Reggie Rouse
PROGRAM DIRECTOR, WVEE (V-103) ATLANTA;
URBAN FORMAT CAPTAIN, ENTERCOM
THE “V” STANDS FOR “VICTORIOUS” Rouse’s program-
ming has kept WVEE No. 1 in the key demographic
slot of listeners 18 to 49 years old for the past five
years, and shaped the R&B/hip-hop sound and
culture in the nation’s most competitive urban
radio market, where nine stations compete for a
share of the audience.
MORE THAN MUSIC Rouse says Atlanta sets the pace
in the country for hip-hop and R&B. As the market
leader, WVEE broadcasts more than just music.
“We want to be a digital newspaper, keeping
our audience informed; a digital footprint on-air
and online. Hip-hop is more than a format. It’s a
lifestyle.”
Ronnie Triana
PROGRAMMING DIRECTOR, HIP-HOP NATION/SHADE 45,
SIRIUSXM
MADE IN THE SHADE Under Triana’s direction, the
Hip-Hop Nation channel world-premiered three
songs that became hits: “The London” by Young
Thug, J. Cole and Travis Scott and “Leave Me
Alone” by Flipp Dinero, which peaked at No. 6
and No. 10, respectively, on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop
Songs; and “On Chill” by Wale (featuring Jer-
emih), which hit No. 3 on R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay.
A&R’D FOR ADD When it comes to hip-hop hits, the
Queens native says, “Everyone is releasing singles
that are a lot shorter than they used to be, proba-
bly because attention spans are at an all-time low.”
Doc Wynter
EXECUTIVE VP URBAN/HIP-HOP PROGRAMMING STRATEGY,
IHEARTMEDIA; PROGRAM DIRECTOR, KRRL (REAL 92.3)
LOS ANGELES
Thea Mitchem
EXECUTIVE VP PROGRAMMING, IHEARTMEDIA; PROGRAM
DIRECTOR, WWPR (POWER 105.1) NEW YORK
WELCOME BACK, ROCKY Wynter, 58, pulled off a
major feat with the kickoff of KRRL’s Real Street
Festival, a two-day outdoor concert in August
that drew over 41,000 to the Honda Center
Grounds in Anaheim, Calif. The event fortuitously
became A$AP Rocky’s de facto homecoming
performance after the rapper’s release from jail
in Sweden. On the opposite coast, under the
direction of Mitchem, 46, New York’s Power 105.1
has lived up to its namesake flex — posting
its highest ratings in its 17-year history. The
broadcaster finished August as the five boroughs’
No. 1 R&B/hip-hop station and boasted the No. 1
morning show in the key 18-49 demographic with
syndicated tentpole The Breakfast Club. The pro-
gram regularly breaks news in its interviews with
artists, celebrities and even political candidates
such as Sen. Kamala Harris.
HIGHLY UNDERRATED Trade magazine Radio Ink re-
cently named Mitchem — a veteran programming
executive whose hybrid role includes supervising
over 28 stations in major markets such as Philadel-
phia, Chicago and Washington, D.C. — the No. 1
program director in America. “After 20 years in
this game, all of a sudden it’s like, ‘Who’s this Thea
Mitchem person?’ ” she says. “And it’s like, ‘I’ve
been here.’ ”
PROs
Catherine Brewton
VP CREATIVE, BMI
REPPING KENDRICK AND NAS X Atlanta-based Brew-
ton oversees all of BMI’s R&B/hip-hop business,
which was strengthened by the recent signings
of Kendrick Lamar and Lil Nas X, who joined just
before “Old Town Road” spent a record 19 weeks at
No. 1 on the Hot 100.
RECORD REVENUE Nielsen’s midyear music report
documenting hip-hop’s surge to a 26.5% U.S.
market share cited Nas, Post Malone, Khalid and
Juice WRLD — all BMI acts who helped propel the
performing rights organization to a record $1.28 bil-
lion in revenue. “We’ve been leading the charge in
that space,” says Brewton, who also is advancing
a social agenda: The Hope for Harvest foundation
she formed to help at-risk kids turns 10 this year. “I
want to use my platform to help children who may
have aspirations to be the next Pharrell [Williams], or
engineer, or synch licensor,” says the executive.
Nicole George-Middleton
SENIOR VP MEMBERSHIP, ASCAP
CAMPED WITH MARY J. George-Middleton spear-
headed She Is the Music, ASCAP’s first all-female
song camp, in October 2018. The Nashville event,
which featured Mary J. Blige, spun off 15 songs.
