Podcast appearances and mentions of Kevin Liles

Longtime music executive Kevin Liles has been accused of sexual assault by a former employee. The sexual assault took place while Kevin Liles was an executive at Def Jam. The woman, Jane Doe, said that Liles assaulted her from 2000-2003. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today's news: Pune bus rape accused Dattatraya Gade detained, say police, US judge halts Trump administration's calls for mass firings at agencies, Hussain, Atherton mocked over 'Dubai' claim in 2023 World Cup reminder, Hip hop legend Kevin Liles accused of sexual assault in the 2000s: New lawsuit

Kevin Liles & Lt. Gov Antonio Delgado Discuss Climate of Election, Young Thug's Trial & The Future of America

On today's episode of PMA, the fellas have FINALLY decided it was time to speak on the DIDDLER...ENJOY!!!

Ep 60 - The Diddy Effect Cole starts out with new music dropping from Future "Mixtape Pluto" and gives his opinion about why this is not the best Future album he's released (1:14) then he gets into the album from The Alchemist "The Genuine Articulate" and explains why the album could have been way better. (4:45) In the news, Cole gives an update of what's happening with the music industry after Diddy's arrest (6:56) and finally, Cole jumps into the shift in the music industry and why Kevin Liles stepping down is one of the worst things that could happen to 300 and how the hip hop genre will suffer after these layoffs and firings at a lot of record labels (14:03) Follow the Patreon for bonus content https://www.patreon.com/TheStemSociety Follow Cole on social media IG: https://www.instagram.com/colejackson_bynk/ X: https://twitter.com/ColeJackson12

What You Thought #195 | The Oil Olay Episode - The Funniest Podcast On The Planet

On this episode Mike is joined by friend of the show Marcus. First they discuss handling money responsibly. Next Steve Stoute vs Dame Dash. Diddy arrested by FEDS on a RICO. Kevin Liles steps down as CEO of 300 ent. Is this a sign of things to come? Nelly hit with a lawsuit from St. Lunatics. Future new album Mixtape Pluto and Bryce Young getting benched.

The best podcast in the world returns to the airwaves as QueenzFlip begins by addressing some of Joe's vacation posts (3:30) then a quick debate takes place on whether or not everyone showers between layup sex (10:30). Melyssa briefly touches on the Emmy Awards (22:48) before the room discusses P. Diddy's FBI arrest earlier this week on sex trafficking and racketeering charges plus why his bail was denied (24:02), Former Bad Boy artist Shyne Barrow breaks his silence (54:47), and the JBP dives into the definition of each of the charges against Puff (1:19:24). Future drops his third project of the year ‘MIXTAPE PLUTO' (1:37:50), Joe explains how it's a scary time for musicians with more changes in the music business as Kevin Liles steps down as CEO of 300 Entertainment (1:42:25), and Brittany Renner discusses her recent financial struggles (2:23:20). Also, Joe discusses his run in with customs on the way to Cabo (2:33:30), Nelly is being sued by St. Lunatics over records on ‘Country Grammar' (3:02:15), **SPOILER ALERT** the JBP discusses a number of new TV shows (3:23:05), Joe offers trades for Phil Collins (3:55:35), and much more!  Become a Patron of The Joe Budden Podcast for additional bonus episodes and visual content for all things JBP! Join our Patreon here: www.patreon.com/joebudden  Sleeper Picks:   Joe | H.I.M. - “Habits” Ice | Tee Grizzley (feat. 42 Dugg) - “Detroit” Parks | Anthony Kannon, MBK Richy & Blicka Don - “Spare My Brother” Ish | Jordin Sparks - “FFWD” Melyssa | Hailey Knox - “11th Hour”

Today's episode of The Realest Podcast Ever is powered by MyBookie!! For Football Season TRPE & MyBookie have teamed up to bring you one of the best deposit match deals IN HISTORY!! CLICK OUR LINK TO GET A 50% DEPOSIT MATCH BONUS UP TO $1000!! Start your season off right by betting with HOUSE MONEY at MyBookie the number 1 betting app in the world. bit.ly/ joinwithTRPE or https://mybookie.ag and use Promo Code TRPE The artist & mogul formerly known as Puff Daddy has a lot of problems *DT voice* that all started with a lawsuit filed by his ex Cassie Ventura last November. Since then a slew of other civil lawsuits from named defendants to Jane Does alleging everything from coercion to sexual assault to drug abuse and flat out r8pe have been levied. Not to mention, a multiple estate raid by Homeland Security & the FBI back in March of this year that led us to where we are today and the leaked security video of him viciously attacking Cassie that subsequently followed.  Today's show will be the first of many as we chronicle all the twists and turns of his charges, court filings, discovery and ultimately the trial. From what started as a “witch hunt” or “the government tryna take a successful black man down” has morphed into an all too real life scenario that may end up with The Diddler with life in prison. This situation proves that no one can live a life above the law forever.  But thats the end of the show… the opener is fully covering the fallout from the YMCMB & Rocnation Super Bowl fallout that left Kendrick starting, Wayne on the sidelines and millions of Jay Z apologists and dick gobblers eating crow after trying to lie, conflate and bend the truth in favor of their idol. We also discuss Bud Crawford getting mistaken for Kendrick at UFC Noche, Drake turning down the Super Bowl (shout out to Mal) and Kevin Liles hauling ass out of Warner Music Group after the Diddy news broke. All this and more on the 330th episode of The Realest Podcast Ever. For more exclusive TRPE content like this subscribe to our Patreon FOR FREE at https:// patreon.com/officialtrpe 

Welcome to the R3, HOLE 2 of Par 3 Podcast! We are at Pebble Beach at The Hay! Your hosts J.R. Smith & Stephen Malbon are here with Kevin Liles, Sean Malto, Jamie Crawford-Walker & Robin Lyon. This episode is not to be missed! Ⓒ Golf & Adulting LLC c/o Par 3 Podcast - J.R. Smith, Stephen Malbon, DBPodcasts Produced by DBPodcasts www.DBPodcasts.com https://m.youtube.com/@par3podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

https://www.instagram.com/omb_peezy/00:00 RealLyfe intro00:20 OMB Peezy intro01:10 OMB Peezy on mentioning Dallas in his music, top 3 cities in America02:20 OMB Peezy on bringing a girl through to meet his family02:55 OMB Peezy on his newest project03:18 OMB Peezy on showing the other side of street life, negative effects of k*lling & street life04:15 OMB Peezy on positive things he learned in the streets06:33 OMB Peezy on top 3 Thanksgiving foods, how many stops he's making08:10 OMB Peezy on family asking for money & asking for other weird stuff09:10 OMB Peezy on travelling and staying safe in other cities, checking in & how to move10:23 OMB Peezy on being signed to 300, getting advice from Kevin Liles & playing golf with Kevin12:56 OMB Peezy on learning from others on the golf course14:33 OMB Peezy on investing and putting his money into the right investments, residual income advice16:35 OMB Peezy on what made him start music, reading Sista Soulja and classic books17:08 OMB Peezy on his singing skills, would he make R&B music, wants to work with Coco Jones & Adele18:16 OMB Peezy on listening to alternative music & reads his current playlist19:40 OMB Peezy on water tasting different20:30 OMB Peezy on 50/50 vs 10025:43 OMB Peezy on guys using women for tax money27:30 OMB Peezy on Tubi & top 3 hood movies28:44 OMB Peezy what role would he play in a movie or show29:28 OMB Peezy on scamming online, fake gurus31:10 OMB Peezy on rappers using other rappers lyrics34:05 OMB Peezy on AI writing songs36:30 OMB Peezy on his new project LeParis38:30 OMB Peezy on his fashion game, would he model and the most money he's spent on an outfit40:46 OMB Peezy on his next moves41:12 OMB Peezy on Alabama vs Cali showing him love43:10 OMB Peezy on pain music & spirituality44:38 OMB Peezy shouts out artists46:45 OMB Peezy contact and close outJoin this channel to get access to perks:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAQLEDkByO-ckKb_oq_Stpg/join-----DONATE TO REALLYFE PRODUCTIONS CashApp $RealLyfeProductionsSUBSCRIBE to Patreon for exclusive content https://www.patreon.com/RealLyfeStreetStarzCHECK OUT OUR ONLINE STORE!!! http://www.reallyfeproductions.com/SUBSCRIBE for new interviews (and more) weekly: https://rb.gy/0hsvlrFollow us on Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/reallyfestreetstarziTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/reallyfe-street-starz-podcast/Follow us on Social Media:Twitter: https://twitter.com/Reallyfe_214/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ReallyfeProductions/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ReallyfeStreetStarzFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/ReallyfeProductions/Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/reallyfestreetstarzContact: Email: mail@reallyfeproductions.comPhone: 469-805-3991 (text) Tags: #ReallyfeStreetStarz #ombpeezy #charlestonwhite

