Billboard - USA (2019-10-19)

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E.

“I would like to see artists get paid more

from streaming. It’s great that we’ve

evolved to a point where an artist has the

freedom to release music and have full

100% ownership, but we have to figure out

a better pay system for this new stream-

ing wave. The rate per stream should be

better. But unless we have a big push and

a big fight, I can’t see that rate changing in

the near future.”

— CORTEZ BRYANT, THE BLUEPRINT GROUP/YOUNG

MONEY ENTERTAINMENT/MAVERICK

“I hate this category of ‘female rappers.’

If you’re a great hip-hop artist, you’re a

great hip-hop artist. We should do away

with those labels.”

— JOCELYN COOPER, AFROPUNK

“ I want R&B to be signed more. Everybody

sees the value in hip-hop, and so many

great young rappers land deals in this day

and age. I would love for R&B to get the

same attention. I think the genre could

benefit from physical product. R&B fans

would derive a deeper connection from

tangible pieces that accompany and speak

to their appropriate brands, respectively.

You still need a physical component to

engender a long-term connection and

enduring fandom.”

—PHYLICIA FANT, COLUMBIA RECORDS

“The industry needs to recognize the

importance of mentorship and passing the

baton. I think we’re getting into a space

where we realize there’s more than enough

money to go around. So people, including

myself and others like me, are welcoming

the next generation with excitement. We

just need this trend to stay around.”

—KEI HENDERSON, SINCE THE 80s

“I would like to see more women in senior,

decision-making positions, like ASCAP

CEO Elizabeth Matthews. We need more

seats at the table. Women need

to be recognized, highlighted

and celebrated for what they

contribute to the industry.”

— NICOLE GEORGE-MIDDLETON,

ASCAP

MULTISECTOR

Tunde Balogun

PRESIDENT, LOVE RENAISSANCE (LVRN)

Justice Baiden

HEAD OF A&R, LVRN

Sean Famoso McNichol

HEAD OF MARKETING AND BRAND PARTNERSHIPS, LVRN

Carlon Ramong

CREATIVE DIRECTOR, LVRN

Junia Abaidoo

HEAD OF OPERATIONS/HEAD OF TOURING, LVRN

BET ON 6LACK The quintet behind Atlanta-based

management firm and indie label Love Renais-

sance (LVRN) prides itself on signing artists who

operate on the fringes of R&B and rap. “We

understand the frustration that young executives

and artists have with record labels and how

they operate,” says Baiden, 27, who, with his

colleagues, helped 6LACK’s East Atlanta Love

Letter debut at No. 1 on Top R&B Albums — the

rapper’s first chart-topping LP. His single “Pretty

Little Fears” (featuring J. Cole) scored a Grammy

nomination. And rising star Summer Walker land-

ed her first Hot 100 hit with the Drake-assisted

remix of “Girls Need Love,” followed by her first

solo hit on the chart, “Playing Games.”

Nicole Wyskoarko

EXECUTIVE VP URBAN OPERATIONS, INTERSCOPE

GEFFEN A&M

Tim Glover

SENIOR VP A&R, INTERSCOPE GEFFEN A&M

Larry Khan

SENIOR VP URBAN PROMOTION, INTERSCOPE GEFFEN A&M

DRIPPIN’ DISTINCTION Interscope’s joint ventures

have paid off on a number of fronts during the past

year. Mustard’s 10 Summers imprint took home

the best R&B song Grammy for Ella Mai’s “Boo’d

Up,” and Top Dawg Entertainment won best rap

performance for Kendrick Lamar and Jay Rock’s

“King’s Dead.” Khan, 61, and his team worked with

DaBaby, who was signed in partnership with South

Coast Music Group, to drive the North Carolina

MC’s RIAA platinum-certified breakout hit, “Suge,”

to No. 1 on Billboard’s R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart

in June and No. 7 on the Hot 100 in July. Glover,

35, meanwhile, A&R’d his first No. 1 album on the

Billboard 200 in July: Dreamville’s compilation LP

Revenge of the Dreamers III.

BULLISH ON DABABY Interscope is confident DaBaby

has plenty more juice in his sippy cup. “ ‘Suge’ has

done amazingly well at radio — just an absolute

monster,” says Wyskoarko, 41, who forecasts that it

will become “the biggest song of the year at urban

radio” by December.

TALKIN’ ’BOUT

AN EVOLUTION

WHAT CHANGE WOULD

YOU LIKE TO SEE IN THE

R&B/HIP-HOP SPACE?

WYSKOARKO

GLOVER

KHAN

BAIDEN

MCNICHOL

RAMONG

ABAIDOO

BALOGUN

BRYANT

BROWN

PEREZ

CARTER

Matthews

“IF I RULED THE WORLD” —

NAS FEATURING LAURYN HILL

“They struck the perfect balance: two iconic

artists, great lyrics with substance, big hook,

impeccable beat. It checks all the boxes.”

—ANTHONY MARTINI, COMMISSION RECORDS

BEST R&B/HIP-HOP COLLABORATIONS

From left: Saweetie, Missy Elliott and Megan Thee Stallion

56 BILLBOARD • OCTOBER 19, 2019

&

POWER PLAYERS 2019