing beyond that. At any rate, it wasn’t long after Jim signed us that he provided me with an opportunity to experience firsthand what it was like for a Black artist to be on the road and the conditions under which they had to perform. That’s when I recognized that I was never going to compete with Stax’s queen Carla Thomas or other women artists. I was no threat at all. So I decided to pursue the administrative side of the business, publicity and marketing.
Fortunately for me, Stax was in its infancy. We were viewed as a backwater town on the Mississippi River and didn’t have anyone to publicize or promote what the organization was doing or to help groom the artists for the wonderful media inquiries that we started receiving as the hits rolled out. We were with Atlantic at the time. Jim provided the opportunity for me to learn that skill set while getting on-the-job experience.
I didn’t realize how much Jim was despised for what he was doing. People couldn’t get over the fact that he was providing opportunities for [Black] people who were being demeaned in every way that you could imagine. But the Stax philosophy was a welcoming one. Jim and Estelle [Axton, Jim’s sister and Stax co-founder] were not judgmental. Instead, they took the time to hear what it was we wanted to do, what we thought we could do and the commitments that we were prepared to make in order to make Stax better, to be part of an incredible organization that gave us this inimitable music.
Again, remember we’re in the South. Not only doesn’t anybody understand what the hell we’re doing, they don’t have any respect for it. Jim never talked about the hatred verbatim. But he was always very clear about the fact that as a country fiddler, when he first heard a Ray Charles song — I don’t remember which one now — his taste in music was never the same again. He knew then that what he wanted to do in Memphis was devote his time, attention and energy to recording his own music that would rival Charles’. He never hid that.
In terms of the racism and all of its tentacles that we were experiencing, what Jim did was take a very inflexible position about what was acceptable behavior and what would not be tolerated. He never ceased to remind us that anything that could be misconstrued as illegal would destroy us. Because the authorities and power structure in Memphis were waiting on an opportunity to take something that was uncommon in other places, perhaps, and use it against us to shut Stax’s doors.
That was his way of acknowledging that he was experiencing the same things we were. Like one day when he was standing outside underneath the marquee, talking to Isaac Hayes. A policeman came along and said, “You can’t be out here talking to Black people on the streets.” Jim tried to reason with him. But the policeman said, “I’ll take your ass down and lock you up.”
During the last 10 years, I had the opportunity to talk to Jim about how he dealt with all of that.
And he said, “My mother and father taught me something that worked and still works today that enabled me to press on and survive.” And that was the golden rule: treat people the way you want to be treated. Jim paid a hell of a price for his belief and determination in living up to that.
His ability to assimilate into an environment that was predominantly Black was because he respected the fact that all of us have something that we can bring to the table. That’s part of what made Stax great. So was the fact that perhaps it was the only place in Memphis that was totally integrated — another lesson. Forget all the BS about why we shouldn’t get along or not like each other. If you find something that you can enjoy together, that makes you happy and you could make a living from it? Then throw away everything else and run to that something. The artists may not have been polished but they were authentic. Jim accepted them in all of their rawness. He appreciated, respected and loved them for allowing him to record what they had because he knew what they had was infectious.
What Jim looked and listened for with an artist was his big secret. Watching him trying to keep time to the beat was embarrassing [laughs]. Yet Jim had impeccable hearing and precise timing. When he got behind that console, he knew exactly what he was trying to hear and what he was trying to feel. It was innate; something that God placed in him when he was born. You couldn’t touch it. He could look through the control rooms’ glass window at Booker T. & the M.G.’s on the floor and he knew if you weren’t in the right tempo or out of key. The one thing you could see about Jim was that he was in his element being outside of his element. The test of time shows that he had a freaking secret formula that nobody has been able to emulate. Even today the music just blows you away.