August 11, 2023 is the 50th anniversary of hip-hop. What started out mostly as a spoken word artform has become a worldwide juggernaut. Thanks to the moguls who pushed the genre forward, hip-hop went from 0 to 100.In this episode, we rank the 50 greatest moguls in hip-hop's history. We reached out to industry experts — from artists to execs to media personalities — to help us compile the list. Friend of the pod, Zack O'Malley Greenburg, joins me to count them down from No. 50 to No. 10:39 How do we define “mogul”7:06 Honorable mentions09:10 The “Don't overlook their influence” group (ranks 50-41)16:19 The “Playing chess not checkers” group (ranks 40-31)23:38 The “Our impact runs deep” group (ranks 30-21)33:47 No. 2035:37 No. 1937:56 No. 1841:32 No. 1744:27 No. 1647:21 No. 1551:22 No. 14 55:55 No. 1359:09 No. 121:00:46 No. 111:02:16 No. 101:04:39 No. 91:06:44 No. 81:10:20 No. 71:14:06 No. 61:15:37 No. 51:17:11 No. 41:20:53 No. 31:29:06 No. 21:30:34 No. 11:33:22 Who got snubbed?1:35:42 What trends stick out from the list?1:41:21 Who would you pick to run your empire?Listen: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | SoundCloud | Stitcher | Overcast | Amazon | Google Podcasts | Pocket Casts | RSSHost: Dan Runcie, @RuncieDan, trapital.coGuests: Zack O'Malley Greenburg, @zogblogThis episode is sponsored by DICE. Learn more about why artists, venues, and promoters love to partner with DICE for their ticketing needs. Visit dice.fmEnjoy this podcast? Rate and review the podcast here! ratethispodcast.com/trapitalTrapital is home for the business of music, media and culture. Learn more by reading Trapital's free memo.TRANSCRIPT[00:00:00] Zack Greenburg: ownership. Was just such an important thing for Nipsey. Such an important thing for Berner. And, you know, interviewing the two of them, I would say, their mindset around ownership was the closest I've ever seen to Jay Z.[00:00:13] Dan Runcie Intro Audio: Hey, welcome to the Trapital Podcast. I'm your host and the founder of Trapital, Dan Runcie. This podcast is your place to gain insights from the executives in music, media, entertainment, and more who are taking hip hop culture to the next level.[00:00:39] Dan Runcie Guest Intro: This episode is a celebration to hip hop's 50th anniversary. This is a countdown on the 50 greatest moguls ever in hip hop. I'm joined by Zack O'Malley Greenburg, friend of the pod, and we both reached out to. A bunch of label heads, executives, people in hip hop that would know best. And we put it together in an aggregate list.And we're here to break down that list today. We talk about what does it mean to be a mogul? What are some of the considerations we made when we were looking into this list ourselves, how the results looked, what surprised us? What were the snubs? What were the misses? And what can we learn from this overall?And if Zack and I were putting together our dream teams, what would that look like? This is a lot of fun. Really happy with how it turned out. So let's dive in.[00:01:25] Dan Runcie: All right, hip hop's 50th anniversary is right around the corner and we decided to celebrate it in the only way that we know best countdown hip hop's greatest moguls and I'm joined by Zack O'malley Greenburg, who reached out to me about this. I was really excited about it and we spent some time over the past couple of weeks, reaching out to people we know, making sure that we have the best insights looking through and making sure that we had all of the. Breakdowns to share. So Zack, I'm ready for this. How are you feeling?[00:01:55] Zack Greenburg: I am stoked. Yeah, I mean, you know, 50th anniversary of hip hop. We reached out to 50 different judges. amongst, you know, the sort of, the most respected folks from, you know, label heads to artists to entrepreneurs, you know, I think we've got half of them, roughly half of them replied since in their votes, we're going to keep their individual votes anonymous, but, you know, Dan could tell you about some of the judges.Yeah, and it was just really fun to kind of mix it up, you know, I think the thing about this list, a lot of these characters are just kind of an apples to oranges comparison as you'll see once we dive into it, but that's the beauty of it, right? I mean, how do you, you know, compare like a pioneering executive to like a modern day artist mogul? And we really kind of left it in the hands of the judges. And we just said, basically the only guidance was, this is a business focused list, but you know, you can rank artists, executives, people who are both. It just, whatever your definition of mogul is, that's how, you know, that's how you should rank them. And people submitted lists and obviously the higher they rank somebody, the more points we gave them and, you know, the lower they got, but, you know, so there's some people on there who are like accumulators. They ended up on everybody's list, but not so high, but, you know, as a result, they ended up on the top 50.And then there are some who were just like, not ranked at all by most people, but had a couple of really high ranks so that they made the list. So I think it's a pretty cool mix.[00:03:10] Dan Runcie: Right? It's kind of like how we look at artists. There's some artists that have just been consistent, steady through and through each year. You'll always get some reliable output from them, but then there are other artists too. They were the best for a certain amount of time. Maybe they cooled off for a bit.Maybe they came back and that's kind of the way music is too. One of the things that. I was asked whenever I was reaching out to people about this was the same thing that you posed earlier. People wanted to know, how are we defining mogul and we left it up to their interpretation. It is a term that means different things to different people, but maybe for the sake of this conversation, let's kick it off here.Zack, how do you define mogul? And how did you define it when creating your list?[00:03:51] Zack Greenburg: Yeah, I mean, to me a hip hop mogul, more general is just, you know, somebody who not only is a business person, but has some degree of ownership, in whatever it is that they're doing. that's not the only definition of it for me, but like, you know, when I was putting together my rankings, I thought, you know, who are the owners?the same time, you know, people who are executives who are in a decision making place. you know, that counts for something. And I think also, you know, if you're an artist, and you simply have some control over your own work, you maintain your copyrights, whatever, like that counts as being a mogul. So, you know, specifically when it comes to hip hop, you know, I'd say people who are, you know, definitely getting in charge of your own work, but also creating new lines of business, you know, influencing the culture. but you know, a way that they've got some skin in the game from a business perspective, you know, that, kind of thing.That's kind of how I looked at it. but you could see from the votes that, you know, everybody had a slightly different definition too.[00:04:47] Dan Runcie: Yeah, there was definitely a lot of correlation with the artists who tend to be the ones that are the wealthiest. They end up at the highest rankings in on some of those lists, too, but it wasn't exactly correlated because there's a difference. And these are some of the things I kept in mind, too, with the mogul definition, thinking specifically aboutinfluence and impact, were you having, or did you create opportunities for others around you? Were you able to be a bit of a kingmaker or queenmaker in your respective right? Was there a impact in terms of other generations that either looked and modeled how they're doing what they're doing and looking at you as some form of inspiration with that?So there's the indirect impact and influence, but also the, Indirect piece of it too. So there's the money piece as well, but then what do you do with that money? And then that's how I had went about it. And similarly, everyone had their own unique spin to it.[00:05:42] Zack Greenburg: Yeah, for sure. And, you know, and I think the definition changed over time, of what a mogul really is, but when I was putting my rankings together, I think the idea of starting something new, you know, that's also paramount, amongst all the criteria as well.[00:05:55] Dan Runcie: Right? So, of course, Zack and I had our list, but we reached out to a number of people and several other label heads, executives, and people that are in the game.So thank you all to your contributions. We couldn't have done this without you. And if anything, it helped add a variety beyond just you and I, getting and putting our list out there. It added a more full scope and like anything. Oh, this is how you look at it. Interesting and being able to pull unique insights there.[00:06:21] Zack Greenburg: Yeah, for sure. you know, one thing I think we probably ought to point out, on the list, you know, the list is, heavily male. but it's about only 20% women on the list. you know, we did everything we could obviously to make it more equitable, but, you know, the votes are the votes.And, you know, I think there is a bit of a reflection of sort of the state of affairs over the past half century, you know, unfortunately, like many parts of music business, hip hop has been, you know, heavily overindexing for males. So, you know, here's hoping that when 50 years to do a hundred years of hip hop, you know, we'll have even things out a bit or completely, let's say maybe even, you know, made up for lost time, but I think some of the spots on the list, you know, the rankings do kind of reflect an industry reality that we've seen, unfortunately for 50 years.[00:07:06] Dan Runcie: Right? And hopefully this gets better. We do feel and you'll see when we talk about some of the people here, glad about some of the names that got mentioned. Of course, there's always room to be able to have more and hopefully for hip hop's 100th anniversary. If when and people are breaking that down, there's hopefully even more representation there.So, with that, I think it's probably good for us to get started right before the list, but talk about some of the honorable mentions. So, there were people that didn't quite make the cut of 50, but we still wanted to highlight them and the work that they. Did here. So a few of those names here to give a shout out to.So we have Cindy Campbell, Jermaine Dupree, Audrey Harrell, Jay Cole, Damon John. What comes or what do you think about when you hear those names?[00:07:55] Zack Greenburg: Yeah, you know, I mean, Cindy Campbell, I think in many ways you could look at her as the first promoter in hip hop history, right? I mean, you know, we're talking about 50 years of hip hop. That's 50 years from that first party that. She and DJ Kool Herc through, you know, in the rec room on Cedric Avenue.And, I think the idea was that they were going to raise a little bit of cash so she could go get herself a new back to school wardrobe. Now, if that's not, you know, entrepreneurship and hip hop, you know, from the very beginning, I don't know what it is. And so I think Cindy deserves a ton of credit, for being there at the very beginning, you know, but I think on the honorable mentions to a lot of the folks that are on here, you know, or maybe like a little bit, you know, not exactly falling on the same radar, you know, for the list. So like, you know, Damon John, obviously he did with, you know, creating FUBU and, you know, everything he's done as an entrepreneur, it's incredible, but it, I think it's sort of like more of a national brand that is, you know, apart from hip hop and so is his personality, right? Like you see him on shark tank or, you know, whatever, like he sort of moved past, I wouldn't necessarily categorize him, as just hip hop, although he's had a tremendous impact on hip hop.So I think probably that's why, he wasn't on more lists. It's not to sort of ding him his impact, which is considerable.[00:09:10] Dan Runcie: Right, and I do think that of course, music is one element of hip hop. You do have fashion, you do have others. So music definitely got weighted heavily in this list, but Dave and John and his influence in fashion, and there's other people in fashion and we'll get into them in this list too, but we can't overlook everything he did there and some of the more unique and clever marketing tactics that came from food booth that other people did who will mention in this list as well. 1 person that I do want to highlight here from that list 2 people. So, Jermaine Dupri want to give him a shout out as well. Just everything he was able to do with.So, so Def records. He was part of that movement in the 90s, where you saw LaFace and then all these other groups in the South be able to come up, do their own. There was a so so deaf sound, a so so Def vibe and his ability to do it both in rap, but also have a bit of the soul there. Some of the epic production that he's been involved with, even outside of hip hop, thinking about albums like Mariah Carey's Emancipation of Mimi and others, even though he didn't always do everything in hip hop. I think that some of his influence can't go overstated there. And then the second person who's similar in that regard, I would say is Andre Harrell. We talked about him in past episodes, especially the bad boy one, but everything that he did from Uptown Records and then moving on to Motown Records and gave in many ways helped give Puff the blueprint for what he was able to do years later.[00:10:37] Zack Greenburg: Yeah, absolutely. And, you know, I think Andre had a lot of successes, also had a lot of failures, not necessarily, you know, through his own doing, the time, but definitely somebody who deserves, you know, a hat tip at the very least. And, you know, I'm sure Puff would agree about that too.[00:10:52] Dan Runcie: Agreed. Agreed. All right. We ready ready to get into it.[00:10:57] Zack Greenburg: Let's do it.[00:10:58] Dan Runcie: All right. So in the initial group here, which we're calling the don't overlook their influence group. This is people who are ranked 50 through 41. so in order we have Ethiopia have to Marion at 50. She was the former CEO of Motown. We have Top Dog, co founder and CEO of Top Dog Entertainment. We have Mona Scott Young from her work at Violators and more recently Love Hip Hop. And what she also has done with Hip Hop Homicides and some other multimedia projects. We have T.I. with everything he's done with Grand Hustle and Multimedia. We have Eazy E with Priority Records. Many ways pioneering so much of the stuff we saw.We have Todd Moskowitz, L. A. Reed, Craig Kalman, former CEO from Atlantic. We have Sylvia Roan and then tied for 40. We have Desiree Perez and Steve Stout. What are your thoughts on that group list?[00:11:55] Zack Greenburg: Oh, man, I don't know. Maybe we should just pick out a few here and there that we thought were particularly interesting. I mean, you know, I think Ethiopia is a good example of somebody who would be higher up if she were identified, you know, solely as a, you know, as a hip hop mogul, but she's had kind of like a pretty wide reach, you know, especially in R and B, and pop. I mean, some of the stuff she's done with Erykah Badu, NeYo, Stevie Wonder, you know, like over the years, you know, wouldn't be classified as hip hop, but it's worth it nonetheless. just think that, you know, being kind of like in between, in between genres, you know, resulted in her being down a little bit further on the list.But, you know, somebody who had a tremendous impact. you know, I would also, I would highlight TI here, you know, the self proclaimed King of the South, but, you know, in terms of, I remember the years when, you know, we were putting together the Forbes list and, you know, kind of looking at, you know, kind of regionally who is most important to me.Yeah, he was sort of like. The Jay Z of the South. And he was really, especially when he was having that moment, you know, getting a lot of songs on, you know, national radio and, kind of being in the public eye, I mean, had a tremendous business focus, you know, he was always interested in sort of like, what's the next thing that I can create?and you know, that kind of entrepreneurial energy, you know, I think, especially within the context of the South, like taking the blueprint, from guys like Jay Z, you know, I think he certainly deserves a mention. I kind of thought he'd end up higher here, but I guess he's been, not as, especially in the music front lately.and then I would definitely highlight, Desiree, you know, she's somebody who's been behind the scenes for a really long time, with Jay Z and rock nation, but like. she runs rock nation. And although Jay Z obviously has the final say in things, you know, a lot of things that you see, come out of that camp are, you know, her doing and have her fingerprints all over them.And I know some of y'all might have seen the Book of Hove exhibit at the Brooklyn Museum or the Brooklyn Public Library that was a Desiree Perez production and, you know, she said that it was like her emptying her 80, 000 square foot storage unit into the library, but, you know, but to have, you know, that kind of, impact at a place like Roc Nation and to help, you know, Jay Z do what he's done, you know, I think those are all worthy, of notation and, you know, I think she deserves her spot there for sure.[00:14:09] Dan Runcie: Yeah, Desiree is someone that has been working with Jay Z for a while now, and I feel like she deserved a shout out on Jay's verse in Pound Cake, the Drake song. You know where he's like, Dave made millions, Lyor made millions. I feel like Desiree should have gotten a shout out there too, but yeah.I'm glad that she got mentioned here. Two other names I'll run through quickly. Steve Stout, someone who I thought would have ended up higher, and I know that, you know, it was interesting to see how the results played out, but I do think that one of the best marketers that we've seen come through hip hop.He was ahead of the curve in a number of ways, dating back to the 90s with seeing the men in black sunglasses and everything that he's done there from his time working with Nas, everything that they've done, whether it was the firm or, him being a record executive himself and then showing as well, how he's able to do it in advertising and bringing a lot of these companies and brands that didn't necessarily align or think about being related with, you know, hip hop culture and those elements to be able to do it.You look at a company like State Farm and how we now look at what that company has done. And a lot of that is through his work and obviously with what he's done at United Masters. So shout out there and I also do want to give a shout out to Mona Scott Young mentioned her earlier, but she was a right hand to someone who will mention on the list as well coming up soon with everything she did in Violator, this is back when, you know, Q Tip and Busta Rhymes and that whole crew were doing their thing. And then later, I know people have a lot of polarizing opinions about love and hip hop, but if you look at the career opportunities that were created for people that have came through, and the longevity that she's granted, a lot of people that the record industry forgot about that she was able to continue to give opportunities for think about the trick daddies, Trina's and folks like that. I know people hate to see them arguing on camera, but would we have Cardi B where she is today? If it weren't for the platform of love and hip hop, and she's continued to do things with other vocals on the list that we'll get into. So I do want to give a shout out to her[00:16:08] Zack Greenburg: Yeah, definitely a worthy shout out. And we could probably go on and on about even just like the tent in this bracket here, but I suppose we ought to, we ought to move on to the next room before, before we run[00:16:19] Dan Runcie: indeed. Yep. So the next group is playing chest, not checkers. So at 39, we have Dave Mays, founder of the source 38. We have Irv Gotti, founder of Murder, Inc. 37, Cardi B 36, Lil Wayne 35, Nipsey Hussle, 34. Steve Rifkin, from Loud Records 33, Missy Elliot. 32 Birder from Cookies, 31 Kevin Lyles and 30 Chris Lighty.[00:16:47] Zack Greenburg: Oh man, this is a pretty stacked bracket, I must say. I think that, you know, there are a couple of names that stick out to me here. I'm going to go with Nipsey and Berner, because in a funny way, I think, they have like a sort of a similar, a sort of similar strategy, which is like, you have a very clear idea of what it is that you're going to do.You own it, and then you, you know, you continue to own it like ownership. Was just such an important thing for Nipsey. Such an important thing for Berner. And, you know, interviewing the two of them, I would say, their mindset around ownership was the closest I've ever seen to Jay Z. and they really understood from the beginning that they had to own all their music.Own all of their branding own, you know, the companies that create on the side and then they can monetize it later. And, you know, with Nipsey rest in peace. I mean, he was just on the cusp of, of kind of like becoming a mainstream superstar, you know, when, his life ended all too soon. So, I think what Berner is doing with cookies is really fascinating like Berner is, you know, you want to talk, lists. I mean, he's in the top five, probably the top four or three at this point, in terms of net worth for actual, hip hop artists. And that's because of the success of cookies and, you know, there's been, a lot of ups and downs in the cannabis business lately, but like the amount of ownership that he has, you know, I think it amounts to about one third still of cookies, which is, you know, a billion dollar brand. When we gets legalized, you know, like he's going to see the fruits of his labor and, that focus on ownership I think is really going to pay off on the longterm.So I would highlight those two guys, in this tier as the ones that, I think were the most impressive to me. That's not to shade anybody else, but,[00:18:25] Dan Runcie: Yeah, those two guys are also two of the few people who I see people still wearing their merchandise on a regular basis. Granted, I live in San Francisco. There's a cookie store here. So, I mean, I know there is a local connection for sure, but same with Nipsey Hussle. I mean, sadly, it's now been over 4 years since he passed away, and you still see Crenshaw shirts.He understood, Nipsey especially, understood exactly where everything's going. And it's just so sad that, you know, it was gone so soon. Two names, I'm going to shout out here. I'm going to shout. I'm going to shout out Cardi B and I want to shout out Chris Lighty. So Cardi B talked about her a little with the Mona Scott young piece, but she's entered and ran her rap career more uniquely than other artists that we've seen at her level have. And I think that speaks a lot to just where the game is now. It's been over six years since Bodak Yellow came out. And it's been over five years now since her debut album. This is someone who hasn't put out a studio album in over five years.And hasn't gone on tour in a traditional way, but it's still doing her thing. And I think this is one of the things that's unique. She finds interesting ways to monetize herself and to put herself on. She's like, Hey, I can do these private shows and they're going to pay me, you know, 1. 5 million or 3 million just to do a half an hour set.I'm going to do my thing. I'm going to be there at Super Bowl weekend. I may not be performing at the Super Bowl, but I'm going to go do these private shows for Bob craft or the fanatics event or all these things and collect the checks. it's very interesting to see younger artists to do that Lionel Richie playbook, but she is like, Hey, I don't necessarily have to do that. And even though people always do try to, you know, loop her into the Nicki Minaj versus Cardi B beef, she still has lended her hand and extended it to other young artists, especially women in the game, whether it's Ice Spice and others, whether she's doing it through her talents and others. So she's someone that I hope as she continues on, you know, into her thirties and into her forties can continue to rise up this list.And then Chris Lighty talked about a little bit with Mona Sky Young, co founder of Violator and everything they're able to do there. Sad that he was taken away so soon, but if you have not heard this yet and if you haven't listened to the podcast, I highly recommend the Mogul podcast series that was done several years ago on it.It was done by Reggie Yose, who is Combat Jack, who has since passed away as well, but I highly recommend that if you want a full breakdown on everything Chris Leite did. Violator and after that was truly one of the early ones looking at product partnerships and a lot of the things that we see now that are common in hip hop.[00:21:07] Zack Greenburg: And, you know, if we didn't have Chris Lighty, I don't think we would have had 50 Cent. I mean, at least not to the extent that we have him. you know, I mean, I remember writing my first story about 50 and like for Forbes, maybe 2008 and sitting down with Chris and just kind of like hearing him lay out the plan.And again, it's the emphasis on ownership, right? you know, Chris Leidy, I think was the one who really pushed, 50 to take the equity in vitamin water and his parent company, rather than just do an endorsement. And, you know, obviously that became a huge, deal and really like a model for so much, not only of hip hop, but like other parts of the entertainment industry, you know, I think Chris definitely deserves a spot, maybe even should be a little higher. and you know, probably also, there's, you know, again, all these folks deserve a shout out, but Kevin Lyles, I think is, got one of the most inspirational stories. you know, it's another person, I think we've both interviewed a bunch of times, but, you know, just his journey from intern to president of Def Jam and I think seven years. And he just did it by working harder than everybody else like he wasn't an artist that got put there because he had some hit, it wasn't some kind of like nepotism deal, you know, he just outworked everybody and, you know, he had the talent and, you know, the horsepower to just like get it done. And to make that journey within seven years. So I think it's, for people who are listening and, you know, want to do something like that with their own career, you know, study Kevin Miles because he was able to make it, without being, you know, some kind of like preternatural, singing talent or something like that he just did it on smarts and work ethic.[00:22:39] Dan Runcie: And one of the few people that co founded a record label and sold it a decade later for hundreds of millions of dollars, which is what he did 300 as well. Right? So of course, not 300 now underwater, but everything he did with Lyor and Todd, there, is impressive. There's not that many black founders in general. In tech, any sector that have built and exited companies for several hundred, a million dollars, the way that he was able to be a part of that. So, hats offhim.[00:23:09] Zack Greenburg: yeah, I think it takes a special kind of guts to be able to, you know, I mean, he was a well paid executive with a cushy music job, you know, to leave that world, start your own thing. I mean, I know they had, you know, big backers and everything, but like to take a risk once you've already experienced that level of success and to go out and start something, you know, as opposed to starting something from scratch when you have nothing anyway.I mean, it, takes a lot of gumption to do that. So, you know, again, yes, a pretty cool second act for Kevin miles.[00:23:38] Dan Runcie: Indeed, the next group here, our impact runs deep. It is Nicki Will Smith at 28, Swiss beats 27, LL Cool J, 26, Coach K and P, 25, Julie Greenwald, 24. The E40 23, Pharrell 22, and Rick Ross, 21.[00:24:01] Zack Greenburg: Yeah. I think, that's a pretty strong, deck there. And I think also, you know, here, you find some people who, you could argue should be higher or lower based on, you know, how much of their career was done in the hip hop music world, right? Like Queen Latifah, LL Cool J, Will Smith.Obviously those are huge crossover acts. but I think they all got a lot of points from some of the voters because, you know, that is in one way, the measure of a mogul, like you're diversifying your portfolio and whether that's by owning different things or, you know, by getting into, different types of performance, you know, on the silver screen, I think that's a viable path too.but just from like a purely musical entrepreneurial perspective, I would highlight, Swiss Beats and Pharrell, who I think, you know, the two of them are more influential than anybody in terms of like, I'd say Swizz in terms of art and Pharrell in terms of fashion. and you know, some of the things they've done around those two areas and, you know, Pharrell certainly, now with LVMH, but also before with Ice Cream, Billionaire Boys Club, you know, he was very active in starting his own things on the fashion side.And, you know, kind of inspiring artists to do that. you know, would we have had a Yeezy if we hadn't had Pharrell, you know, doing what he was doing and, you know, and even doing what he did with Adidas? you know, I don't know about that. And, Swiss beads certainly, you know, not only from the art side of things, but you know, it's a really impressive art collection.I did a story on him a few years ago and, you know, he's got like, Jeff Kuhn sculptures and Basquiat's and Warhol's and his, you know, like in his foyer. I mean, it's, pretty impressive stuff. but the way that he moves behind the scenes, as sort of like a corporate brand whisperer, at places, you know, like Bacardi, Lotus, you know, this goes on, you know, I think he, he's sort of like more quietlyinfluential than, some folks realize. And, you know, certainly has been earning, on par with, you know, with all the, you know, most of the names, if not higher than most of the names we've mentioned so far. and you know, what he's done on the, both of them, what they've done on the production side, also hard to top.So that must count for something as well. I kind of went more than one shout out there, didn't I? So[00:26:06] Dan Runcie: Yeah. No, that was good. That was good.I'm glad you mentioned the two of them though, because if you didn't, I probably would've called the other one out. The thing about Swiss as well, everything that he's done with versus specifically also embodies this idea and definition of a mogul because he was able to be.A kingmaker in the sense of creating opportunities for others. He did that through the equity that he was able to give all of those early participants in versus in trailer itself. And then additionally, with the careers that we're able to have a boost because of. everything that happened, with the matchups from versus specifically, you look at someone like Ashanti, who is now doing tours and pop it up every now and then she wasn't doing that before her versus and her battle versus Keisha Cole was one of the not, if not the most watched one that we've had.You look at Jadakiss and everything that he's been able to do since his epic showdown against, with Lox versus Dipset with that versus you look at Jeezy versus Gucci Mane. I know that versus definitely had its peak popularity during the pandemic, but that kind of stuff that he was able to do with Timbaland, I think also speaks so much to everything that he's been able to do there.And another person I want to mention to that was in this group as well that I think is similar is LL Cool J because I think similar to the way that. Swiss beets is Ella is also with someone that's been involved with multimedia with everything from the jump. He was the 1st artist to truly breakthrough from Def Jam and did it as a teenager.So, of course, he gets plenty of shout out for that, but he's also always been trying to find ways to look out for that next generation of artists. And he's been doing some of that more recently with rock the bells, and that's its own. Company and entity now where they have a festival coming up as well to celebrate things that are happening with hip hops anniversary.So it's been cool to see him do things as well. And I'll give a very brief shout out here to, coach K and P because they, similar to how I mentioned, Kevin Liles were able to build and grow a company and then sell it for, I believe, forget the exact sale price for, quality control. But they were able to do that thanks in part to a lot of the work that Ethiopia had done, helping to give quality control, the platform that it did, and especially in an era where I think it's harder for a record label to have a true brand, they were able to help give it a boost.[00:28:36] Zack Greenburg: That's true. And on that note of labels, I think Julie Greenwald, there's a mention, you know, she and Craig Kalman, who's mentioned, in an earlier grouping, you know, run Atlantic together. And there's a lot of, of music that we wouldn't have seen if it had been for the two of them, you know, running the show over there.So, shout out to Julie. I mean, the only one actually we haven't discussed here with E40 and Rick Ross. And I don't know, you know, probably get moving, but, do you think Rick Ross deserves to be number 21 on this entire list? Like ahead of Pharrell, ahead of, you know, some of the other names on here. I was surprised that he was ranked this high.[00:29:09] Dan Runcie: I love the spicy questions. Cause this is what people wanted to hear the podcast about, right? They wanted to hear one of us, you know, poke the bear a little bit.If Rick Ross was able to nail that dive in the pool, do you think you would have ranked him higher?[00:29:21] Zack Greenburg: Ha ha ha ha ha ha. No, no, I wouldn't. I mean, I still know. I mean, you know, like I get it, you know, he's called the boss that he must be a mogul, You know, and, some of the things he's done in terms of, you know, Bel Air and Maybach music and all that. Sure. But like, you know, when you put them up against like some of the other ones, did he really do something new or was he more just like following a, blueprint that had worked for others before and, you know, executing it to a degree success, but like, again, not, you know, not to the level of, let's say Pharrell.I think maybe I just, I'm salty that he ended up ahead of Pharrell. I think Pharrell is just way more influential and Mowgli, but, I don't know. What do you think?[00:29:59] Dan Runcie: So, I've read 2 of Ross's books and I interviewed him once on Trapital. I think that, to your point, he did follow the blueprint that we saw from others. I think he is smart about the types of partnerships he does, but it does feel like a ditty light. Type of playbook that he's been able to do and build.And I do think a lot of it makes sense. He may not necessarily have the large media entities the way that he does. Although I do think he's overdue for some type of comedy show or some type of reality show just following him around because I think he's hilarious. And anytime that he gets that, it could just generate something unique.And I'm sure he's been hit up about it. I do think that he's done well for himself. Just thinking about. Now, how his career is growing, I think it's been what, 16, 17 years since hustling 1st came out. I think in this range, there is some flexibility there in terms of like, where people are in certain ways.I get why he may not necessarily be as high. I'm sure if you looked at the net worth or the earnings, that some of the people that are lower than him may actually be higher. I think 1 of the knocks potentially is although Maybach music was cool. I wrote about this in Trapit as well. I think there was a missed opportunity.And part of that comes from, huh, did Ross do all the things that he probably could have done from a leadership perspective to especially like, when Meek Mill and Wally were beefing and stuff. And I think Ross had a bit more of a laissez faire approach to things, which in some ways is kind of the opposite of King making as we're talking about this, right?Can we really bring folks together and make something larger than it is. I think it was a bit tough in general for people to try to do everything themselves, try to be the boss of this label, which is signed to a different label because Rick Ross was signed to a different label than MNG was himself. And I think anytime you have that type of dynamic, it's just splitting the leadership interests. So I hear you.[00:32:00] Zack Greenburg: Yeah. So then how much of a mogul are you, if your label is really, you know, so I guess everybody's labels on somebody else's label and have you distributed by something, but you know, it's like when they're like multiple labels kind of, you know, intertwined with your label, it kind of causes the question.are you really the boss? If you have several bosses that you're answering to, but you know, I think actually though. in Rick Ross's defense, what he's done with Wingstop, I mean, that is pretty unique and, I don't know that anybody else on this list has something comparable in that space.So, you know, maybe that's why, I think, you know, by virtue of that, you could put them pretty high up. And maybe that's what some of the judges were thinking, you know, but he also ended up on a lot of lists, you know, so some of the judges just kind of like, maybe we're getting to some of the judges sent rank lists, and they're like, you know, this person is the top and they should get the most points and other people were like, here are my people.And you can just rank them evenly. and I think Rick Ross ended up on a lot of those lists. So, you know. I think again, maybe like I was alluding to earlier, he's a bit of a compiler, nothing wrong with that, you know, you can get into the hall of fame by compiling 3000 hits, but, it's interesting to see how, how the opinions differ. That's the whole fun of it.[00:33:06] Dan Runcie: He runs his business is almost like how a small business owner would in a number of ways where he has a bunch of car washes and, you know, his is 1 of the family members does that he has his wing stops, right? He has that. And it is a bit of this, like, mogul dumbness from that perspective in terms of like, okay, I have my hands in these things and I've hired people to have, you know, different roles within that that doesn't necessarily have things in aggregate. It's a bit more of the strip mall mentality as opposed to the, you know, building a skyscraper that could then build other skyscrapers, but it's something worth mentioning, but I hope we keep that up with a few of the other rankings we have coming up as we dig into the top 20, here.So, yeah, let's start with 20. So, 20, Queen Latifah, I think that she and, Ice Cube, who we'll get into in a minute, were one of the first that noticed, hey, I may not be able to do this rap thing forever, what are areas that I can expand this multimedia empire and everything I'm building.She was able to do this with Living Single, the show that was Friends before Friends was, and even the way that she was able to show young black people that were having, you know, highly sought after roles, but they still had their interpersonal dynamics. It was cool. It was refreshing. It was aspirational, which I do think that a lot of the black sitcoms were in the 90s.And she was able to do that, continue finding ways to put other people on as well through the work that she did. She was also willing to take risks. Like I remember when she was in set it off, people had a bunch of questions about, Oh, you're going to play a lesbian in this heist movie. What is this going to do for your career?And she was willing to do that. And I think she is always, you know, be willing to take risks. So, you know, shout out to her and I'm glad that several people have mentioned her[00:34:56] Zack Greenburg: Yeah. And I think she gets credit for, like you say, diversifying her portfolio. you know, into the acting world. it's worth noting, you know, she was barely ahead of Rick Ross. but you know, there is a big difference between 21 and 20. It's the top 20. So, again, I think, you know, she was a bit of a compiler, but there were a couple of people who ranked her in the top 10.and, you know, I think just like in terms of the breadth of her career, you know, the longevity, the diversity of the things that she's gotten into. you know, even if it's not as much ownership as somebody, even like a Rick Ross, it's just like, having your hands in a lot of pies and like that really counts for something as a mogul.So, I think it makes sense to see you there.[00:35:36] Dan Runcie: Agreed 19 is Eminem. So let's talk about it. How do we feel about Eminem in 19?[00:35:43] Zack Greenburg: You know, I think it's a weird one, honestly. you know, there's no doubting, his lyrical prowess and where, you know, where he kind of stacks up as part of like the pantheon of lyricists, like fine. But is he really a mogul? I mean, he's somebody who has been, you know, very reclusive at times. Who has, you know, kind of gotten in his own way at other times. I mean, I could see ranking him up here though, just by virtue of ownership of the music and sort of like the quality and quantity of his catalog. you know, what he did with D12, you know, he did have shady records and, you know, and all that.So again, you know, there, there is kind of a layer cake of a label situation, like some of the folks who mentioned earlier across, but, you know, that was at least important to him to set up, you know, as his continued ownership of, You know, his work and, you know, certainly when it comes to like raw commercial prowess, you know, Eminem, is one of the best selling hip hop artists of all time.If not the best, depending on how you look at it. And just, you know, simply by virtue of the amount of revenue he generated, you know, throughout the late 90s and early aughts at the peak of the sort of CD age there. you know, that deserves, some kind of something, even if he wasn't running around starting his own, you know, side businesses as much as some of these other folks[00:37:02] Dan Runcie: Best selling artist of the 2000s by a pretty strong amount, I believe, and has the most of any genre, right? And the most streamed song of the 2000s as well, at least on Spotify with Lose Yourself, and I'm pretty sure Till I Collapse and maybe a couple of others aren't too far. Behind as Will Page as Spotify's former chief economist said, anytime Eminem farts or burps or releases anything on a streaming service, it provides a huge bump to everything in this back catalog.So, I still laugh about that, but I do think that speaks to it there and. If, correct me if I'm wrong, but I think he was one of the first hip hop artists to have a Sirius XM channel himself.So that's something that's unique and obviously Sirius is still doing its thing. So, shout out to him there. A bit higher than I probably would have ranked him, but that's why it's interesting to get the group results here. Ah, this one's gonna be spicy. Number 18. Your boy, Suge Knight.[00:38:02] Zack Greenburg: Yeah, you know, I mean, I think this is one of the tougher ones on the entire list. You know, this is not like a list of, Ms. Congeniality or Mr. Congeniality, as you'll see, you know, some of the other names on here. Obviously, you know, Suge is in jail. he's been involved in the death of, you know, human beings that like that is, you know, not sort of like what you're after in a mogul here, but, enough people, you know, I guess felt that the business, if you just, you know, looking at it from a pure business perspective, was enough to put them up here. And, you know, there is no arguing that death row at its peak was one of the most influential record labels, you know, not just in hip hop, but of anything. I mean, any genre, when death row was at its hottest, I don't know any, kind of moment where any other, you know, you'd have to stack that up against peak Motown or, you know, Atlantic or something like that, but, you know, that was really like a, peak moment. So, you know, I think this is one of the things we run into on this list like if somebody exhibits, a level of, you know, sort of business ingenuity, you know, that counts for something and, you know, the other things that you do in your life and your career, you know, we'll detract from that, but, you know, what you did at your peak, I think will get you pretty far in a list like this when people kind of count, you know, we kind of count sort of like the ceiling as opposed to the average, in some cases. So, I don't know. What do you think?[00:39:27] Dan Runcie: These are the two most impressive business moves that Suge Knight has done. Number two is shaking down Vanilla Ice to get his points for everything that he did on the album that had Ice Ice Baby there. Because he was able to use that money to then start and co found Death Row with Dr. Dre. That's number two.Number one is at the 1995 Source Awards where he publicly makes his Call to attract Tupac to say, Hey, I know you're in jail, but we're riding with you. Tupac wasn't signed there at the time, but he knew that this was an opportunity. Tupac likely needed somewhere to call a home and he called his shot. He was able to make it happen.I know everyone talks about the diddy shot about, you know, being all in the video death row. And that, of course, is infamous in its own right. But I think the number one thing that should night did is that that said. those 2 things speak to what should night is, 1, it is that muscle and the prowess of being able to overpower a situation and then take advantage.And I think those were things that he was good at. That said, I don't think he was necessarily strong as a. Business leader, the company imploded in large part. And I don't think it imploded because of Dr. Dre, it imploded because of all of the things, all the shenanigans. And I think for what he was building, some of that just got a little too close to the sun, unfortunately. And, that's Chuck Knight[00:40:49] Zack Greenburg: And, I think that, you know, in some of the reporting I've done over the years, One of the things people say is that Shug and a lot of the guys around him, you know, it wasn't that they were necessarily like that. It's just they kind of had been watching too many bad gangster movies and the music business, didn't know what to do with somebody like Suge Knight.And so the more he kind of like played this role, the more he grew into it to where, to the point where he was actually living sort of a bad gangster movie. and sort of like created, turned himself into a monster. Yeah, so I think like the evolution. or the evolution, of somebody like Suge Knight is sort of fascinating in terms of like what you can, what sort of playing a role can do to you, over the course of time.[00:41:32] Dan Runcie: Agreed. And well said number 17 here is America's most wanted ice cube. I'll start here to kick things off. I think that Ice Cube, like Queen Latifah mentioned earlier, was one of the early ones who had said that he knew that living and doing everything off a raft wasn't gonna last forever. And I think a lot of it was because he experienced some of the brunt and ugliness of it.I mean, we've all seen the Straight Outta Compton movie. He goes into Jerry Heller's office. He starts smashing shit. He releases no Vaseline. There was definitely a no fucks given that carried through even after he was done with NWA, but he saw what this industry is like as well and then that's when he starts writing screenplays.And then that's how Friday because the thing becomes a thing. And then. His career just continues to take off after that he still dabbled in rap and did his thing, but he definitely became known early on for one of the people that took a risk with cube entertainment and everything that he was able to do there.And with any of the movies that he had, whether it was the movies with Mike Epps and plenty others, I do believe that most of these movies were pretty profitable. And he was able to. Do it work within the confines that he had and just continue to build everything he did from a career. We've seen him expand as well into everything that he's done with the big 3 specifically giving a home for basketball players that can still play, but maybe they can't make, you know, a 13 person NBA roster anymore.I do think that some of his more recent news highlights that are a bit more politically driven or him walking around with Tucker Carlson and probably take it away from some of the more prominent memories of Hugh Ice Cube is, but yeah, that's why I had had him or that's why he, I think deserves to be, you know, where he is, on the list.[00:43:27] Zack Greenburg: Yeah. And I think it's interesting, you know, you see, Eminem, Suge Knight, Ice Cube, all together, you know, they're all, inextricably connected to Dr. Dre. one way or the other. Right. and you know, would there, would Dre have been Dre without the three of them? you know, at different phases of his career, you know, I don't know, I mean, I think certainly what, Ice Cube did as part of NWA, you know, I wouldn't say that, that NWA was like.like a business first organization. But like that wasn't the point of NWA and if it hadn't been for NWA, I don't think you would have been able to have business first organizations come out of hip hop in the way that you did. and certainly, you know, somebody like Dr. Dre, so. I think he gets extra points for that.and, you know, this is probably why, you know, he was again, I don't know, was he compiler? He was, you know, he had like a lot of kind of middling, a lot of lists, a couple of top 10 votes, you know? So, you know, I think again, everybody has their favorite and he's up there for a lot of folks.[00:44:27] Dan Runcie: Agreed. Number 16 is Drake. Should we poke the bear again?[00:44:33] Zack Greenburg: Yeah. Does Drake deserve to be at number 16 on this list?[00:44:37] Dan Runcie: This one surprised me, I was very surprised at the number of people that had him on the list, because you can make a case for the opposite, right? It's similar to the M and M thing, but almost to the extreme because M and M, yes, most commercially successful artists, XYZ. There's other artists that are less commercially successful at M and M that did more in that mogul definition but for Drake, it's even bigger of a Delta between these two, because here you have the most streamed artists of all time. So clearly commercially successful on its own, but people believe that OVO. Records or OVO sound itself actually could hurt an artist's career. And when you think about that, you think about some of the other multimedia things that he's done.I know he's been active as an investor and I know that people like Nicki Minaj and others have said, Oh, you know, Drake's a low key billionaire. He just doesn't want you to know it personally. Again, he may be, I mean, I'm not sure what he may not disclose, but it isn't always just about wealth. It's like, what opportunities were you able to create for each other?I do think it's good. That drink has been able to have different people that have been working alongside that. I think did get a bit of that drink stimulus package. And I think that's something that is quite debated, but I do think that. I feel like 21 Savage has definitely benefited from it. I mean, he was already commercially successful, but for him and Drake to do a joint album together was huge.I think it was the same way that it was huge for Future and the same way that the Migos going on tour with Drake in 2018 was huge for them and anything else that Drake continues to do from that perspective. So I think it is, you know, debatable, but I mean, people do definitely add some weight to the artists themselves.[00:46:18] Zack Greenburg: Yeah. And, you know, I think he should be around Eminem and whether they're both too high is an open question, but, you know, there's no doubting the commercial viability of what he's done. He did start more side businesses in Eminem, right? With OVO, whether it's the label, the festival, the clothing line, you know, he started a whiskey brand called Virginia black, which I tried once.It tasted okay. but I don't think it's selling, you know, I don't know if he's even still doing it. yeah, he is definitely involved as a startup investor, so maybe, you know, we'll see some exits and we start to think of him differently at that point. But, yeah, you know, again, I think it's, some voters just kind of overweighted, you know, musical prowess and pop culture influence.And if you're talking about that, I, I don't know anybody who's been as influential in the past 15 years. I mean, he's, you know, he's the most streamed artist of all time and that's got to count for something.[00:47:08] Dan Runcie: Right. I know his cannabis line failed, but there's a lot of people, even people that we'll get to in this list that have also had failed or struggling cannabisbusinesses. And, there's a lot that we could discuss there, but moving on number 15 is Sylvia Robinson, the originator.[00:47:26] Zack Greenburg: I think she deserves to be in the top five, personally. because if there were no Sylvia Robinson, yeah, I mean, I don't know that we have hip hop and, you know, it's, you know, for those who don't know the story, she was running sugar hill records with her husband, Joe sylvia was actually a child star singer herself.And, you know, they kind of had this like middling existence with their label. And then all of a sudden she's at this birthday party that she didn't even want to go to in Harlem and she sees Lovebug Starsky up on the microphone. A hip hop hippie to the hippie to the hip hip hop. You know, this is early, early seventies.She's never heard anything like it. All the kids, you know, hands in the air, like you just don't care. And the whole thing. she tries to get Lovebug to sign. There's some kind of dispute, like with his management, never happens. And so she just goes to the pizzeria in New Jersey, finds three kids, get him, gets them to talk real fast over this record is how she described it.and that's, you know, that's Rapper's Delight. That's the first hip hop song on Wax. That's the first hit. you know, that sort of spawns the whole genre. So, you could certainly argue, that, you know, she, borrowed or she hired, hired people who borrowed or whatever to do this, you know, like the idea that, that the first hip hop, track on wax was like, you know, originated in a pizza shop in New Jersey is really unfortunate cause it started at the Bronx, but like, you know, Sylvia came from Harlem.She, you know, she, she knew that world. Like, you know, she was part of the music business and, for better or worse, she took hip hop from being, you know, just basically like spoken word in person kind of thing to being, you know, national events. Would it have happened eventually?Yeah, I think so. But you know, who knows? I mean, it could have taken years longer and if it took years longer, you know, are we going to have the eighties with like run DMC and Def Jam and all that? Like, you know, I don't know. I mean, it, could have taken a lot longer to get off the ground if she hadn't done what she'd done.And, you know, I don't think we, I don't think we should really be dinging Sylvia Robinson for her Machiavellian tactics, given some of the other people on this list, you know, we're talking like Suge Knight and whoever else, you know, there's quite nefarious characters, you know, as we get higher up too in this list.So, you know, I don't think anything she did was. remotely as bad as, as like a lot of the dudes on this list. and, you know, so, you know, let's, I think we give her her due and yeah, I would definitely put her higher, but, you know, I think that's part of the deal when, when you have somebody who's that early on.You know, people are going to say, Oh, well, you know, the total gross is not quite as much as so and so or whatever the case may be. And she wasn't as famous as some of the artists. So, but you know, she's up there, I mean, ahead of some pretty big names, Drake, Eminem, what have you. So, I think she's getting some flowers here[00:50:00] Dan Runcie: The total gross knock is always one that makes me roll my eyes a bit because even if you take out the inflation aspect and the amount of money that's now in the industry, this is something that happens with pioneers in any type of industry. They are the ones that take the early hits to make it possible.She and her work is what made it possible for rappers to like, she and her workers have made it possible for the message and anything else that we then see after that. Yes. Sugar Hill. records did have its struggles, afterward, like many other labels. But what do you think about broader context of the eighties being a very tough time in general for black music?And there were only a certain number of decision makers in power that could make that happen. Yeah. You have to take that into account. And then additionally, she did stuff outside of even just this record label itself. As you mentioned, she was a recording artist herself. She also owned a nightclub. So there were other mogul type things that she had her hands.And so shout out to Sylvia, who knows where this would be without her.[00:51:00] Zack Greenburg: And probably worth caveating also that, you know, she did have some, Disputes over paying artists, as the years went on. So did like really a lot of people on this list is we could do like a whole separate, you know, like has some kind of dispute on how they pay artists. So, you know, that, that's probably worth noting too, but yeah, I mean, so does everybody else.And, you know, I think she deserves her flowers.[00:51:22] Dan Runcie: Number 14, Dame Dash,[00:51:25] Zack Greenburg: Another, another hot one coming in. I mean, I think a lot of people would disagree with this, but you know, some people would put them even higher. I mean, I think he might be the most polarizing name on this entire list. Like some people had on top five, you know, some people didn't list them at all.you know, I think it kind of comes in. We've had this conversation before. Would there be a Jay Z without a Damon Dash? you know, I mean, I think so, but it's that part of the, you know, we've talked about him in the context of startups and do you, you know, you need a different kind of founder for your like pre seed days than you do for your series B.you know, if you're like a mafia, family, you need like a wartime Don, you know, versus like a peacetime Don or whatever it's called. But like, you know, I think, Dame Dash is a wartime Don. He's a seed stage startup founder. and he does it fair as well. You know, when it comes to like the growth stage and the corporate boardrooms and stuff, but, you know, there's no denying his brilliance.you know, I think what he did, you know, certainly with rock aware, you know, expanding, the Roc-A-Fella empire beyond music. you know, maybe he realized that Jay was eventually going to leave and that they just, it wasn't going to be forever. And so he wanted to get his hands into, you know, as many different areas as he could, but, you know, there's like a lot of pro and a fair bit of con, but, you know, I think again, he's one who, you know, the pro outweighed the con, he didn't kill anybody, you know, so there's some people on here who did.yeah, the con is only like so much con in my opinion.[00:52:56] Dan Runcie: This conversation makes me think about, that backstage documentary that. Roc-A-Fella had put out after the hard knock life tour. And there's that infamous scene of Dave dash yelling and swearing at Kevin Lyles, who was at Def Jam at the time about the jackets and where what logo was supposed to be, or something other than that.And thinking about that in context now of like, you know, how we talked about Kevin Lyles and everything he was able to do from that run and still can continue to do. And with where Dame Dash is, is in his career, Dame Dash doing his thing. I think he very much lived through and practice and preach the ownership standards that worked for him, where he has Dame Dash Studios, Dame Dash this, and he's been able to.Create exactly what he wanted to. We heard him on that infamous 2015 breakfast club interview where he's yelling at DJ Envy and Charlemagne about, Oh, well, if your son wants a job, can you get him a job here at power 105 or whatever? No. Well, I can do him at where I'm at. And as comic as the delivery was, there is some aspect of mogul dumb.That is a bit of that King making aspect of, okay, can you create opportunities for others around you? What those opportunities look like definitely vary. And I think that is a factor. So I do highlight that is something that Dame is able to do. And Dave is also similar to he's similar to a polarizing basketball player in the sense that the media may look and be like, why do you all fuck with this guy?Like, what's going on? But if you ask the people that are actually in it, a lot of that would be like, oh, well, you got to look at Dame dash, Dame dash is the guy. And when I have. Interviewed. I'm sure you've interviewed and talked to many of young artists, too, or young label executives, too. A lot of them will reference Dave Dash.A lot of them will look at what he was able to do alongside Roc-A-Fella, almost in the same way that, you know, players will swear by Kyrie or swear by James Harden or some other type of athlete that may be polarizing in their own right. And the media is like, Oh, why do you all like this guy? And it's like, Oh, well, no, you don't understand.So there's something about. The people, and obviously I say that being self aware is us as people more so on the media side, as opposed to being in it themselves. But there's something about these young artists and moguls as well that have always looked up and respected what Dame has built. And even though it may not resonate, like, personally, I acknowledge that.[00:55:23] Zack Greenburg: I would say, if you're going to make a basketball reference, Maybe not personality, but like basketball style, I'd almost liken him to Carmelo Anthony, you know, like he's an isolationist. He's a scorer, like, you know, he may not be very good at distributing the basketball, but like, you know, you throw him the ball in the corner and he's going to find a way to get it in.And, You know, like a lot of people wouldn't think that he belongs in the Hall of Fame at all, you know, but some people would, be insistent on it. So, you know, yeah, I think that sort of like singular focus, you know, you could definitely give him credit for that,[00:55:55] Dan Runcie: Agreed. Number 13, we are Cohen.[00:55:58] Zack Greenburg: man, another like bulldozer of a human being, but, you know, certainly somebody who, you know, maybe he has also got the finger roll, you know, like he, he can have a light touch when needed. you know, I think just like in terms of longevity, we talk about longevity with some of the names on this list, you know, Leroy was there in the very beginning of hip hop, you know, managing rappers, and it gives the road manager run DMC, taking the leader