“Three of them are on hold by major artists,” says
George-Middleton, who celebrated her 10-year an-
niversary with ASCAP in 2018. “And to have Mary J.
Blige be part of the camp was the icing on the cake
for us. She is so awesome.”
RHYTHM, SOUL, LATIN AND MUSTARD The Bronx-born
Brooklyn Law School graduate — who oversees a
portfolio that includes Cardi B, Mustard and Fetty
Wap, and is credited with increasing the PRO’s
rhythm-and-soul market — organized a second
camp in Miami in late September that focused on
Latin music. Says George-Middleton: “The breadth
of talent at ASCAP crosses every genre.” RO
USE:PRINCE^WILLIAMS/WIREIMAGE.TRIANA:MARO^HAGOPIAN.WYNTER:ERIC^LAROKK.^ M
ITCHEM:^ KATHERINETYLER.^ B
REWTON:COURTESY^OFBMI.^ G
EORGE-MIDDLETON:COURTESY^OFASCAP.^ L
EACH:^ COURTESY^OFSESAC.^ B
ADU:^ STEVEGRAYSON/WIREIMAGE.^ C
OMMON:^ PARASGRIFFIN/GETTYIMAGES.METHODOLOGY
A committee of Billboard editors and reporters weighed a variety of factors in determining
the 2019 R&B/Hip-Hop Power Players list, including but not limited to nominations by peers,
colleagues and superiors; impact on consumer behavior as measured by such metrics as
chart, sales and streaming performance; tour grosses; social media impressions; radio
and TV audiences reached; career trajectory; and overall impact in the industry, using the
latest data available as of Sept. 5. Data cited in the profiles was updated as of Oct. 3. When
available, financial results are taken into consideration. Current U.S. R&B/hip-hop market
share was calculated using Nielsen Music’s market share for album plus track-equivalent and
stream-equivalent album consumption units. Unless otherwise noted, Billboard Boxscore
and Nielsen Music are the sources for tour grosses and sales/streaming data, respectively.
Unless otherwise noted, cited album streaming figures represent collective U.S. on-demand
audio totals for that album’s tracks. Song/artist streaming figures represent combined U.S.
on-demand audio and video totals.CONTRIBUTORS
Trevor Anderson, Camille Augustin, Dean Budnick, Britina
Cheng, Ed Christman, Tatiana Cirisano, Camille Dodero,
Thom Duffy, Bianca Gracie, Gary Graff, Sarah Grant,
Lyndsey Havens, J’na Jefferson, William E. Ketchum III,
Steve Knopper, Katy Kroll, Joe Levy, Brooke Mazurek,
Taylor Mims, Gail Mitchell, Paula Parisi, Dan Rys, Desire
Thompson, Christine Werthman, Nick Williams
James Leach
VP CREATIVE SERVICES, SESAC
PANTHER TRACKS “Paramedic!,” which DJ Dahi
co-produced for the Black Panther soundtrack,
was not only included on the three-week Bill-
board 200 No. 1 album but also “made it into the
film, which was pretty cool,” says Leach. He notes
that the Los Angeles-born talent also remixed
“Wakanda” (featuring Baaba Maal) for homie
Kendrick Lamar and pulled the levers on Vampire
Weekend’s “Big Blue.”
AFRICA IS THE FUTURE Leach signing Lalah Hatha-
way scored three Grammy nominations in 2018,
and funk legend George Clinton, whom Leach
signed in 2015, received a lifetime achievement
Grammy in February. But what Leach, an 18-year
SESAC veteran, is most excited about is “diving
further into the growing influence and impact
African artists have had on hip-hop and R&B,”
exemplified, he says, by WurlD, whom he signed
this year. “That vibe — that Afrobeat, Afro-fusion
hip-hop sound — hasn’t been coined yet, but
it’s very influential and part of the evolution of
hip-hop.”
ROUSE
TRIANA
WYNTER
MITCHEM
BREWTON
GEORGE-MIDDLETON
LEACH
“LOVE OF MY LIFE” — ERYKAH BADU FEATURING COMMON
“It really speaks to my love for hip-hop music and culture
in a meaningful way. It seamlessly parallels feelings about
love and is also one of my favorite music videos.”
—JONNY SHUMAN, AEG PRESENTS
BEST R&B/HIP-HOP COLLABORATIONS
68 BILLBOARD • OCTOBER 19, 2019
&
POWER PLAYERS 2019