When Atlantic threw him a curve [a contractual stipulation that Atlantic owned the masters to the Stax albums being distributed], I don’t know if he kicked the dog when he got home or not. You know what I’m saying? But in my presence, he never cursed about it. He was a soft-spoken person; reserved. I just know that he was unhappy. I’m sure that he was miserable; that his level of confidence in people, especially in the music business, was crushed. And I’m sure that he blamed himself in some ways for not having been more attentive and less trusting. There’s no way on God’s earth that you can make me believe that Atlantic’s legal department and Jerry Wexler didn’t know what they were doing. Jim was a handshake-on-the-deal kind of man. It was a bitter lesson.
However, if Jim hadn’t been a do-right man, the good Lord would not have introduced him to Al Bell. There wouldn’t have been a solution to the dilemma. Jim could have saved his own behind and forgotten about us but that’s not what he did. His attitude was that we were all in the boat together. And his solution was to get up, dust himself off, learn from it and find a plan. That’s when we moved away from Atlantic and began building a catalog. We turned Stax into a factory, working day and night to release the soul explosion of singles and albums that became the rebirth of Stax.
My most touching memory of Jim happened after my stepfather’s mother died in Chicago. He and my mother had just moved to Memphis and didn’t have the money to transport his mother’s body to Memphis for burial. So I asked Jim if Stax could loan me $300-$400 to transport her body. And he made it happen, which he didn’t have to do. I wasn’t making enough with my writer royalties or anything else for him to feel secure that I’d pay it back. But I did. He trusted me and I’ll never forget it.
Sony Music has added Christel Kayibi to its Africa & Continental Europe team, which she will join as director of repertoire strategy, Africa.
In her new London-based role, Kayibi will be one of the few executives to focus on both Anglophone and Francophone Africa, where she will develop Sony Music’s roster and network; identify catalog, label and other investment opportunities; and drive Sony Music’s entry into new markets across the continent. Kayibi will also work closely with the label’s regional and local Africa teams to assist with the signing of artists in partnership with Sony Music labels worldwide.
For her first project, Kayibi forged a partnership between Sony Music Africa and Afrochella’s parent company, Culture Management Group, along with the streaming service Audiomack, to give unsigned African talent an opportunity to compete for global distribution deals and record contracts through the Ghana-based music festival’s expanded “Rising Star Stage” competition. She will report directly to Daniel Lieberberg, president of Continental Europe & Africa, for Sony, in coordination with Sean Watson, managing director of Sony Music Africa.
Kayibi’s hiring reinforces Africa’s position as a hotbed for global talent that all three major labels want to develop. In September, Def Jam signed an exclusive worldwide joint venture with Native Records, a Nigeria- and U.K.-based label. In June, Universal Music Group also launched Virgin Music Label & Artist Services Africa, which includes over 15,000 music titles, with more than 50 label partners from 25 countries, and releases from more than 100 of Africa’s leading artists. In the last couple of years, Warner Music Group has partnered with Chocolate City, one of Nigeria’s leading independent labels that includes Afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti‘s son Femi Kuti and “Love Nwantiti (Ah Ah Ah)” hitmaker CKay on its roster, and appointed Temi Adeniji as managing director of Warner Music South Africa and senior vp strategy for Sub-Saharan Africa, a post — similar to Kayibi’s — that’s meant to enhance the company’s presence in the region.
Before moving up at Sony Music, which she joined in 2019, Kayibi previously worked as the senior legal and business affairs manager and A&R at Columbia Records in the U.K., where she worked closely with finance, sales and marketing to ensure successful day-to-day operations of labels, including Columbia Records, 5K Records, Robots + Humans and Dream Life Records.
Before joining Sony Music, Kayibi worked as a lawyer at Slaughter and May, White & Case and Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP.
In 2017, Kayibi became the global legal counsel for Nigerian artist and entrepreneur Mr. Eazi and worked with him on building up his label Banku Music — which expanded its roster beyond its founder with the addition of Nigerian singer Joeboy, Ghanaian singer J.Derobie and Ghanaian DJ/producer GuiltyBeatz –as well as his African talent incubator, emPawa Africa, which currently distributes audio and video content for 100 artists across the African continent. Earlier this year, Kayibi won the best lawyer award at the 2022 Young Music Boss Awards in London, which recognizes the achievements of rising music executives under the age of 35.