Payin Homage to 3/6 Mafia.   The only hip-hop group to win an Academy Award for Best hip-hop song. Has Three Six Mafia transcending music? Did Three Six Mafia get the recognition they deserve?  How much of an impact have they accomplish as a group? Most Successful CEO in HipHop. Dame Dash, Jay-Z , Birdman and Slim, J. Cole, Kevin Liles, Lyor Cohen, P. Diddy, Dr, Dre, Jimmy Iovine, Master P.  Who has been the most successful? Was Birdman stealing money? Is Jay-Z a snake?  Sports Discussion. Shohei Ohtani the best baseball player ever? Does he deserve 1 Billion?  Generational Curses. What can we do to break the cycle? Music by Baby Dunk and 1azy AceFacebook: Phillip RobertsInstagram: @philroberts12, @thefillwithphil, @corporatelike Twitter: @Corporate_Like, @FillWithPhilPodSnapChat: corporatelikeTikTok: @thefillwithphilTumblr: corporatelikeWebsite: Corporatelike.comReddit: CorporateLikeDiscord: CorporateLike

On this episode we are joined by Kevin Liles Jr. Who is now working at 300 entertainment setting up radio and press runs for all of the artist. He speaks on his life growing up with the mogul Kevin Liles as his father. Earning his spot at 300 entertainment and the lessons he's learned along the way. Some other topics:Growing Up In BaltimoreStarting As An Entertain At 300 EntertainmentLessons From His FatherWorking With Newer ArtistsDebunking Nepo Baby ClaimsWomen Putting That P***y On TourWe Answer Your Listener Letter& Much Much MoreBe Sure To Follow @bemorekev As He Continues His Journey At 300 Entertainment. As Well As His Own Personal Goals!!

For the latest episode of Apple Music's The Message, Ebro is joined by music mogul Kevin Liles and United States Congressman Jamaal Bowman of New York. Though they might at face value seem like unlikely bedfellows, Liles and Bowman are working in concert to garner support for the Artists' Right to Speech Act, or the ARTS Act, which would prohibit the use of music lyrics as evidence in court proceedings. Liles and Bowman both claim to owe much to hip-hop, and feel particularly compelled to strike back against a deeply unfair legal practice that has its origins in the ugliest tradition of American history.Listen to the pair's Message playlist, only on Apple Music.

GUESS WHO'S BIZZACKKK!! Music IV Breakfast is making our come back on our two year anniversary! And in celebration of our return, we are delivering a dope episode, breaking down the Young Thug, YSL trial. There's been a lot of hearsay and rumors circulating the media, but we are lacing you with the complete facts of the case! We also are back with a music countdown with some of the most incriminating songs. Jay Manning, will be highlighting all the song used as evidence in the YSL case on the Bar Breakdown. He will also be discussing Petition to Protect Black Art launched by Label heads Kevin Liles and Julie Greenwald. On the Hot Plate, Kia will be covering additional YSL coverage and footage of Young Thug caught menacing in the courtroom. Music IV Breakfast is back like we never left! So STOP what you're doing and press play on the latest episode of MUSIC IV BREAKFAST!

