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talent. There are a million publishers at
this point, and from that perspective, it’s
harder. Ten years ago, there weren’t that
many publishing companies or that many
indie companies. Every writer-producer
is a publisher, and the deals have become
more challenging as well.
What music trends are bubbling up?
Afrobeat is real. The U.S. is just catching up
to it, but it’s happening around the world.
Caribbean music is going to come back to
the forefront very soon as well. And I’m
seeing people wanting a little darker feel
to pop music with Billie Eilish and others
starting to have success.
Beyond great ears, what else does an
A&R executive need to stay relevant?
You have to be a sponge, never feeling like
you’re too good to learn other things that
can help carry your career forward. It’s also
about passion and hard work. Either you
love it or you don’t. This is a lifestyle for
me, 24/7. There is no plan B.
of ears and eyeballs — and not feeling
like I’ve got to know it all.
What added pressure — if any —
have you felt as a black executive
navigating your career in the music
industry?
That actually played a part in my title
as I was negotiating my next role. I
didn’t want to be confined to just urban
music. I felt the contributions I had
made were universal. It goes back to
how I was brought up: The Temptations
were a pop and R&B group. I definitely
carry the thought that I need to do and
be more as an African American in this
position. I honestly feel like I’m going to
be judged differently, unfortunately. On
the flip side, I also want to make sure I’m
carrying the responsibility properly to
allow others to have the opportunity that
I was afforded.
1 “RIP to my uncles Ali-
Ollie Woodson, Melvin
Franklin and Richard
Street,” says Press.
“These legends were
my introduction to the
business.” 2 Press’
first Warner Chappell
business card, “a
constant reminder of
where I began.” 3 “ M y
favorite album by my
favorite artist,” he
says. 4 A K AWS d o l l
and a Rae Sremmurd
platinum plaque.
2 3
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Do any early music memories shape
your work ethic?
Seeing my dad perform on Motown 25 and
going on the road with him. I was raised by
my mom, but being able to travel with him
and watch how the Tempts’ music affected
people all over, I got to see the world as a
bigger place and to dream bigger. Looking
back now, I also learned a lot about the
music business and didn’t even know it.
We would be on these 20-hour bus rides,
and as soon as we got to the hotel, Otis
[Williams, group co-founder] would have
them rehearsing. Otis would stand at the
dressing room door and shout out fines [at
bandmembers]. I’ve seen them go onstage
with only three or four Temptations. I
definitely learned the show must go on.
My dad never missed a show. Seeing
that dedication taught me a lot. I get why
they’ve been performing for 50 years.
Have you seen more women getting
signed as songwriters and producers?
Yes. There has not really been a lot of
that in the business, unfortunately. We
have the female writing-production duo
NOVA Wav, whom I’ve been developing
and working with for more than three years.
They’re changing the narrative, helping to
break down more walls for women working
in the production space. Lizzo is also a new
and important female voice in our business
and will be for a long time. She’s a career
artist who writes, sings and raps. In an
age where I feel like people can get away
with not having it all as an artist, she really
embodies the total package.
As the business has grown, companies
and investors have become more
interested in publishing. On a scale
of 1-10, how competitive has the
publishing industry become?
Ten. Everyone is a publisher now. I think
to a certain degree it’s unfortunate for
songwriters, because people that aren’t
experts in this have become capitalists in a
way. They become more about the money
and not about songwriters and his or her
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