On this episode, Jay chopped it up with his brother from another, Carl aka @protopromo, & they kicked off the episode by talking about a past clip Jay played that featured Kevin Liles, followed by a discussion on the Kyrie Irving situation, & much more! Then, they closed it out with the Righteously Ratchet segment. Anyway, tap in with the pod by following everything j.o.t. on the link, below.   Like.Share.Subscribe.   ► www.podpage.com/jumpin_out_there/  

On this episode, Jay chopped it up with his brother from another, Carl aka @protopromo, & they kicked off the episode by talking about a past clip Jay played that featured Kevin Liles, followed by a discussion on the Kyrie Irving situation, & much more! Then, they closed it out with the Righteously Ratchet segment. Anyway, tap in with the pod by following everything j.o.t. on the link, below. Like.Share.Subscribe. ► www.podpage.com/jumpin_out_there/ 

Reaction to Officer Tatum Reacts to Kevin Liles Blames Rappers Deaths on "White Supremacy" and "American Oppression" ► Click HERE to subscribe to Paul Pickett Podcast  http://smarturl.it/paulpickettpodcast https://www.youtube.com/paulpickettpodcast https://twitter.com/PaulPPodcast https://www.facebook.com/paulpickettpodcast Merchandise - https://www.etsy.com/shop/NewLitterDesign  https://promopalacellc.mybigcommerce.com/merchandise-1/ #podcasts #podcastlife #podcasting #sportsmedia #musicnews #politicalnews  #sports #music #politics #nba #nfl #paulpickett Order Online Here https://emiliosbev.com/dizzle-liqueur-750ml/ https://www.valleybev.com/spirits/Dizzle-Dizzle-w8598725qe https://www.delmesaliquor.com/collections/dizzle/products/dizzle-original-premium-liqueur Follow Us https://dizzlebrand.com/ https://www.instagram.com/thedizzlebrand/ https://www.facebook.com/DizzleBrand https://twitter.com/DizzleBrand https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCiXjkwdveA0flRLW3TujcFQ #dizzle #dizzlebrand #drinks #alcohol 

MSNBC's Ari Melber hosts "The Beat" on Wednesday, November 2 and reports on record early voting turnout, Biden speaking on GOP candidates set to refuse to accept election results and Democracy under threat. Conservative activist Grover Norquist joins. Plus, music mogul Kevin Liles joins on his #ProtectBlackArt initiative.

Co-founder & CEO of 300 Entertainment Kevin Liles joins Ebro in the Morning for an important discussion on the fight to protect black art. He discusses the bill that passed The Decriminalizing Artistic Expression Act that passed in California which makes it illegal to use rap lyrics to prosecute a case, and how he would like to see this followed across the nation. Lyles also discusses the differences in how rap lyrics are looked at versus other genres. He also discusses Takeoff's tragic death and Ye's recent comments.  Listen to The New MVMT Podcast with DJ Drewski - iTunes - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-new-mvmt-podcast/id1648512032 Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/5ZYhT11czj4sdp7idNQxIZ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today on the Breakfast Club we're joined by legend Kevin Liles! Later on Angela Yee highkey drunkenly gives us the latest gossip in the Rumor Report. And finally Charlamagne gives E! News' Social team todays Donkey Of The DaySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kevin Liles On Protecting Black Art, Using Lyrics In Court, Takeoff And MoreSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I got a chance to chop it up with The Murder Inc Story's Director, Michael J. Payton. We discussed his conversations with Jay Z, Kevin Liles, Irv Gotti....his full circle moments, and of course the making of the documentary. 

Music exec Benny Pough has shaped the hip-hop industry in a career that's spanned from Motown Records to Def Jam to Roc Nation and now his own entrepreneurial pursuits. Benny joined me on Trapital to discuss his 30-year journey and where it's heading next.The defining feature of Benny has been his ability to spot and develop musical talent. He's responsible for signing the likes of Future, Jeremih, and Yo Gotti, among others. That skill was initially forged from having an ear for what would catch on the radio, but has evolved in the streaming era. Despite this radical shift in music consumption, Benny says “stars will always be stars.”After working at seven different record labels, Benny left the corporate world in 2019 and dove full-time into entrepreneurialism. He runs two separate companies — DVERSE Media and Kandiid. The former is a global music distributor and publisher, while the latter is a mobile app for creators to monetize their content. Benny also manages a diversified real estate portfolio. Like Benny's own career, our conversation covers a lot of ground. Here's our talking points: [3:13] How Benny Developed His Eye andEar For Talent[4:42] Differences Between Hit-Makers andSuperstars[6:10] How Has Streaming Changed Superstar Development?[7:33] Record Label's Role in Talent Development [13:07] Inside Def Jam's Business Turnaround During Mid-00s[16:02] Aligning Business andArt at Def Jam [18:15] Teairra Mari and Rihanna Coming Up at Def Jam[21:37] Balancing Short-Term andLong-Term Business Goals[24:39] How Did Benny Adapt To Working At Different Labels?[27:00] Why Benny Became a Full-Time Entrepreneur [28:34] How Does Benny Split Time Across His Business Ventures?[31:26] DVERSE Media's Pitch To Artists[33:15] TikTok's Role In Talent Development Today[34:43] Monetizing Content On Kandiid[36:07] How Benny Got Into Real Estate[38:54] Benny's Upcoming BookListen: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | SoundCloud | Stitcher | Overcast | Amazon | Google Podcasts | Pocket Casts | RSSHost: Dan Runcie, @RuncieDan, trapital.coGuests: Benny Pough, @bennypough Sponsors: MoonPay is the leader in web3 infrastructure. They have partnered with Timbaland, Snoop Dogg, and many more. To learn more, visit moonpay.com/trapital Enjoy this podcast? Rate and review the podcast here! ratethispodcast.com/trapital Trapital is home for the business of hip-hop. Gain the latest insights from hip-hop's biggest players by reading Trapital's free weekly memo. TRANSCRIPTION[00:00:00] Benny Pough: You can have a star, but if you don't have people who can market it and promote it and put the music together, then it's going to take that star a little more time. Or you can have great executives, but you have artists that don't have drive. They're kind of confused on who their identity is. They write good songs, they don't write great songs, then it's kind of off balance. It's that marriage of really strong executives and really great artistry.  [00:00:35] Dan Runcie: Hey, welcome to The Trapital podcast. I'm your host and the founder of Trapital, Dan Runcie. This podcast is your place to gain insights from executives in music, media, entertainment, and more, who are taking hip-hop culture to the next level. [00:00:55] Dan Runcie: Today's guest is Benny Pough. He is a music industry veteran. And when I'm talking about people that understand promotion, understand what it takes to make an artist go from sixty to a hundred, this is the person to talk to. He has identified talent over the years, working at Motown, Perspective, Arista, MCA, Def Jam, Epic, and Roc Nation Records. He worked at Def Jam during one of the turnaround eras for the record label from 2003, all the way up to 2011. So we're talking about that stretch where you had Rihanna, and Jeezy, and Kanye, and so many artists that made a huge impact there. Then he also worked at Epic where he was able to see Future, and Jeremih, and Travis Scott, and Yo Gotti. And so many of the artists there. And now he is building his own company. He works at Diverse Media, which is a music distribution and global publishing platform. He also has an app called Kandiid, which helps content creators and artists connect more directly with their fan base. We also talk about some of the ventures he has outside of music. He does a lot in real estate. We're talking about some of the real estate he does, even in my hometown, which was pretty dope to hear how he understands the neighborhoods pretty well. So this is a great interview. If you want to talk about a mogul that understands each point of this industry, and with this upcoming book where he is sharing these insights as well. This is the interview for you. Here's my conversation with Benny Pough. [00:02:27] Dan Runcie: All right. Today, we got one of the music executives that has seen this industry and seen hip-hop through so many pivotal moments at some of the most storied record labels. Mr. Benny Pough. Welcome to the pod. [00:02:40] Benny Pough: What's up, Dan? Been waiting, man! I don't know why you kept me out here so long, but thank you for having me today.[00:02:47] Dan Runcie: People have been asking for this one, people have been asking for this one. [00:02:51] Benny Pough: Yeah. Yes, sir. [00:02:52] Dan Runcie: And I mean, I think one of the reasons that people have been asking is because of your track record. You have identified some of the best talents in this field. Yo Gotti, Future, Jeremih, could go on with the list, but it's clear that you understand what you're looking for and you have an eye and an ear for this. What are you looking for when you spot talent? [00:03:13] Benny Pough: So, you know, being a promotions person is how I started in the business. Like, my first entry point was at Motown records, doing college promotions. And at that point, I realized that, you know, music changed my life when I was able to take a song, and from a college level, and have it played across the airways, 'cause you have to think about over the decades, the mass means of communication was radio. So that changed everything. If you got on the radio in any capacity, you know, it could take you from zero to sixty. So for me, listening to the radio and listening to music one way or another, my ear just got refined to what sounds good on the radio. So with the artists that you mentioned, I heard their music before I even met them. So it's something about, you know, obviously the spirit, you know, that ooze through them that comes out in their music that always just resonated with me. So the next step would be, you know, to meet them and obviously the artists that you mentioned, you know, from Future to Jeremih, Gotti, F.L.Y., it was something special about them that they'd already created for themselves. They just needed, you know, that opportunity to present itself for them to move on to the next level. [00:04:23] Dan Runcie: And I'm sure meeting that adds a whole nother layer 'cause you could have the voice but you're not just building someone that can record an audio track. You're trying to identify stars. What is it from meeting them in person that adds to it? Or is there something extra that you see when you're face to face? [00:04:42] Benny Pough: I think what's probably problematic now is that people can become instantaneously popular just from streaming. But never been in, you know, never really been in a studio 'cause you can record in your house. Never performed at a dive because that's not what's required. Never actually performed in front of an audience. So they're great songwriters, maybe producers, but the bar is so much lower on the entry point now, because any and everyone can do it. The difference between the people who make just hit songs or records, and the ones who are superstars is that they have the full package. Not only do they write or they perform, but you know, they have that whole je ne sais quoi, something special about them that people want to hear more and more, see more and more of them. And that's what the key is. And always has been, you know, since the beginning of music, of those people who attract and draw you in.[00:05:37] Dan Runcie: You mentioned streaming and how it is easier and how it's very different from having a hit record as opposed to being a superstar. But do you think that even some of the visual aspects are becoming easier to replicate, too? Thinking about how someone could do so much of the production of music videos, or even the visual of what they can do, whether it's through Instagram and developing a following, but there's still, there could still be a disconnect between having that piece of it as well and really being someone that can push a record label and push themselves. [00:06:10] Benny Pough: So the power is probably the best time, music and arts, the power's in the creator. You know, ultimately as a consumer, we'll choose what we like at the value point that we will or not. But ultimately as a creator, you can get in where, before you couldn't, because there were, you know, gatekeepers. So now that you have the access and the ability to take your art to the masses. It's great. Now the level of what you have, meaning, you know, whether it's your music or your visual, if people like it, they're going to like it. And if they don't, if they feel it's inferior, then that's your presentation to the masses. So ideally you can't look at it as a negative, but, you know, obviously, as you grow, and you develop, and you have success. All of those levels start to heighten as well. [00:07:02] Dan Runcie: And do you feel like this has made it easier or harder or how different it is for the people that clearly have superstar potential, but they are coming up in this era where there is more noise? But on the other hand, because some of that noise can filter away some of the artists that don't necessarily have that potential and let the cream rise to the crop, I've heard people use both arguments about what it's like for superstars right now, but what's your take on the current stars now?[00:07:33] Benny Pough: Stars will always be stars, and we're going to find them if that's the true course of action. You know, I worked with L.A. Reid, and I remember him always just telling me the story about Outkast. He didn't sign them the first time they performed for him. It might have been the second or the third, but because they had it and when they finally brought it back to him, you know, the rest is history. Did it make them lesser stars because they weren't signed the first time? No. What they went back and did was hone their skills, hone their craft. And at some point, the rubber hit the road and the rest is history, and that's happened countless times. Look how many times Michael Jackson was passed on. So I don't think the internet or that we're in a technological, you know, era that it changes the pursuit and the passion for people who truly have the desire and commitment to their art. You know, it just doesn't happen that I designate myself to be an artist today. And since I'm going to be an artist today, I'm going to be a star tomorrow, right? It doesn't quite work that way. And the people who have the wherewithal and the gifts, they're going to find it. [00:08:38] Dan Runcie: Do you think it's harder for people to hit those Michael Jackson levels though? Because I do think that he, of course, I can't think of anyone that was more famous at that particular time. And even some of the artists that you have now. Yes, some of the biggest stars you've seen, they're breaking records and streaming, but culture is just so much noisier and there's so many other things like it's hard for any one artist to reach those same levels. Or do you think that that's still possible? [00:09:07] Benny Pough: It's just different iterations of it. And I don't think you can ever take the greatness of one artist and measure other artists to that, right? Now you can look at stats and go, well, did you, did this person have this many accomplishments as is that one? Then you start getting to the, you know, Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Kobe, right? It's just all different. So it's not the same measurement, but also just realize everyone has greatness and in their time of what was available and what the market was, they exceeded everyone's expectation. So that exists and it's going to exist beyond, you know, today until tomorrow. So it's really about, you know, how do you maximize the moments and all of that is really consistent on how much you commit to your craft.[00:09:56] Dan Runcie: I agree because I think about some of the stars right now, we still see it. It just may not be necessarily the most traditional sense the way people see it. I look at what Bad Bunny is doing right now. We haven't necessarily seen someone like him do what he's doing at the level that he's doing, whether it's the streaming records or even the sold-out concerts. Or even if you look at BTS, I think there's something to be said there for just how popular and strong that fan base is. And then you have your Drakes and your Taylor Swifts, these artists that I think even in 10 years will still be some of the biggest artists of their generation. [00:10:33] Benny Pough: And that's all catalog. You know, artists that have great music, amazing songs, and are true performers. So, you know, once you get to that level, it puts you in a category by yourself, [00:10:47] Dan Runcie: Right. And so much of this goes back to the work of these artists working with record labels, and a lot of the names that we mention, they got big pre-streaming. And because of that, I think they entered a phase where record labels did do a lot more of the development to help bring them along to the area that they are now.[00:11:07] Dan Runcie: But I think what we're seeing now is, because of all of the tools and all of the do-it-yourself functions that we're seeing that artists have the ability to do, by the time you're ready to join a record label, the hope is that you at least have some footing behind you, right? This isn't necessarily the place that's going to bring you from zero to a hundred. But if you could get from zero to sixty, you sign with them and then that can hopefully get you to a hundred. And I think that's the piece of it that's a little different than even what we may have looked at 10, 15 years ago with some of the names you mentioned where it was still a bit harder for them to break out without having the additional support earlier in their career. [00:11:49] Benny Pough: That's the equivalent. I don't disagree with you. The entry points probably are, you know, different, but in some very similar. Ideally you are a thousand percent correct. You can't look to a label to develop you at this point, but when you think about, you know, some of the earliest stars they were developed outside of the label as well, right? So, you know, that kind of overlaps in that perspective. I think the root of all of this is starting with talent, regardless, whether you were, you know, in the past and things weren't as technologically advanced or right now, you know, you have the ability of all of technology. But you don't have all of the components that are going to help you, i.e. great songs, great producers, you know, and all of those true means that are going to really push you to the next level. [00:12:35] Dan Runcie: Agreed. And I think, for you specifically, you've seen it with so many of the labels you've worked out, whether it's Motown or even the run you had with Def Jam as well. And I do want to talk specifically about the Def Jam run because, as someone that loves business case studies, this is a turnaround story and you had a front-row seat to push that forward. Tell us that story and let's walk through that process. What are the key things you think that really helped Def Jam turn things around from that '93 to, you know, going on into the 2000s run?[00:13:07] Benny Pough: So the crazy thing was, you know, for me getting into Def Jam was, it was amazing. The fact that they were a closed shop. You have to realize Def Jam never really let outsiders in. Everything was homegrown. They were one of the very few labels that was truly closed shop, right? Like, the people who started there from interns elevated all the way up, you know, into the higher senior positions, I mean, i.e. Kevin Liles, who is, you know, the person who reached out to me to come over to the organization. So given that opportunity and I was on the West Coast and wanted to get back home, I was at MCA Records and I wanted to get back home. So when I got the call, I was like, wow, I can go for one of the most renowned hip-hop labels in the world and get back home. So it was a no-brainer. Shortly thereafter I came on, Kevin and Lyor exited the building and L.A. Walked in. And that was, you know, an interesting dynamic because, one, I'd, you know, heard a lot about him and knew, you know, his abilities, but I didn't, wasn't certain on what my outcome would be because he didn't bring me in.[00:14:10] Benny Pough: It was a great union because he was an amazing, as we all know, music maker, hit kind of guy. I was a promotion guru, you know, at that time in my career. So, it gave me a great opportunity to, one, work with one of the best, which also made me one of the best, great music, strong promotions, i.e. put it all together in a pot, stir it up, you got to hit artists, right? And the talent was insane. We had one of the best A&R teams in the business, one of the best marketing teams in the business, one of the best promotion teams, publicity, et cetera. And then we all played as a unit. And I think that's, what's really important in any business, including the music business. When you get a real starting fire and the goal is to really bring on the gold, it's unstoppable with incredible artists and amazing music. So, you know, that's how all of that came together. And through that, you know, between Young Jeezy, Rick Ross, Rihanna, Ne-Yo. We had Fabolous, Justin Bieber walked in, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera. It was just an amazing, amazing time in music for us and that component of those artists, that team, and everyone wanting the big win put us right exactly where you have in this conversation. [00:15:31] Dan Runcie: Yeah, definitely. And the other key thing with this, too, is that you also had a few leadership changes, as you mentioned. You had Kevin Liles, and then you had L.A., and then you were there during the Jay-Z stretch as well. And I'm sure with each of those, you were able to keep things moving just with the amount of talent that was coming through, but I'm sure that there were different things, whether it was leadership styles or things that the label needed at a particular time that was able to help it get to where it was during those 2000s. [00:16:02] Benny Pough: So what's important, what people have to realize, and, you know, we put entertainment as though it's its own kind of business. It's still business. And you know, you have to learn how to manage up and manage down. And obviously, all the bosses have their own idiosyncrasies, but all of their goals is about winning. And obviously, you know, the people component is very important 'cause they're all specific on identifying the right talent, but also the right executives because true leaders understand, in the music business, the combination of both is what's going to help. You can have a star, but if you don't have people who can market it and promote it and put the music together, then it's going to take that star a little more. time Or you can have great executives, but you have artists that don't have drive. They're kind of confused on who their identity is. They write good songs, they don't write great songs, then it's kind of off balance. So when you get that real true alignment of both business and talent, that's when you have, and you look back at it, like go through the history of all of the strong labels. It's that marriage of really strong executives and really great artistry. So it doesn't change, right, where our business isn't different. We have just a non-traditional product. [00:17:22] Dan Runcie: Exactly. I mean, at the end of the day, there's something that you're trying to sell. You understand the customer, you're trying to get what you can get out there. [00:17:29] Benny Pough: Yes, sir. [00:17:30] Dan Runcie: Looking back and you talking through some of these stories with these leaders making me think of that time as well. One of the stories I know that often gets talked about going back to around 2004, 2005, Def Jam is figuring out, okay, who is the artist that we want to propel, especially who is the woman artist we want to propel. And there was so much about whether the label is going to push Teairra Marí, or if the label was going to push Rihanna. And so much of that, I know that you were, had a front row seat in, what was that process like? And what is it like now just thinking about how it went and how, whether you could discern what we eventually saw play out, or if it was still tough to know at the moment how either career would've went?[00:18:15] Benny Pough: So let's be very clear. And especially in my upbringing in the music business and how I've always been disciplined and even in just me as an individual, I don't play sides. I have to give my all to each and everyone because we don't know. Like, I can't say this one is a hit and this one isn't. My responsibility in the pipeline is to make sure that I do my best to expose the product to the marketplace. In both of those scenarios, the company was behind both artists. Ultimately, the public is going to decide who are they going to weigh in more or not. But sitting here today, I wouldn't tell you I did more or less for either of those other than provide an amazing system for them to go through in order to have the opportunity to live their dreams.[00:19:04] Dan Runcie: And that makes sense. And I think that's the most fair way to do it. [00:19:07] Benny Pough: Yeah. [00:19:07] Dan Runcie: Were you surprised at all by the outcome or how things played out in terms of the public's response? [00:19:14] Benny Pough: Rihanna's one of the greatest in the world. I mean, it speaks to its own, right? That speaks to itself and also realized she had, when you think about it, and there's very few artists, when you talk about classics, right? When you can go through hip-hop or R&B, like, classic albums, her first album was a classic album, right? So ultimately the people weighed in on what they appreciated from her at that point. And that in turn is about once where we started in this conversation, the artistry, it's the music and it's the team. So you got to think about a lot of artists who came through Def Jam through those years. We talk about the ones that, you know, went on and had massive success, but there were artists, too, that had great success. There were artists that make a good living and then there are artists like, it didn't work out because, obviously, the people did decide, not us.[00:20:06] Dan Runcie: Right. And that's what makes it so tough, I think, in any type of business, whether you're looking at other areas of entertainment, everything else, you could do the best thing that you think you want to put out. But there has to be some type of demand. There has to be something that is pulling artists through. And I think we saw that with the other singles that came off of Music of the Sun, Rihanna's first album. So fascinating times, it's really special to go back and think about it, especially now. I mean, who knows when we'll see the next album, but hopefully sooner rather than later. One of the things that stands out to me though, with the Def Jam time specifically, is just how much market share the record label was able to grow as well. And I wonder from your perspective, we're talking so much about balancing the business versus the art, so much of the work is focused on, okay, who can you promote? How can you push things? But there's also this zero-sum game of how can you get more market share than the other record labels that you're competing against and all of that. Was it ever a feeling like a bit of a tug of war between the art and the business of pushing these things knowing that there's this ultimate metric that the label's shooting for. But there's this longer-term aspect of trying to build and grow artists 'cause I know with other companies, it's kind of one of these things where you have the long-term goals, but how does that work with the quarterly earnings and I do think that market share is essentially that for record labels in the music industry. [00:21:37] Benny Pough: So, a lot of that's going to be predicated on leadership. And, you know, the companies that I worked for were very artist-driven. And what was most important about having the artist was making sure that the artist got their best shot and performance. And so that was a driving force for us at Def Jam. You know, it's not being irresponsible, it's just a matter of, you know, investing in giving the music, the artists enough time to breathe. Everything is not going to just be determined in black and white. Everything's not going to be determined in dollars and cents. And the people who are aligned right from the business end, gas on, gas off. Someone has to read it, how much to invest in this artist because of what the tea leaves are versus investing in this artist, predicated on what the tea leaves are. If you have something that's not talking back or something that's not performing, then you can't throw enough money at it. They don't like it, but if you have something that's incrementally or even starts to just explode, then, you know, that's a better bet to hedge your money on. And the executives in the leadership, in the companies that have a really firm grasp of knowing when to gas on and gas off on which particular artist, as well as you know, the whole perspective of the business unit are the ones that have wins in both the artistry, people want to come in because, with the success of the artist, that's what people are excited about. No one signs to a label going, oh, you have the largest market share. They go, oh, Future's over there. Travis is over there. Gotti's over there, you know what I mean? That's what they're going to say. Khaled's over there. They're going to say that they're not going to go, oh, you guys had 11 share? No, they're not going to do that. [00:23:22] Benny Pough: But in essence, all of it does work hand in hand, right? And on the other end with having successful artists, you have more market share, bigger profits. You know, now the executives, you're going to attract executives 'case they want to be there, right? Because good bonusing, good salaries, et cetera. So, a lot of that is really, really determined by the leadership. [00:23:43] Dan Runcie: I'm glad you mentioned the Future, Travis, and Gotti 'cause that is your time at Epic. You were able to see this run. You were able to see those artists just push through as well and, obviously, a different record label. I'm sure things were likely different there, but you had worked at several beforehand. What is it like when you obviously know exactly what you're doing, you understand what's required to succeed in your role, but you know, that you're shifting into a different culture, shifting into a different environment? How do you adapt yourself as someone that has already seen success in different labels, but you're moving on to other companies and still understanding that, yes, you know how to make this artist pop, but there's different folks in charge and there's different things that are happening that you also need to be aware of as you're wanting to execute the best promotional campaigns possible?[00:24:39] Benny Pough: So Benny Pough is a brand. I'm not interchangeable in that way. My core values are my core values. And if people are hiring you or bringing you into their organization, they want the best of you. And obviously, and it's no different from going from, you know, the high school football team to the college football team. You have to learn how to adapt, but football is football. And in essence, you just learned in different plays from a different coach, and what they expect you and why they recruited you to bring you over is to bring your talent and show us exactly what we need to be done in order to win. So it doesn't become that complicated and don't forget once again, it's learning how to manage. Like, you can't come in with a crazy ego. You have to be adaptable, amenable, and willing to learn in someone else's environment, but also bring your best game to play. [00:25:28] Dan Runcie: Were there any of the record labels you worked at where you feel like the culture or the way that they operated things was very different than the others? I know you were at Roc Nation Records after Epic but was any of them truly unique in this area? [00:25:41] Benny Pough: I worked at seven different labels. All of them were different 'cause it's seven different leaders. And I think, like, the common thread with all of them is that they had an insatiable desire to win. So every person that I worked for wanted to win and they all saw a different path to winning, but that was the common thread. And then systems, you know, obviously, the ones who were successful had winning systems, and the ones who kind of meandered out had different kinds of systems. So I think a lot of it comes into play to the individuals, right? If everybody could you know, coach the New England Patriots, then everybody would be doing the job, right? It's the best of the best it's going to get, you know, to do that and sit in that seat. [00:26:29] Dan Runcie: Right, exactly. And I know that sitting in that seat and having so much control over understanding what needs to be done is key with this. But I also recognize that you specifically with where you are in your career right now, you've worked at many different labels, but you're no longer working for a label. You've since left, you've left Roc Nation Records a few years back, and you are now building your own companies. Can you talk to me about that process, that transition, and why this was the right time for you to make that leap?[00:27:00] Benny Pough: Man, it's an amazing time in my life because now I have the opportunity of everything I learned, right? Think about the talent that I've identified over the years, the executives that I've groomed over the years, and realizing business and talent is something that I've been blessed to do. So now I can take all of that, what I've learned, and now apply it and reap the benefits for my family and friends. So I'm super, super excited about this time and being in the marketplace and having the freedom and flexibility to chase different and identify different kinds of talent, you know. Had I been at a major label, I wouldn't have invested in an app, right? Had I been in a major label, I wouldn't be launching my first conference. Had I been in a major label, I wouldn't be releasing a book. So it gives me, you know, the freedom and the latitude. But since I'd spent so much time learning the system, I am now approaching this from both a corporate perspective and entrepreneurial perspective, blended to now give the artists that I've signed as well as the ones that, you know, I manage and the business that I'm involved in, you know, the best opportunity to win because I've seen a lot of winning along the way.[00:28:19] Dan Runcie: Exactly and for you right now, you have Diverse Media, you have Kandiid, you also have real estate, and a few other business interests. How do you split your time right now? And writing a book as well, how do you split your time between each of these?[00:28:34] Benny Pough: Organization. It's no different than anything else. You know, whether you're working for someone or working for yourself, it's all time management, allocation of, you know, what needs to be done for this particular company today. You know, the things that need to be responded to, but most importantly, making sure that I'm reading the tea leaves properly because I'm the one that's investing. So it's, you know, being fiscally responsible is important and also taking the signs from the marketplace. As we talked earlier, the things that you learn along the way, just because I love it and no one else does, at some point I got to go to what they say versus how I feel because it's my resources, but I'm having a great time in this section of my life.[00:29:15] Dan Runcie: I got to imagine that's the biggest change as well, right? You're working for these record labels, part of these bigger corporations, someone else is always giving the final checkoff. And some of that may line up with what you want. Some of that may line up with what you don't want, but here, the buck stops with you, and there's sure there's so much freedom with that. How has that piece of it been? Because I know that that is likely one of the bigger changes or bigger shifts that comes with being able to run these types of businesses yourself. [00:29:46] Benny Pough: It's exhilarating and scary at the same time. You know, what you realize or what I've realized along the way is, you know, was always indicative of having someone on the team to go, what do you think, or let's go through this one more time, you know, to help you formulate that opinion because all the opinions aren't yours and all decisions aren't just made by you. The buck stops with you, but you know, you can lean in and on other different resources inside of the company. When you're independent, it may not be as rich as far as having those qualified people to assist you in the decision-making. So I'm very tactical on how I approach things. Obviously, you have to get more analytic in determining, you know, how to proceed in situations in the companies that I'm invested in. And at the end of the year, it has to make sense, right? It's the bottom line. It has to make sense in order for it to continue. [00:30:39] Dan Runcie: So let's walk through each of these 'cause I think there are ways to talk a little bit more about each of them, with Diverse Media specifically, global music, distribution, and publishing. This is your insights you're bringing. And you're like, I've been doing this for decades. I'm one of the most experienced people here. And I know what it takes to run the ship. What is the pitch then to artists who may want to, as you kind of put it yourself, they see the superstars that are still at the major record labels? You may not necessarily have the stable of the superstar yourself, but you're pitching yourself as your experience as well. How has that pitch been? 'Cause I'm sure that pitch is a little different when working for yourself as opposed to having the major label behind you. [00:31:26] Benny Pough: So it's not for everyone, but it's for the right people. I've worked with some incredible talent as an independent now that I have been able to help groom them, teach them, develop them in a process that, one, a major label wouldn't look to them for. So we have different needs. It's a smaller investment for me in investing in someone who's at the beginning of their career. And we are more of a partnership because I'm going to be very specific as well of who we're going to give my time to. And for them, they get direct contact to someone who, guess what, can make a call and help them move a little bit further and faster than they would've on their own. So I enjoy that, that element of it, and it gives me the ability to stay very connected in the music space, but also grow and develop talent at the pace that they primarily would not get at a major. 'Cause once you get on the conveyor belt, it's your time. It's your time when they say it's your time. And I think what we're lacking now is the development, the true artist development. So that's what artists get the benefit from. And it works.[00:32:26] Dan Runcie: That makes sense. And I think, especially with the type of artist, you're looking at the sweet spot as well. There's so many artists that look at the technology medium as the means of growth or the means of exposure, right? I got to get on the streaming services. I got to get on TikTok. I got to start making reels and things like that. How much importance does that play for the artists that you serve? Because on one hand, as we're talking about at the beginning of this conversation, there can be so much emphasis on just having these songs or having these videos that are being put in this place, so you can write it up in numbers, but that still doesn't quite develop you as an artist, but it is one of these chicken and egg things. So how much of a focus is TikTok for you with the artist that you're working with? [00:33:15] Benny Pough: TikTok is pretty much the hand were dealt in the music at this point. So you can't ignore it because that's what everybody's leaning into, but then there's a whole other means of developing talent outside of TikTok. And it all depends on what's specific for what you're looking for as someone in the executive seat. I mean, if I can see it on TikTok and everybody at a major label can see it on TikTok, okay, it's cool. But everyone's not going to see the same thing. Like, although it may have all of the mechanisms, it's making all of the growth, you know, week over week. It just may not be something comfortable for me unless you're doing, you're in the commerce game, right? You're just chasing money and that's fine, right? People do that well. I've always been someone who's been more about the artistry and people who are going to have staying power. So, you know, if you get lucky and you get one that becomes lightning in a bottle, that's great. But more importantly, you know, I'm a time over money kind of guy. You know, I'll develop you, you know, spend time with you, you and I like, yo, we figured out, you know, we committed to each other. And when it's okay, we might not have made the billion dollars, right? But we lived a good life and that's equally as important as those who, you know, get a couple million, then they go away. [00:34:31] Dan Runcie: Right. And I feel like this lines up as well with Kandiid, which is your social media platform that you have. What role do you see it playing for artists and content creators? [00:34:43] Benny Pough: It's the equalizer. It gives artists the opportunity to monetize on their content, which was crazy. When the pandemic started, we were one of the first platforms to actually introduce that, that people could actually pay to monetize their content. And obviously, you know, OnlyFans took on a whole other different dynamic, but also, too, that was web-based that wasn't an app. Like, we were an app that was in that space, you know, to put us into a different ball game and then having Soulja Boy come on and endorse the company and is also one of the co-founders involved, just opened up all kinds of vehicles and avenues for us as we started to grow and develop in the space. [00:35:23] Dan Runcie: Yeah. It's crucial. It's needed. And I think having the artists themselves as backers helps push it into a whole other level 'cause it goes back to the why does someone want to sign with the record label, they see who's involved with it. Why would they want to use a social media app or a new platform, they see who's involved with it. So that makes sense. The other piece of this, though, and we're talking about this a little bit before we recorded is what you're doing in real estate. You own a number of properties, even in my hometown, which I thought was pretty dope to hear about. Talk to me about that piece of it 'cause obviously very different from music, but there's so many wise reasons why it's a smart investment, but we'd love to hear what that journey was like for you, how it started and how you see it continue to develop.[00:36:07] Benny Pough: Mentally, I fell in love with real estate. If there was a passion, first thing I ever wanted to do was be a truck driver, just like my dad. And then the second thing was to own a home because we lived at a five-family home in White Plains, New York, where my parents had an opportunity to purchase this home from the owner who was moving back to Kansas. And when I realized the freedom that having a multi-unit at that time, you know, what it gave our family was exceptional. My father had the freedom, didn't have to work. My mother worked at the post office and was able to take care of us with, you know, the benefits from the health perspective and the building paid off the mortgage and put money in their pocket. So one day I said to myself, you know, I just want to be like my parents like when it's time for me to retire, I don't want to have to worry about how to make ends meet per se. So that was the impetus to this. Once I got into the music business and realized that, you know, it's one of the few businesses, especially for us as minorities, where, you know, you walk in and six months or a year, you could be making six figures, right? As a young person, there's no guidance, there's no financial planning, you know, there's no one telling you what the value of six-figure you might be making more than your Senator, right? [00:37:23] Benny Pough: As a music person, so for me, staying in lockstep with what my parents were doing, I realized making this money, I had to prepare for my exit. So every bonus I bought a piece of property, you know, I bought a single family. I bought a single condo. I bought multi-units. I bought buildings. And to the point we were talking about, you know, I had even owned up to a city block at one point. So the benefit of the business was very, very giving to me and realizing that at one day it would end, that you'd have to create no different than any other entrepreneur, people who are out on their own in their own small business, you have to create your own retirement because one day you can be making a six figures or a seven-figure salary. And then the next day that's gone. It may never come back. So you can't live in the moment of just what you're receiving. You need to think about what you're receiving, also to be planning for the day when that's not there, right? So it's important, very, very important for young people or old people who are now, in their careers, figuring out the next steps is that you should always plan for the future. [00:38:33] Dan Runcie: Well said, and I feel like I can hear some of the insights already that you're likely going to be sharing in the book you have coming out.[00:38:40] Benny Pough: Oh, absolutely. [00:38:41] Dan Runcie: So talk to me a little bit more about the book. I'm sure that this conversation highlights some of those things that you want to share, but what are some of the things that we may not have covered that are the key themes from the book that you have coming out? [00:38:54] Benny Pough: So On Impact spawned from a near-death car accident that took place in 2014, hit a tree at 90 miles an hour, sustained a level two concussion. That's when you black out from one to five minutes, L3-4 vertebrae fracture, bulging disk in my back, lacerated liver, and severed two feet of my small intestine. And in that moment, God put a book inside of me called On Impact, which is an acronym for intuition, mastery, pivot, authenticity, connection, and teamwork. And what it does is takes the reader for me with my first job that was, at 11 years old, delivering newspapers to modern day with an undercurrent of music because the majority of my life, I spent in the music business. And at the end of each chapter, I put together what's called a hit list or takeaways from each chapter for an individual to now apply to their daily lives and say pretty much if Benny could do it, I could do it, too. So it's a roadmap for interns to CEOs because I've done both. [00:39:52] Dan Runcie: Nice. When's the date for it coming out? [00:39:57] Benny Pough: September 27th, 2022. [00:39:57] Dan Runcie: Exciting stuff. Exciting stuff, man. I feel like it will be, and I'm sure it already feels like it's going to be a ton of work leading up to it, but I am sure that once you're actually in the thick of it, you're seeing people resonate with it, like that's where the real reward comes from, right? You wanted to be able to share these insights, of course, life-changing and life-threatening challenges and accidents that you have to go through. But that's what gives you the clarity to be able to share this. So hopefully it can provide someone else and hopefully many others with the same insights.[00:40:31] Benny Pough: I think what happens for us is we don't get an opportunity to get the lessons when we need them. So, what I want this to be is a roadmap of giving people an opportunity to see, guess what, there are a lot of similarities for others just like myself. And now you don't have to struggle to figure it out. This is here for you. So I'm excited to share this with the world and give those who just need that little extra push and insight. Come get it. [00:41:00] Dan Runcie: And they're in the right spot. Good stuff. Well, Benny, this has been a pleasure. We covered so much in your career, what you've been doing since then, especially on the entrepreneurial front, and also with other ventures, but for anyone that wants to keep tabs on you and follow what you're doing. Where could they follow and keep up with you? [00:41:19] Benny Pough: All my socials are @bennypough, B E N N Y P O U G H. And come visit my website. bennypough.com anytime. [00:41:27] Dan Runcie: Good stuff. Benny, it's been a pleasure. Thank you. [00:41:29] Benny Pough: All right, Dan.[00:41:31] Dan Runcie: If you enjoyed this podcast, go ahead and share it with a friend. Copy the link, text it to a friend, post it in your group chat, post it in your Slack groups, wherever you and your people talk, spread the word. That's how Trapital continues to grow and continues to reach the right people. And while you're at it, if you use Apple podcast, go ahead, rate the podcast. Give it a high rating and leave a review. Tell people why you liked the podcast. That helps more people discover the show. Thank you in advance. Talk to you next week.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

#MyCreatives we definitely diveeeeee-in. Definitely get right to it, sitting down with Award-winning Writer, Author, and Journalist; Jordannah Elizabeth. Had the chop'it UP with her after we networked at 300 Entertainment and Nasdaq event, which had the sitdown conversation with Rev. Al Sharpton, and Kevin Liles. What to look for: - Integrity within Media - How she started? - The importance of writing for a legacy publication FOR SERIOUS INQUIRES & FUTURE GUEST(S) APPEARANCES, as well as Comments - CutsPodcast1@gmail.com ******Please LEAVE COMMENTS, FEEDBACK, and [[SUBSCRIBE]] to the PODCAST on ALL MAJOR STREAMING PLATFORMS!!!!! SPECIAL GUEST: Jordannah Elizabeth - https://www.instagram.com/jordannahelizabeth/?hl=en IG: https://www.instagram.com/c.u.t.s__/ WEBSITE: REEMOMEERAK.COM HOST: Reem'o Meerak - www.instagram.com/reemomeerak_ TWITTER: www.twitter.com/reemomeerak Email: BookReemoMeerak@gmail.com #ReemoApproved --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/cutspodcast/support

Braves Team Photographer Kevin Liles joins the show to discuss what it's like to capture historic moments in the team's history, how he first got his start in the big leagues, the method to keeping sports photography fresh, the hustle and bustle of a team photo, and much more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Support The Channel: 0x9De0f37eA2523e2425301C1E47442A151E8aD14C https://abcnews.go.com/amp/Entertainment/wireStory/judge-denies-bond-rapper-young-thug-rico-case-85149318 Judge denies bond for rapper Young Thug in RICO case A Georgia judge denied bond Thursday evening for rapper Young Thug, who's accused of conspiracy to violate Georgia's RICO Act and participation in a criminal street gang June 2, 2022, 8:36 PM ET #ATLANTA -- A Georgia judge denied bond Thursday evening for Atlanta rapper #youngthug, who's accused of conspiracy to violate Georgia's RICO Act and participation in a criminal street gang. Fulton County Judge Ural Glanville handed down the ruling saying he has significant concerns about the entertainer, whose real name is Jeffery Lamar Williams, being a danger to the community, news outlets reported. Prosecutors argued Williams is the head of a violent street gang called Young Slime Life that he cofounded. The gang committed multiple murders, shootings and carjackings over roughly a decade and promoted its activities in songs and on social media, prosecutors allege in an 88-page indictment that charges him, rapper Gunna — whose real name is Sergio Kitchens — aspiring rapper Christian Eppinger and 24 others with racketeering. Eppinger was already in jail, accused of shooting an Atlanta police officer six times in February. Young Thug, prosecutors said Thursday, is “the top dog, the most dangerous man here, because he doesn't have to get his hands dirty, he has others to do his business,” Atlanta station WXIA-TV reported. Williams has been in custody since his arrest last month at his home in an upscale neighborhood north of downtown Atlanta. His attorneys presented several witnesses to counter the image prosecutors painted, pointing to the musician's community involvement. Music executive Kevin Liles testified that Williams was “like a son” and he was willing to put up his own wealth and business behind a bond. The rapper, he said, “is not just an artist - he's an influencer, a person I think was put here to change the people around him” and a “contributing citizen to this world.” Young Thug co-wrote the hit “This is America” with Childish Gambino, making history when it became the first hip-hop track to win the song of the year Grammy in 2019. An expected trial date, the judge said, would be Jan. 9, 2023 Fund your wallet and earn $10 with this Coinbase referral Code: https://coinbase.com/join/alli_o4?src=ios-link Get 20% off your trades at Binance.US with this referral code: https://accounts.binance.us/en/register?ref=54445735 Coin Market cap Watchlist https://coinmarketcap.com/watchlist/6207207f3ffd245e821fd7c3

In this episode 18 of Streets and Scholars with Alex Alonso and Frank "FG" Thornton talk about the various new gun laws that lawmakers want to make in response the Buffalo and Uvalde shootings. Should 18-year olds be banned from purchasing AR15 type rifles? Kevin Liles is pushing a petition to stop prosecutors from using rapper's art, music and lyrics in criminal court trials. Out call in guest, Spider Loc wanted to present his perspective on TI informing on Hosea Thomas' case in Ohio. Did TI snitch in that Ohio trial? He heard Episode 10 of Streets and Scholars and he disagreed with our assessment. Atlanta rapper Mariel “Trouble” Orr was shot and killed by at a Rockdale County apartment by Jamichael Jones, the ex-boyfriend of the woman who lived in the apartment. Was the female at fault for having a man at her place shortly after breaking up with Jones?   * Streets & Scholars Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/streets.and.scholars  * Street TV channel: http://www.youtube.com/streetgangs * Alex on Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/alexalonso101  * FG Unleashed: https://www.youtube.com/c/FGUNLEASHED * FG on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fgeneral1/ * StreetGangs website: http://www.streetgangs.com

Quake and Veto discuss FBG Cash getting killed in Chicago, 2 arrests being made in the murder of Slim400, Suge Knight testifying that Dr Dre tried to kill him, R Kelly getting recommended for 25 years in prison, YNW Melly's prosecutor claims he's the trigger man in the murder case, Roddy Ricch arrested on weapons possessions, Jay-Z launching a Bitcoin financial literacy program for Marcy residents, 21 Savage reveals the advice Jay-Z gave him, Kevin Liles launches a petition against the use of rap lyrics in court, The Game says his feelings were hurt for not being on the Super Bowl, New Music, Album Sales and much more. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/diversementalitypodcast/support

Subscribe to "Summer Jam: Through The Years" - hosted by Laura Stylez! Amazon: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/6dfef9f3-4ff5-4d05-a857-6689c99aa999/summer-jam-through-the-years Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7MP62llakMJSXkJzwFclgq Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/summer-jam-through-the-years/id1627066431 Ebro in the Morning sits down with Senator Jamaal Bailey , Assemblywoman Catalina Cruz, and CEO/Founder of 300 Entertainment Kevin Liles to discuss the importance of New York Senate Bill S7527 which would limit a prosecutor's use of song lyrics and other forms of creative expression to be used as evidence in court. He also discusses the Protect Black Art campaign in which HOT 97, 300 Entertainment and others will be providing petitions in support of this bill, Summer Jam and much more!  SUMMER JAM TICKETS: HOT 97 Summer Jam Tickets, 2022 Concert Tour Dates | Ticketmaster See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Greetings.... you're now entering This Thing Of Minds Podcast with your host, the Astonishing Adonis Gbaby, the Unbiased Think SativaDaDiva and Gfrmda3 aka Freddy Tiffany, Internationally Known Join your favorite Space Kadets as we discuss the craziness that's going on in this world. BIG shout out to Kevin Liles for going to court for Young Stoner Life Records ! Young Thug and his team needs all the help they can get ESPECIALLY since the prosecutors are saying that other members of his record label want to snitch but are scare that they will get killed. (bail denied, again!) That case is CRAZY! DRAKE APPRECIATION !! Fav said Drake is the most influential artist of our time and it's some real shit. If you're in the game, you understand the bars. We give Drake some flowers in this episode . RIP to Atlanta rapper Trouble. They are rumors saying that this was over a woman and her ex. (Coochie is a helluva drug!) We discuss people doing crazy things in relationships . Like that girl that threw that man's mother's ashes in the lake (Bihhhh!!!) Amber Heard losing her court case again Johnny Depp and our personal experiences. We also talk about other shit that I don't feel like typing. ENJOY ! SLAPPERS Drake ft Future "Desires" Mozzy ft Shordie Shordie "So Loney" Killa Fonte ft JUST BANG "Money Motivated"

Your Uncle Sean Don P Is back to tell you how his week has been & here to give you a weekly update on things going on during this week in news..topics include : Check On Your Strong Friend , Mental Health Check , What Is A Summer Break ? Lebron James Becomes A Billionaire? Savannah James a Ride or Die ? Does YSL have a snitch inside the ranks ? Kevin Liles backing YSL? Dr.Umar caking with a Snowbunny ? Michael B Harvey breaking up ? Jack Harlow Face of KFC ? Johnny Depp Verdict ? And Much More.. . . . .

Ohio's hero Lebron James becomes first active player to become a billionaire in the NBA Young Thug denied bond 300 Ceo kevin Liles speaks in court on Young Thugs behalf YSL associates are pointing the fingers at Thugga YSL snitches is this the real end of YSL and Young Thug Are mass shootings becoming a trend ?Ralo gets 8 years F.E.A.T. Compilation droppin Jan 1st 2023 Music by Tha Mafiia Support the show

MSNBC's Ari Melber hosts "The Beat" on Friday, May 20, and reports on Ginni Thomas' effort to override and replace votes for Joe Biden in Arizona, GOP extremism, gun violence in America, and "big oil" price gouging. Music mogul Kevin Liles and DJ D-Nice join.

Thank you and shoutout to New Haven, Connecticut's own R&B singer Jaz for coming on my show for an interview! Jaz discussed his early life of growing up in CT, growing up in a music-oriented family, and when he started playing piano. He talked about signing with Musicbox Recording Group, wanting to be the superstar to put CT on the map on a national level, and Kevin Liles inviting him to perform and tell his story on his 300 ENT platform. Jaz got into the background of his name, working with Mansa on his song Cold Town, and wanting to make an acoustic album. He spoke about attending arts school and wanting to venture into acting as well. He announced that he has a lot of new music on the way. Stay tuned! *** I apologize for the technical difficulties at the end of the interview. There was feedback on my end from the Zoom stream. *** Jaz's music is available on all platforms, including YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCx0jsCX0A5Za8Jt8n7Old8g and Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/jaz/1546006302. Follow Jaz on Instagram and Twitter: @_lifewjaz Follow me on Instagram and Twitter: @thereelmax. Website: https://maxcoughlan.com/index.html. Website live show streaming link: https://maxcoughlan.com/sports-and-hip-hop-with-dj-mad-max-live-stream.html. MAD MAX Radio on Live 365: https://live365.com/station/MAD-MAX-Radio-a15096. Subscribe to my YouTube channel Sports and Hip Hop with DJ Mad Max: https://m.youtube.com/channel/UCE0107atIPV-mVm0M3UJyPg.  Jaz on "Sports and Hip-Hop with DJ Mad Max" visual on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aTd2eFY2Fq4. 

Kevin Liles didn't co-found 300 Entertainment just to sell it. He created it, first and foremost, to fill a void he saw in the music industry — a lack of talent development. Ten years after starting the 300 record label, it's safe to say Kevin and company filled that void. By developing culture-shifting artists like Gunna, Megan Thee Stallion, Young Thug, among others, 300 has become one of the hottest commodities in all of hip-hop. This led to WMG buying the formerly-independent label for $400 million at the start of the new year.In WMG, Kevin believes he's found a partner with the “mindset of an independent, but the muscle of a major.” As the one-time EVP of WMG, Kevin would know this first-hand. And even with an influx of $400 million, Kevin isn't going to change the way he makes decisions. For Kevin, it's always been about prioritizing the cultural incentives rather than the financial ones. This mindset has followed him from Def Jam intern to its President and now as CEO of 300 & Elektra Music Group.In-between running the label, Kevin has also invested resources in creating a pipeline for future music and entertainment execs with diverse backgrounds. In particular, Kevin has tapped into HBCUs, helping set up a $250 million fundraising campaign for his alma mater, Morgan State, and connecting students directly with the FBI.   Kevin and I covered a lot of ground in this episode of the Trapital. Here are the show chapters:[3:23] Behind 300 Entertainment's Sale To Warner Music[8:29] Gunna's Meteoric Rise [10:29] How Phrases Like Hot Girl Summer & Pushin P Became A Thing [13:08] What Changes With WMG Partnership? [15:58] New Def Jam Video Game In The Works? [17:27] Launching 300 Studios [20:17] Kevin Thinks The Best Is Yet To Come For Hip Hop[22:10] Hip Hop's International Opportunity [24:23] Major Differences Between Running Def Jam vs. 300 [28:10] The Power Of Diverse Execs Making Cultural, Not Financial Decisions[30:25] How Music Industry Has Handled Diversity Issues Since George Floyd[31:00] Kevin's Attempt To Create Diverse Talent Pipeline[32:14] The Rise Of Hip-Hop Media Personalities[40:35] Young Thug's Role As Chief Innovation Officer[43:49] Keeping Narrative On The Future, Not PastThis episode is brought to you by Koji, the best “link in bio” tool. It is trusted by Grammy winners, chart-topping hitmakers, and more. Join 185,000+ creators. Check it out for free: koji.to/trapitalpodcastListen: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | SoundCloud | Stitcher | Overcast | Amazon | Google Podcasts | Pocket Casts | RSSHost: Dan Runcie, @RuncieDan, trapital.coGuest: Kevin Liles, IG: @kevinlileskwl, Twitter: @KevinLiles1  Trapital is home for the business of hip-hop. Gain the latest insights from hip-hop's biggest players by reading Trapital's free weekly memo. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands_____TRANSCRIPTIONKevin Liles 00:00When you put diverse people at the head of the company, and you allow that person to make cultural decisions and not financial decisions on something that they don't know, so that young people run a company, they don't know they might go to a concert, but they don't know when a kid could come in, like I came in. And I saw Russell, I said, “Oh, he's the boss.” So you mean if you're the boss, you can move stuff that you want to people not only want to be an employee or work in music, no, they want to run companies. And until we as an industry, and really this is not just about the music industry, this is about the world. Until a CEO that looks like them, act like them talk like them, you know, that's when you unleash the true power of where we are in our culture.Dan Runcie 00:56Today's episode is with Kevin Liles, the Chairman and CEO of 300 Entertainment and Electro Music Group. Kevin's been one of the most influential record label executives of the past few decades. He ran Def Jam for seven years in the late 90s, early 2000s. And almost 10 years ago, he started 300 Entertainment, which he just sold to Warner for a $400 million deal. So we talked about everything that went into that decision, what it was like to sell the record label what a partnership with Warner looks like and how the record label can maintain its independent spirit under the umbrella of native record labels. We also talked about Gunner and how he's having one of the biggest years in hip hop right now and Pusha P and everything with that. We talked about Megan Thee Stallion and we talked about Thug. Did you know that Thug is Chief Innovation Officer at 300? When we talked all about that and what that means and a whole lot more. He also gave us the latest update on Def Jam Vendetta. You know the people that ask him at Def Jam Vendetta, they want to see the video game come back through. So we talked about that. We also talked to broader about IP. If you follow me on social media, you know that I want to see the story to hip hop record labels get the same type of TV anthology breakdowns that we're seeing now about Thera Nose and WeWork and Uber I want to see the same about Def Jam and Bad Boy and Rockefeller. And we talked a little bit about that too. It was a great conversation. I think it's always inspiring to talk to one of the most influential execs in hip hop that I believe really helped to make this culture what it is. Here's my chat with Kevin Liles. All right, today we got co-founder and CEO with 300. Entertainment Kevin Liles with us today. Hey, Kevin, I got to give you a shout out man, it feels like you've had one of the strongest starts to this year sold the record label, Gunner's hit starting the year off strong. How does it feel?Kevin Liles 02:43It feels like another day at the office. People ask me all the time, Kevin, what's new, every day is new. Every day is a new opportunity. God woke me up and I feel there's a bigger purpose. And I feel the steps that we take, I don't look for number one albums, I don't look for to be, accolades or to be the best this or anything. I really just strive on doing this work that day. And I joke with somebody I said no with me, I'm never gonna be up too upset, they'll never be too sad. I will flow like water. And water is a very powerful thing because it helps grow. It changes direction with the most people around the world. So I feel like what is great about me.Dan Runcie 03:23I hear that. So talk to me a bit about the sale because that made big news, there was rumors about it happening towards the end of 2021. But walk me through that process. When did you first think about selling 300 and what went into the decision for you?Kevin Liles 03:39I never thought about selling. I don't build things to sell. I'm a serial entrepreneur, but I build things to change the world. And I find a void. And the void was the creation of 300 co-founders, the void was there was no true artist about it. When we talk about our students. I'm not just talking about developing a sound or developing of a person I'm saying we're raising young kids, young men, and women into the world. And so they need to have some have dads and we have moms and we had by my dad, but some have not, you know around them. So we need to be of service to their growth. So when people say what are you thinking about selling, I always was thinking about who was my best partner that I could have the independent of my mindset of independent, but the muscle of a major who's the best partner that independence will be in their DNA, who's the best partner that I could actually administer around the world, the good, the bad, the right the wrong and treat the body want to be treated. And so I'm not for sale. 300 as an entity I sold because I wanted entrepreneurs to learn what intrapreneurship was to add what tools in a toolboxes around the world, but you know, people can't be sold a company what I did was sold an asset that I felt could be a bigger asset to the world. I'd say do you think Steve, isn't a Jeff Bezos is still sitting in his garage. No. Do you think that guys are still in a dorm room? Yeah, I mean, Zuckerberg in a dorm room? No, no, we actually have a great idea, a great business, we're acquiring things, starting different things. So I believe the sale is something that people put too much emphasis on. Now, with that being said, I wanted also to create history. So if you think about Motown selling for 61 million, if you think about Def Jam, selling for 140 million on the face, on 425 million getting sold for 325, or even a man selling for 500 million in 27 years, eight years, we sold a company for $400 million. And so to me, I also think about legacy and history and what that means. So if people want to talk about the sale, talk about it in a way, that is historic for an African American, historic for a company, but it's also profitable for shareholders. And as a CEO, you know, we got to make sure the shareholders and the board a great, but I think the culture needed to see that it is a possibility to build something, sell something, become a bigger brand by doing it, but never lose the mindset of an independent.Dan Runcie 06:13I think that's an interesting good point, because so many of the big, whether it's the catalog sales, or the record label sales that we've seen over the past two years that we've seen this run happen, a lot of them haven't been with executives that are black, or executives that, you know, are just non-white men in general. So I think that the fact that you were able to do that shows and signals not just what you're capable of, but also what your artists are capable of, too. And I think as well on the partnership side, it's interesting because I think that 300, maybe, you know, relative to a lot of the other labels that were independent before people may have thought that “Oh, well. 300 is just as powerful as some of the majors or you know, definitely has the same firepower behind it.” But it sounds like what you're saying is that, yeah, even with all that we've accomplished, there's still more that we can have, you know, with the backing and with the further partnership of a company like a Warner.Kevin Liles 07:11We shocked the world where we had more Grammys than the majors but magazine three Grammys, you know, we shot the world that we put out and we're up against a major and had the number one album in the first week out as this little independent thing, you got to realize all the stuff that's happening now is still stuff we've set up last year. And so as we go into this year, just look for us to be doing hashtag bigger family business, not just family business, but bigger family business.Dan Runcie 07:37Yeah, I hear that. And I think too, talking about the artists that were able to do things, I mean, Ghana has been the poster child so far this year, at least when it comes to hip hop, I mean, not just him getting the number one single but him being the weekend, but then had everything surrounding around Pusha P and everything there. I mean, I assume that has to feel pretty good. Because I think it's so tough, especially in this era, to have superstars and people that are on the verge of superstar status to kind of grow in get there with so much noise and so much other artists that are coming through whether it's independence or others. So the fact that he's able to, you know, not show to he compete, but outsell other superstars, I think shows a lot of not just the potential, but also that this is still possible in this era, we can still have the biggest stars continue to reach further heights.Kevin Liles 08:29Yeah, I think you'd want to talk about true artist development and from the dropping of drip Season One, two, and three, and one. And all those things, you got to realize that young kid was just sitting by bug in the studio learning and he never stopped learning, we never stopped evolving. And when you saw him perform with commitment to balance, open up the brands, you know, one year, he's all things that became attainable to him and through by us the work that went into ds for the thoughtfulness of how it started, ebb and flows of it, of how many girl records should I have on it? What am I trying to say? I can't say I'm dripping. And I'm not really drip. So I have to be in every fashion show or it just you know, the thoughtfulness. We're not just putting out records, if you want to do that, that's not 300. 300 is thoughtful. 300 is taking the time to understand where an artist is in their career. Where is it a mixtape time isn't an album time? Is it collab time? These are all things that because people don't have the relationships with the artists, then if the artists house or going on vacation, they can't really communicate. You know, obviously, you can't hand me something without an owner's name. I have to know everything about it so I can assist. You know, Gunner is more than an RC you can, he's a human being but he's also a very good friend. You know, Evany his manager is not just a manager. She's a system that could be a daughter to me, and I have a responsibility to develop another young woman in our industry. So to me, what are we Pusha P whenever we have Hot Girl Summer, well we attract cooling it or you know, Savage in it, whatever you whatever one you want to a week bad and bougie in it. But everyone you want to pick up. We don't just, you know have moments we make movies.Dan Runcie 10:15I like that you mentioned that because you have had so many I feel like every year every other year, there's some moment that 300 is able to capture some term that they're able to introduce something in the water like power, y'all always the ones that have the terms on lock. Kevin Liles 10:29You know, I think it's a great commentary to the great artists and the great creators and the great executives that we have run if we don't make this shit up. We didn't go to FedWatch and say, Yo, do trap boo. We didn't go to mag and say have a hot girl summer. We don't go to yo, guess what the Gunner we go, Pusha P, that's not how it happens. It happens because we provide a safe place for ideation, creativity, and opportunities for people to fail. But failure is a learning experience. You know, when Marvin Gaye wanted to do what's going on, and it was an appointment, and what his biggest-selling album, it was just where he was in life. ps4 is where Gunner is in life. Punk was where thug was in life. You can't go through manufacture in the ship. And it's not cultural. And if it's not cultural, then it really can't be 300 to me, and that's really the message and one of the great things about being able to take over the electrode of entertainers we've also it's in their ethos, we have great labels like FBI, FDR, Roadrunner, iconic labels that started with founders that had a point of view. And so to me, as long as I have a point of view, as long as it be cultural, as long as I could have the independent mindset, I'm good. And I'm doing it all, again to raise great young men and women, web executives or artists. But I really believe God wakes me up to change the world. I really believe it is not even a question in my mind. And so I want to get better. I want to be a better father, a better operator, a better friend. And if you always challenge yourself that there is more, that there is more to do. If you reimagine and rethink and things you will see God will answer you in so many great way. Do you think that the VR sold a company eight months ago now months ago, Mary Jane, you connected? Did you think she was performing at the Superbowl? Do you think that the Super Bowl, who would be it they'd be run by Jay Z? Do you think that like, we don't make this up? This is I can't tell you, I can just thank God, and thank the people around me for believing that they do have a bigger mission.Dan Runcie 12:37And I think with this too, you build something so special, you talked a lot about that independent spirit that I think carry through with artists development with how your artists became the culture-makers that they are. And I gotta wonder, though, with the partnership with Warner now, of course, you're giving up a little bit of control in exchange for the power, it helps you put behind the artists. But is there any concern or any thought about okay, what will that look like? Or how may that potentially shift if we're seeding some of that control or some of that power?Kevin Liles 13:08Then, you see, I'm the wrong guy to accept because I never felt like I worked in the back. I always feel like give me the mission, give me assignment. And let me do that. Again, great thing about this opportunity, Julie Greenwald. And I ran Def Jam together along with Leah, Julie was an assistant I was starting to enter. So she knows everything about me. She knows where the bodies buried, she knows the good, the bad, the ugly, maximum side I work with as a concrete colleague for 9, 10 years, you know, he knows the good, the bad. And so I'm a position player. So if I need to be the coach to quarterback, the running back, then I have enough tools in my toolbox to play whatever position and so I never give up control. Because nobody does what I do can't keep that and so I never look at it. But we can you know, you have a boss now. Okay, what does that mean? They have a great employee. Oh, Kevin, Kevin, for your artists. They can't know we do what we do. But now we do it. It's hashtag bigger family business that it's just again, I'm not the guy that when you take on additional investment that you change, I believe the thing about 300, thing about Def Jam, these were things that were built out of necessity, and we curated them in a cultural way, not in a financial way. Not we saw a need to do Def Comedy Jam. We saw a need to have fat farm and baby fat. We saw a need to make Def Jam Vendetta and Fight For New York. You know, we saw a need to be heavily involved in political races and important countries. We saw a need that the State's Attorneys in every city can help us change the narrative around who's going while going and why they're in jail and they should be out of jail. We just saw see things because we're out in the streets without it every single day. That doesn't mean everybody has to be Mona, what it means is you have to be in touch with who you are, why you are, what your purpose is. And that is what I challenge. But listen, I don't deal with coke cans and cigars and shit talk back to me. These are real people in, my people know they have the freedom, the freedom to disagree, the freedom to try. And when you have a bunch of risk-takers, like we have in Max and we have and Julie and we have and the rest of the team and I have two great kids and rating Celine that most people wouldn't give them the power that I've given them. But remember, they may be president and CEO of Def Jam at age 30. So, to me, this is just a great opportunity for us to do what we do never change who we are.Dan Runcie 15:42I hear that. And you mentioned Def Jam Vendetta. So we got to talk about that. Because I think it was last year, you put out a little teaser. You said hey, do you all want another sequel? You want another one? So where's that ad? What are you thinking about for the future of the Def Jam video game?Kevin Liles 15:58I don't know if you saw the tweet about it yesterday. But he said, Man, we need another one. Because back and Snoop it oh my god, it's timing. For me. It's working with the right partner. At that time, Electronic Arts was the right partner, they allowed me to curate it without the limitations of “Oh, but we're Electronic Arts. Oh, and you know,” so when I find the right gaming button, and if you're out there, let me know, when I find the right gaming partner that wants to experience gaming in a way that I see it culturally, it'll come back out. But until then, I'll keep having the conversations until I find the right one.Dan Runcie 16:34That makes sense, because I think what we're talking about at the end of the day is just how valuable the IP and the brand is, and everything that you all had created, whether it's what you had done at Def Jam, or what you've now done this past decade with 300 and one of the things I've started to take notice to now is we're this way right now with media TV, where we're seeing all of these TV anthology series about the rise and fall of these tech companies. Right, we got the Theranos one, we got the WeWork one, we got the Uber one. And I want to see the same for the Def Jams and the Bad Boys. And I want to see all of that. And I feel like if we're having the conversations about the video games, it's only going to be a matter of time before we're going to see those as well. We want to get back to the early 2000s Def Jam or the Rockefeller run and see who would all play you all I feel like that's it has to be happening in at least a couple of years.Kevin Liles 17:27So one of the reasons why I created 300 Studios is because I haven't told full stories in a long time. And so you can check the credits for whether it was how high the show ended things that we did back in the day rush hour. And those things that we've been able to be a part of why did I get married a Tyler Perry was daddy's little girl and go down to this though, things that we've been able to help curate. There was a reason why I wanted him studios to not only tell the audio stories around 300, but I wanted to tell digital stories. And I had the great pleasure of finding Kelly Nolan. And they believe in the vision. And you know, within two years, we had our first doc on February 26 called Race, Bubba Wallace. And it was the only African American Cup Series driver and his trials and tribulations of not having any sponsorship to now winning races and changing the current federal flag and mascot. I didn't say hey, here's the script. But here's what's gonna happen NASCAR, here's what you're gonna have a guy come in and actually curate and trust in the brands of 2311 racing, you know, with Jordan, and Denny, Toyota, McDonald's DoorDash, all these things with the background of raising a young kid in a sport that you can't even afford to be in. You know, I mean, you just 20, $30 million, you have to have caused the crash. I know that. So again, I wanted to educate people on the sport but also wanted to take them on a journey that a lot of people have never taken with NASCAR. So I appreciate everything. And yes, there will be a story, there will be more Word docs. And I do plan because I'm going for decades in the business now telling the true stories of all of these iconic brands and iconic people and friends and people who shaped the world and conversation. I do plan on telling the story. Dan Runcie 19:14Yeah, I think people would love to hear that. I feel like that is where things are obviously heading with all of the IP that's being created. And I feel like especially for you all I mean, it's interesting now because we just see the histology of how everything is, you know, we're looking back and people are talking fondly about that late 90s, early 2000s run and it's only going to be a matter of time before people look back at this particular era. Not even just with hip hop, but music more broadly. And just seeing how many shifts this music industry has had. And I feel like the past few years, we're on the verge of another one as well. The revenue has been, you know, the highest that it's been at least since the CD era, and that I think has influenced a lot of these deals that we've seen and we're now seeing all This activity with web three NFTs and everything else. I mean, as someone who has seen it, you know the highs and the lows of it as you said, you know, you're definitely have the you know, be like water mentality. When that said, it must be really exciting to also see all the possibilities of where you could tap into.Kevin Liles 20:17Listen, all I can tell you, I was at the Super Bowl, the biggest stage in the world with Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, 50 Cent, Mary J. Blige at the Super Bowl. So if you don't know the possibilities, we have the number one music in the world when they used to tell us, you'll be a fad. They used to say we play more music and less rap. Now everybody's saying we're just stationary hip hop, and Baba, Baba. And everybody when people didn't realize, and I'm sure they're not sure how old you are. But when I was in the car growing up, I was listening to the Temptations, and Diana Ross and Aretha Franklin because that's my Mom, listen to. But now, as adults, what we listen, I listen to hip hop. So that that's been for the last 30 years. So now you have hip hop parents, you have a President of the United States, in Iraq, who knows hip hop, you have mayors and governors and lordships and keep losing, that grew up on hip hop. So you have not seen the greatness of our culture, yet, you're starting to see the seeds being planted. I truly believe that with the continent coming into play with India, coming into play, these underdeveloped nations, oh, man, this will be so many stories to be told, in a way through a hip hop lens. So I'm just excited more say, I just hope they'll still let me be around. As long as God keeps giving these gifts, I'll stay with the rope.Dan Runcie 21:44I hear that, and I think the international expansion is just being so key to so many record labels, moving Making Moves, whether it's in India, in East Asia, in Africa, as well. And I know that you all have, you know, made moves in that perspective as well. What do you see is that opportunity, especially in the next few years? I mean, I know that having Warner behind can definitely help from an international push from that perspective. But what do you see as an opportunity.Kevin Liles 22:10 One of the biggest issues that I was having is I didn't have my Rolodex is 40,000 people, but I only had 75 people working for me, couldn't reach those, I got the calls from the biggest artists in France and the biggest artists in Germany and the biggest artist in London, and I couldn't serve them in a way that they need to be served. Remember, early on, I knew where hip hop was going, Leon Russell, we thought about your Def Jam UK, Def Jam Germany, Def Jam France, Def Jam Japan, we were just too early. And those countries did not have the voice. They didn't have their own voice. They were emulating what we were doing, because we were starting the creation of it. But now you go to any of those major territories, they have their own voice, the biggest artists in that territory is from that territory. It's not us coming there. And so as a proud steward of our culture, I think the opportunity is on steroids right now, because I'm going to be able to not only help artists, but also help creators and executives realize that set up their own iPhones in their own territories, because they can say shit 300 to do that. The guy was this is his third time. Oh, if they can do it, look what we could do. And so we're starting that also. So I can only thank again, you know, Max and Julie for believing in what we're creating, loving, independent spirit, but also remembering that Do It Yourself, DIY thing, nobody does it themselves. You know, that's like saying you gonna have a baby by yourself. No! You will get married by yourself. No, you don't do, you don't do anything by yourself. And there's not one global artists around the world that did it ourselves. So I believe in collaboration, I believe in partnership. But again, the mindset has to be independent.Dan Runcie 23:50I think the piece that you mentioned on the differences of when you're running Def Jam 20 years ago, versus now especially on the international front is key because as you mentioned, a lot of those regions didn't have the developed music ecosystem that they do. So it was often, forget your artists there as opposed to now they have their own superstars. What are some of the other major differences that you've experienced from now being a major label executive in this decade as opposed to what it was like for you Def Jam 20 years ago?Kevin Liles 24:23People didn't notice them. What the fuck was talking about? They didn't understand the cultural thing. They understood the numbers, but they didn't understand what I was somewhere why I would say no, I don't want to pay, when I want to go play a tape in London to small club that I will do that 10 times before I do it. They didn't understand why. I mean, even inside the company, he said, Well, we shouldn't take Trey Songz to London, because he doesn't have the big radio record there. And I'm like, people stream their people buy music. They're people and I know when I go there, and I'm doing 500,000 to 2000 or 5000 people in shows that they just do. He's not developed enough to understand that shit moves without all the triggers sometimes. And so it was funny. We went there, and somebody said, boot camp, you know, I know you want to play, you know, 5,000 seaters, but we sold out two nights on it. So maybe we should start playing arenas? And my answer was no because we're not ready for it yet. Let me keep curating keep going through the process. And seeing and I've seen bands that haven't had one hit, but they can sell out in a real way. And that that to me, I'm so excited. There's a young lady from the UK named Pink Patras that I'm so excited about where she's going her aesthetic who shipped to the capital labor, there's no label you can put on I'm excited that if you take a look at Megan Thee Stallion schedule for the next year, she's paying every major festival around the world. So think about what that what's that gonna do for her development, allow her to become a product of her experiences, not just her limited environment, think about what she's going to write. I remember a long time ago, Lulu, Chris and I went to Africa. And then I hate the song, the best women for Africa. Oh, yeah. Jay Z, and I took our first private plane. And then you start talking about the airport, you don't mean your first trip to the South of France, you don't mean? These are the experiences that allow for great storytelling that allow for evolution, not just of an artist, but also the narrative of the employees and executives that take those journeys with. Dan Runcie 26:30That makes me think too, about snooping around with the music and the beautiful music video and that spot a landmark, you know, like, people want to go there and take pictures and be like, No, I was as powerful. It really is. I mean, for me, one of the other things I think about too, that's just changed so much from you know, back when you're at Def Jam to now with 300 is because of streaming and the Internet and so much, now, people respect much more what you were trying to do then because they realize it and I think obviously streaming helped level a lot of the playing fields side, big hip hop and r&b soul. So many lot, so much black music was able to reach more of its true potential in terms of just how easily it could spread, because there's less gatekeepers, right. And I think I'm interested to see, okay, how that continues to go. And what are the things that may continue to rehab that, you know, whether it's boost further, or have it reach even more of its potential? Because to your point, I agree with that, we still haven't reached the maximum point or we still have it, you know, really been able to have the whole world really tap into what's happening here. So I'm curious to you know, as I'm thinking through what the next decade looks like, what are those things going to be the same way how, you know, streaming and social media help level the playing field for a lot of this genre of music like is whether it's, you know, Web 3.0, or NFTs or the Metaverse is that going to be the next thing that'll help even more of the hip hop artists in r&b and soul reach their full potential. Kevin Liles 28:01It's an output to you so straight that all that shit is good and as always, we evolution that we're going to go from the small two way pages to now the cell phone game and remote control, all that shit, technological change cassette to CD and all that stuff is gonna change our biggest power. And I'm a living example of it is when you put diverse people at the head of the company, and you allow that person to make cultural decisions and not financial decisions on something that they don't know. So that young people run a company, they don't know, they might go to a concert, but they don't know when a kid could come in, like I came in. And I saw Russell, I said, Oh, he the boss. So you mean if you're the boss, you can move stuff that you want to people not only want to be an employee or work in music, no, they want to run companies. And until we as an industry, and really, this is not just about the music industry, this is about the world until the consumers today see a CEO that looks like them, act like them, talk like them, you know, that's when you unleash the true power of where we are in our culture. The C-Suite does not represent what we're selling, and until you get that you're not going to maximize it, but it's coming because I plan on my fucking changes. I'm gonna let them know now that guys, I'm nowhere near done. This is just a, I'm on chapter one. Fuck it. I don't care what what we say. And I'm going to make sure part of my legacy is to make sure I have planted enough seeds that you know, the next CEO, CEOs of tech companies and men of various and this first in that verse, whatever you want to call it, they have representation of a culture that's using it.Dan Runcie 29:38Yeah. And I'm glad you mentioned this because I do think that that is what makes the change at the end of the day and that could influence so much it will influence so much. And I'd love to know what your perspective is on the movements or activities that the music industry has done on this front the past two years. So after George Floyd's murder, there was a bunch of announcements and funding that when after the show must be paused, and all of that in the call was exactly what you're saying, we need more black executives that are making decisions that are the ones that are really pushing this culture forward, especially since it's their culture that is making this industry what it is. So how do you feel that that progress has been since a lot of those announcements were made by the industry?Kevin Liles 30:25Not enough, and there's more work to be done. And it's one of the things that we hired a global diversity inclusion, the I would ever call officer named Dr. Smith. And when I came on, he's the first person to reach out, he said, we have $100 million, help me, help us change the world. We're not going to have a department, we're going to create the first-ever DEI Institute, and we're going to train people, we're going to go and find people in the organization and make them leaders in teaching cultural, cultural relevance, as far as it accompany cultural relevance and diversity of mindset and diversity of thought, not just color, we're going to find these change agents. No, I don't make this shit up. There's a lot of work to be done. But the reason that I'm at the more music group, and the reason I chose them is because Steve Cooper and Len Blavatnik have made in their mindset that we're going to change the world, and people who consume our products, who love our artists who buy our T-shirts, we want to have people in the C-Suite that look like them. And so that's a lot of fun work to be done. And once you're you know me, I'm not quiet. So I sit in the room and I tell everybody not charged. I said, “Guys, you can't announce $100 million and do things that don't change things.” Just not check the box. We're not doing it at the Warner Music Group. I never did it. I don't know how to check a box. I know how to create other boxes. I let everybody else do with it. Oh, we just did this? No, no, we created the DEI Institute around pingy equity, which is just amazing man, but a lot of work to be done all across the board. And I challenged every CEO, every chairman, every shareholder of a major corporations to challenge the company to allow that diversity to be in the C-Suite. It will change the company and it changing the company, will make more money. Dan Runcie 32:14Couldn't agree more. And I think too, this speaks to a lot of the work you've done, even you know, outside of just you know, running the music part of the record label, you've been active with HBCUs as a graduate of wind that you've wanted to make sure that mentorship programs and entrepreneurship supporting programs are there because you see that pipeline that you want to make sure that whether it's executives that want to go on to succeed in music or other places, the more that you can use your platform to help them the better off they'll be.Kevin Liles 32:44I think it's very important. I did a centennial raise from Golden State. Dr. Rosso, shout out to Florida State HBCU person myself, and we raised $250 million. So we knew that was the biggest institutional raise of HBCU went on to had a big conversation. I speak on a circuit a lot. And it had a big conversation around what's the pipeline to get to be a state's attorney, or a FBI special agent or a CIA, you know what, and really, I didn't know, I got to be a police officer. That's what I saw, you know, but I didn't know I don't be a basketball player, football fan, because that's what I saw. And so another program that I launched two years ago, I think, maybe last year is what I had 60 presidents of HBCUs meet with the head of the FBI, and to show that when George Floyd happened, when Freddy Gary happened, the FBI came, but people who were looking into it, when people like us, they wouldn't play for communities, there was no trust. So I want to make sure before I'm done, there will be somebody every place that will affect our culture, and have a cultural point of view, and not just a title point of view. And so that's been and I'm a big advocate of education and entrepreneurship, I believe the school system should be blown up. And we should be teaching more entrepreneurism, and not teaching people how to go work for somebody, but teaching people how to join and actually want to be change agents and not just employees. So I'm going to continue the big fight between 15 and do the work. And again, I don't do that by myself. So shout out to Dr. Smith.Dan Runcie 34:24That's good to hear. And I mean, I think you're right so much bad taps back into see where the pipeline they see how you can build it up in making sure that that leads to a promising career so people can whether it's they want to be their own boss or they want to do their own form of intrapreneurship whatever it is, the opportunities are there. One thing that I did want to talk about shifting back to music a bit. There's been an interesting movement I think happening right now where there is more of these, I call it the hip hop media personality that has come a bit more to rise and some of them You know, even some of the, you know, the artists that that 300 have definitely pushed back on some of these folks as well for someone, whether it's the things they've said or other things like that, it would be good to hear from your perspective, because I think this is not necessarily that these types of people didn't exist before. But I think social media obviously just makes the dynamic a little different. So what's your take on that dynamic?Kevin Liles 35:21No different than, we used to write on a graffiti walls now, we write it off Facebook, was used to hand out flyers and posters. Now you have Instagram and WhatsApp and this Snapchat and all these things. And when you talk about these personalities, you don't remember Starbuck while how they were. Dan Runcie 35:38They were wild. They were wild.Kevin Liles 35:41You don't remember how if you did any bit of R&B. You had to go to video. So with Donnie Simpson, you don't sit remember how sway and tech can wake up showing them what they were there. They just went on what one thing now with social media, it could be everywhere around the world. And we want those opinions. We want those pushbacks, we want those perspectives, because those things allow us to evolve as people we're not sociated for not some of them, we wouldn't be addressing some of the issues think about what Charlemagne and The Breakfast Club dude don't for mental health, you want that pushback, you want that conversation because we don't want to become stagnant as a people. And so to me, I put your nine out of 10 of my friends, Joe Biden, I signed him to be your I mean, Noriega, drink champion. Besides me, you don't mean to get Fat Joe, us you don't need to go down the list of these guys and girls around the world that have an actor that you need the crazy one, you need him to say what he wants to say, just to be thought-provoking, you know, but if you really get to know him, you know, he's Howard Stern, hip hop. That's his thing. And we don't want to do we don't not have a stern. There might be you do you're like it, you know, but you need the conversation. And I think even, what this happened with the Rogan guy, we need that conversation. As long as it is acceptable for you to use a word that you need the conversation the corporation's needed. And you need a Spotify to say, hey, we made an investment. We're gonna learn from this and teach from this, and you needed him to come on. I don't think he just apologize for his sponsors. I think that he felt that damn, you know, I never thought about it that way. Because I'm just repeating No, but even repeating is wrong. And so this is in the people that listen to him, trust me that backface was going on, they dress it up like this during all the shift is going on still. But I'm open. But I went all the smoke, bring me the motherfucking smoke because I want to have the conversation. I want to and the problem is we don't have the conversation. And so we operate in five items around things. No, I want to taste monster ball soup, which I want you to take some collard greens to I want you to go I want to go to the Trinidad festival and hang out Mardi Gras and all this. But yes, I want you to come to the hood celebration we build into the basketball is that to me, we don't have enough of the intermingling of cultures. And the lack of compensation has led to suicide, the lack of compensation has led to racism. And I knew when Barack Obama spent eight years I said, Oh, the next thing is gonna go left and be extremely other way. And then you got Donald Trump, I knew it was going to go in. But I also knew that we had to swing it back to the middle of the pendulum because he went too far left, and I can't wait to see some of the great leaders that will be born and find out of the conversation. You know, I always say we're living in biblical times. And was Moses, just a farmer competence was Job justice was married justice. No, damn, Max was the prophet. That shouldn't be a book of Acts, that shouldn't be a book of Jay, it shouldn't be a book of Todd. Because in these biblical times that we're in right now, when Moses parted the Red Sea for other people to get, there were some casualties of war. I gave my only begotten Son for us to move forward. And believe two people don't relate what we're going through as true biblical scriptures because we haven't put them all together. We call it the Bible. But there was a George Floyd in the Bible. There was a Freddie Gray in the Bible, and God bless their families and their soul. And all of them have taken on the mantle and said, his death, her death, this moment is meant to shift culture. It's meant to get people thinking a different way. And that's why again, I applaud all the noise, all the smoke, all the conversations that I have to have, and I do have a smile.Dan Runcie 39:30That's a good point because if we think about the evolution of Howard Stern, I think about the evolution of a Charlemagne there's kind of this like, you start off and you say, the stuff that makes you be like, What did he just say? And then like, a few years later, I mean, you listen to more recent Howard Stern interviews, I mean, he sounds like you know, almost like a therapist on the couch, like, you know, just talking through things and we said similar stuff about Charlemagne, given some of the books that he's written and just how much of a topic that is for him, and he definitely doesn't do interviews the way he did back in 2013. All right, is the evolution there? So thinking about it in that perspective, yeah, we'll be very interested to see like, where ACC or you know, where some of the others are, you know, seven years from now because I think I agree with you, you know, I don't necessarily think that, you know, he is a bad person or anything like that. I think if anything, it's more so this is a product of the internet and what everything has incentivized no different than, you know, Starbuck wild were incentivized to say wild shit on you know, power and you know, back in the day, and then now, you know, whether it's activated on twitch or on YouTube or whatever channel, yes. Kevin Liles 40:35You got to be doing it for rabies. He's doing it for reach. He's doing it. It's so much noise out there that you have to sometimes it's like, our chief innovative officer is Young Thug, so Young Thug, wearing a dress that people know I'm fashion, fashion shouldn't be limited, you know, but think about prints with his ass out. Think about Michael Jack and think about these guys. And again, why shouldn't we allow people to have an opinion to that that's the problem I have with a lot of people. People are really afraid of freedom. Because freedom comes check too, there's good and bad and freedom. But you're free. You're free to say and be and act and we should not judge. But we should know that people are doing things for certain reasons. The bigger your audience becomes, the bigger your reach, the bigger you become. And we can't just have Howard there by himself, can't get him broken down by itself. So what did they do to get there? What did they do to get there? I got Russell call me 10 times.Dan Runcie 41:35Oh, man, I do want to talk quick because yeah, I was gonna ask you about Thug being Chief Innovation Officer. So what does that role include? So what's what's on the agenda?Kevin Liles 41:45Change the world, change the perspective, change the conversation, changed the ideation process, don't limit yourself be as free of a person as you can be. And I actually run stuff by him. I'm thinking about doing a hot challenge with HBCUs. And my goal is to help these bands raise money. So I want to do $25 A night and campus did it. I did some around Pusha P and I kept that's not p. I said to him, I think we should do you know, I have family business. But I think you are the biggest family with lash out. So we made it out. When you have an innovative officer, there's no limitations. There's no job description, it's to touch taste and tone of his very existence that allows people to come up with new ways and things to do. You know, when Mary J. Blige said good morning, gorgeous. It was therapy for that young person that gets bullied, but it was also therapy for her coming off the ship that she came off for. And I kept her I said, guys, this is not a song. This is going to help people get through life. And people have started adopting it and dads are now looking at their daughter saying good morning, gorgeous, looking at their wife that they take for granted in the morning, and saying good morning. Gorgeous. I don't make this shit up. Everybody, be free. And Thug, I'll check with you later on about what I'm thinking about next. Make sure I got the cool factor on it. Dan Runcie 43:08Love it. Yeah, make sure he doesn't treat you like that pirate. He said, Alex, you're up.Kevin Liles 43:15You couldn't make shit up. You couldn't make none of this up. You know what I mean,Dan Runcie 43:19It's beautiful. Yeah, I mean, perfect timing for that. I mean, and just lining up with the album and everything. That was perfect.Kevin Liles 43:25But it was not scripted. It was really cool. People started to show up the shows without you posted this thing. Dan Runcie 43:36Oh, man, that's what you know, you got a movement as well. You know, you got something. I will. Kevin, this has been great. Before we let you go though, is there anything else that you want to plug? Let the travel audience know about that 300 Hands on Deck.Kevin Liles 43:49I don't know if it's a plug. But I'm in search of the truth. There's a lot of talent in the world. And the reason why I feel what it means we partnership 300, Electra Entertainment, Sparta, 300 Studios, I'm creating possibilities and platforms for you guys to come and help change the world. So I would just like to enlist your audience to say you don't just have to be an artist. You don't have to just do marketing, or digital or finance or legal. There is some place for you with us. And so I'm sure I'll come in and hang out and you and I finally get in the same space. We can have a dinner, but let's keep the narrative or where we going not where we were.Dan Runcie 44:33Sounds good. And yeah, let's definitely do it. And Kevin, thanks again for coming on. And congrats to you again on great start to the year, big sale and everything. Keep trailblazingKevin Liles 44:42God bless you, man. Thank you. Appreciate it.Dan Runcie 44:44Thank you. If you enjoyed this podcast, go ahead and share it with a friend. Copy the link, text it to a friend, post it in your group chat, post it in your Slack groups. Wherever you and your people talk, spread the word. That's how Trapital continues to grow and continues to reach the right people. And while you're at it, if you use Apple Podcast, go ahead, rate the podcast. Give it a high rating and leave a review, tell people why you like the podcast that helps more people discover the show. Thank you in advance. Talk to you next week.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Music industry titan Kevin Liles stops by to talk to Jalen about signing heavy hitters like Megan Thee Stallion, branching off into film, and the importance of staying up on what's current. Plus, Jalen explains why anyone can be an entrepreneur. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After holding top posts at Def Jam and Warner Music and managing Mariah Carey and D'Angelo, Kevin Liles went back into the label world a decade ago as co-founder of 300 Entertainment — which was sold to Warner for a reported $400 million in December, after scoring big hits with Megan Thee Stallion, Young Thug and Gunna. He talks about his career, what's next for him and 300, and Mary J. Blige's new album and Super Bowl Halftime appearance.  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com

After holding top posts at Def Jam and Warner Music and managing Mariah Carey and D'Angelo, Kevin Liles went back into the label world a decade ago as co-founder of 300 Entertainment — which was sold to Warner for a reported $400 million in December, after scoring big hits with Megan Thee Stallion, Young Thug and Gunna. He talks about his career, what's next for him and 300, and Mary J. Blige's new album and Super Bowl Halftime appearance.  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com

Anythangoes podcast Ep. 71 The life of "Toni drakhan" jail, Def jam, designer, community leader" in this Episode we had the awesome opportunity to interview Toni Drakhan he has accomplished so much even after doing fed time from designing clothes with Virgil Abloh and working for Def jam with the blessing from Kevin Liles he is from New York but doing big things for Baltimore where he now resides like the bail project helping people with unacceptable bail amounts that don't fit their charges and all types of different fundraising events to help people and he throws an all female rapper singer model artist showcase for women only so they can get the shine they deserve called the "HER SHOWCASE" and much more a great guy a great episode check it out --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Hip hop mogul Kevin Liles talks about the early Baltimore scene, his rise to president of Def Jam and the value of hard work. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com

3 Ways Independent Artists Can Beat A Major Label There's been this clip circling around on social where Kevin Liles is talking to the breakfast club about owning your masters means nothing if you don't know what to do with them. This is nothing major label backwards thinking weak ass jedi mindfuckery. Listen to what @icet said in this clip. In the early 2000s, music piracy was a serious problem for everyone in the music business. Labels, managers, lawyers and artists. Artists were hurt the most because they weren't making that much money from sales and now their album is getting stolen. Labels started positioning themselves as a safe haven for artists. “Sign over your masters to us and we can help you protect your art.” They didn't help protect shit. Folks still stole. Because the internet is undefeated. That's the same thing that is going on now with everyone who is pushing this “What's the point of owning your masters if you don't know what to do with them” narrative. The internet. That's what you do with your music. You put it on the the damn internet. You use the internet to market it. You use the internet to make money from it. Why? Because the internet is undefeated. Don't fall for the okie doke. With NFT's, VR, AR on the horizon, we aren't even in the golden era of music ownership. Don't sign over nothing. Use the tools in the video to beat major label's ass. What else can an independent artist do that a major label can't? Sell My Course and I'll Pay You $500 No Cap

A chat with sports, editorial, documentary and Atlanta Braves team photographer Kevin Liles. We talk about how he got started, what kind of photography he does now, his work with the Braves, go-to gear and more. You can see hos work at kevindlilles.com and on Instagram at @kevidlilles as well as on the Atlanta Braves Instagram @bravesKevin Liles is an Atlanta based photographer who has worked for Sports Illustrated, the New York Times, Washington Post and more. 

Dr. Ian sits down for a conversation with one of the hip hop games key players. Kevin Liles joins Dr. Ian in this episode of the podcast. They Talk Hip Hop, family, inspiration the song Kevin would offer up to introduce hip hop to visitors from another planet.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dr. Ian sits down for a conversation with one of the hip hop games key players. Kevin Liles joins Dr. Ian in this episode of the podcast.  They Talk Hip Hop, family, inspiration the song Kevin would offer up to introduce hip hop to visitors from another planet.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Our guest this week is Atlanta Braves team photographer, Kevin D. Liles.  This episode is a continuation of what I'm unofficially calling the career series.  Here's Kevin's bio pulled from his site,  www.kevindliles.comKevin D. Liles is a documentary, commercial, and sports photographer based in Atlanta.Kevin specializes in creating narrative, layered and powerful images, and has photographed hundreds of assignments for The New York Times, Washington Post, Sports Illustrated and The Wall Street Journal.  Since 2018, he has served as the team photographer for the Atlanta Braves. Other clients include Turner Studios, The Golfer's Journal, the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation, ESPN, the NBA, and The Players' Tribune.Kevin is co-founder of ATL Photo Night, a monthly artist talk founded in 2016 aimed at investigating the creative process. He is also past president of the Atlanta Photojournalism Seminar, the longest continuously operating photojournalism conference in the U.S.A longtime member of the National Press Photographers Association, Kevin adheres to their code of ethics.Social: @kevindlilesSupport the show (http://www.youcanman.com)

Today on the show we had record executive and co-founder and CEO of 300 Entertainment Kevin Liles stop by where he spoke about DMX, Artist Development, Publishing, Surviving The Industry and more. Also Charlamagne gave Donkey of the Day to Army sergeant who was arrested for assaulting a young black kid and threatening him to leave the neighborhood, even though he lives lives there!!! Also Angela helped some listeners our during "Ask Yee" with one listener trying to get out of a controlling relationship Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com

A $69 million price tag for a digital piece has taken the art world by storm. CNBC’s Wealth Reporter Robert Frank shares details of Beeple’s enormous deal. Reddit co-founder and venture capitalist Alexis Ohanian weighs in on NFTs and Leore Avidar, founder and CEO of alternative assets, shares his vision of a world beyond cash. Plus, the Grammy Awards are this weekend; Kevin Liles, CEO of 300 Entertainment, the record label behind Megan Thee Stallion, Fetty Wap, and Young Thug, discusses live music in a post pandemic world. 

Listen in for an electrifying interview with Damon Dash, completely unfiltered. Dame talks about his controversial views on Lehor Cohen breaking up Roc-A-Fella, Kevin Liles, and his advice on how to end racism. LISTEN to POWERMOVE MAKERS on iTunes, Spotify, Google Podcast YOUTUBE | www.PowerMovesPrez.com/youtube INSTAGRAM | www.PowerMovesPrez.com/instagram FACEBOOK | www.PowerMovesPrez.com/facebook LINKEDIN | www.PowerMovesPrez.com/linkedin TWITTER | www.PowerMovesPrez.com/twitter WEBSITE | www.PowerMovesPrez.com

This episode is with the powerful @bemorekev Kevin Liles. Kevin is a Baltimore based rap artist who is following his passion and inspiring people along the way. Kevin is already killing it with an EP out now "In My Blood" and much more on the way. Such an amazing episode where we talk about everything from how Kevin got into music, taking action in life, balancing school/work with your passion, handling advice from others, being consistent, belief mindset, The best things he has learned from music, lots of life advice to everyone and much more. Enjoy. Kevin’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bemorekev/ Kevin’s Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/GreatestEver484 Powerful One Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/powerful0ne/ Tommie Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mountainteep/ Website: https://powerful-one.com/ Podcast: https://powerful-one.com/podcast/ Shop: https://powerful-one.com/shop/ Everything: https://linktr.ee/powerfulone

Welcome to another episode of The Eye Podcast. In this episode we talk with Atlanta based photographer Ray Jones. Ray has worked with publications like Rolling Stone Magazine, The New York Times, and Atlanta Magazine and is represented by Redux Pictures. We talk about how he transitioned from college to working at the New York Times as well as the work he does in the community with ATL Photo Night alongside Kevin Liles, our previous guest. Please subscribe to where ever you may be listening from and follow us on Instagram at @the_eye_podcastPortfolio: https://www.raymjones.comInsta: @raymondmccrea ATL Photo Night website: https://www.atlphotonight.com/details-projectInsta: @atlphotonight

Today on A Waste of Time with ItsTheReal, we revisit our December 2018 interview with the H-Town Hottie Megan Thee Stallion right before she exploded onto the world stage. In fact, we spoke with her the day she signed her record contract with 300. Not only the best interview Meg's done, but also perhaps the only one featuring her and her mother Holly, who tragically passed just three months later. In this episode, Megan discusses growing up loving school, getting trouble for cursing at a young age, making best friends during a food fight, always being the tallest in her grade, trying every sport and giving up, why she'd be a Plastic in her version of Mean Girls, and how she didn't win Prom Queen but still ended up bodying the night. We talk about secretly writing rhymes during high school, how shy she was as a teen, going to college with plans to be a nurse, putting stress aside and forming a new persona, finding beats on YouTube and starting a rap career on campus, when she found out her mother was a rapper, and the skepticism when her mom found out she rapped. We get into her debut show at SXSW, why she won't perform in a skirt anymore, her viral freestyle over Tay K's The Race, Missy Elliott shouting her out on Twitter, Q-Tip reaching out to offer advice and support and encouraging her ratchetness, Drake and The Migos throwing money to her song in a Houston strip club, what it was like when Kevin Liles walked in the room to sign her to 300, how much her mother likes her raunchy lyrics, and the surprising song that her mom feels she should emulate. All that, plus how her grandmother lurks on IG, practicing what it will be like when she finally meets Beyonce, how she's waiting for a dude to approach her in real life instead of DMing emojis, her southern accent, the dumbest way she's broken a nail, her project Fever and much more! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

N.O.R.E. & DJ EFN are the Drink Champs. On today’s episode we’re getting #Saucey with Jim Jones and Alex Todd! The two sit down with The Champs to discuss everything from the roots of their hustle in Hip Hop & how they’re applying it to the Marijuana industry. Jim shares stories from The Dipset and Roc-A-Fella days, consulting for Def Jam and Kevin Liles to becoming the Director of A&R at Warner Music Group. N.O.R.E. and Jim relive their battle for the top spot on the billboard charts as they share stories of how “Oh Boy” by The Diplomats and N.O.R.E.’s “Nothin’” controlled the airwaves simultaneously. Alex Todd joins the conversation, originally starting his career in the jewelry business Alex switched careers to the marijuana industry where the grass is much greener. Alex shares how he developed Saucey Extracts and how Jim became part of the team. Jim Jones shares stories how Dipset and JAY Z raced to go platinum in the music industry, having a #1 record with “We Fly High”, discusses Love & Hip-Hop and potentially making a Diplomats film. Lots of great stories that you don’t want to miss! #DrinkChampsArmy make sure to tune in as we are proud to introduce the new single by N.O.R.E. "My City" from his new EP "Patio Furniture" featuring Raekwon, Dave East, Emanny, RL, Garren Edwards. "Patio Furniture" produced entirely J.U.S.T.I.C.E. LEAGUE | Available NOW on all streaming platforms. Follow: Drink Champs http://www.drinkchamps.com http://www.instagram.com/drinkchamps http://www.twitter.com/drinkchamps http://www.facebook.com/drinkchamps DJ EFN http://www.crazyhood.com http://www.instagram.com/whoscrazy http://www.twitter.com/djefn http://www.facebook.com/crazyhoodproductions N.O.R.E. http://www.instagram.com/therealnoreaga http://www.twitter.com/noreaga --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/drinkchamps/support

N.O.R.E. & DJ EFN are the Drink Champs. On today’s episode we’re getting #Saucey with Jim Jones and Alex Todd! The two sit down with The Champs to discuss everything from the roots of their hustle in Hip Hop & how they’re applying it to the Marijuana industry. Jim shares stories from The Dipset and Roc-A-Fella days, consulting for Def Jam and Kevin Liles to becoming the Director of A&R at Warner Music Group. N.O.R.E. and Jim relive their battle for the top spot on the billboard charts as they share stories of how “Oh Boy” by The Diplomats and N.O.R.E.’s “Nothin’” controlled the airwaves simultaneously. Alex Todd joins the conversation, originally starting his career in the jewelry business Alex switched careers to the marijuana industry where the grass is much greener. Alex shares how he developed Saucey Extracts and how Jim became part of the team. Jim Jones shares stories how Dipset and JAY Z raced to go platinum in the music industry, having a #1 record with “We Fly High”, discusses Love & Hip-Hop and potentially making a Diplomats film. Lots of great stories that you don’t want to miss! #DrinkChampsArmy make sure to tune in as we are proud to introduce the new single by N.O.R.E."My City" from his new EP "Patio Furniture" featuring Raekwon, Dave East, Emanny, RL, Garren Edwards. "Patio Furniture" produced entirely J.U.S.T.I.C.E. LEAGUE | Available NOW on all streaming platforms. Follow: Drink Champs http://www.drinkchamps.com http://www.instagram.com/drinkchamps http://www.twitter.com/drinkchamps http://www.facebook.com/drinkchamps DJ EFN http://www.crazyhood.com http://www.instagram.com/whoscrazy http://www.twitter.com/djefn http://www.facebook.com/crazyhoodproductions N.O.R.E. http://www.instagram.com/therealnoreaga http://www.twitter.com/noreaga

“What exactly does an A&R do?” “When I'm just starting out, where can I find collaborators?” “How should I reach out to A&R's and labels?” — This week Murph sat down with veteran A&R, publisher, and manager, Jaha Johnson. Jaha currently helps run Hitco Entertainment in Los Angeles but has also managed Usher and Common throughout the years. Additionally, in his first-ever podcast interview, Jaha spoke about being from Brooklyn, going to college in Atlanta, then heading back to NYC to work for Kevin Liles and Lyor Cohen at Def Jam. Murph and Jaha also covered what it means to be a good A&R and how today's artists should be looking to build their careers. Enjoy, but most importantly, DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT!

Yung Mil has done a lot in his career starting at a young age (pardon the pun). From performing on 106 & Park and sit downs with Russel Simmons and Kevin Liles to building a business in Aeon Visual. The Portland based artist jumps on the podcast to speak on his journey and motivations on the latest episode of Klyph Notes. Klyph Notes is supported by XRAY FM and Akepele Apparel  Music produced by Theory Hazit Subscribe to Klyph Notes on all your favorite podcast platforms

We all know that building a business is no easy feat. We have so many i’s to dot, t’s to cross and obstacles to hurdle. Understanding the value of the team and learning to delegate to those we trust are paramount to business success and our own mental health and wellness. No one knows this better than Backstage Capital founder, Arlan Hamilton (@arlanwashere) who has met and exceeded her business goals many times over. Two things she very clear on? Acknowledging and utilizing her support system and not micromanaging. Listen to this episode to hear her story and grab some nuggets for business success. Let UnBossed host Marquita Harris (@marquita_harris_) know what you think using #UnBossedPodcast! This episode is sponsored by Nationwide.Key Takeaways:12:19 - How Arlan stayed motivated through over a decade of homelessness29:37 - Separating the strengths from the weaknesses to delegate30:52 - What being UnBossed means to ArlanPlus stick around, for BONUS career tip segment (Sponsored by Nationwide)Valeisha Butterfield-Jones (WEEN) + Kristi Martin-Rodriguez (Nationwide) share their tips for building and leaving a legacy in your professional and personal lives, from starter to retirement.Key Takeaways:47:30 - Valeisha shares how her first (and still) mentor (Kevin Liles) motivated her to move from intern to SVP, in the music industry51:44 - The Do’s & Don’ts of giving and getting mentorship55:42 - The REAL difference mentorship and sponsorship1:10:17 - Managing burnoutUnBossed Host: Marquita Harris (@marquita_harris_)Executive Producer: Tiffany Ashitey (@misstiffsays)Producers: Ashley Hobbs (@ashleylatruly) + Shantel Holder (@shadesofshan_)Bookings: Ashley Hobbs, Marquita Harris, Tiffany AshiteyAudio: Anthony Frasier (@anthonyfrasier) + Josh Gwynn (@regardingjosh) Music: Gold Standard Creative (@gscdotnyc)

Drax Project is our guest this week and once again, I am your host Zach of the Auxoro podcast, where speak with music artists, athletes, entrepreneurs, and other interesting humans to explore the story beyond the surface. For those of you who are not familiar with Drax Project, shame on you. Just kidding, but now you have no excuse not to know who these guys are and for good reason because they’ll only be getting bigger. In a few short years, Drax Project went from busking on the streets of Wellington New Zealand to signing to a major label, 300 Entertainment. They actually hung up, accidentally, on Kevin Liles the CEO of 300 entertainment, the first time they got a call from him. What a power move. The first time I get a call from a major podcasting network, I’m gonna hang up on them and demand a max contract. We’ll see how that works out. Last year, they released the smash hit ‘Woke Up Late,’ which Hailee Steinfeld then hopped on. It currently has nearly 50 million hits on Spotify. The group then made a music video for Woke Up Late featuring YouTube star Liza Koshy and they absolutely killed it. A couple of months ago, I had the pleasure of seeing Drax Project live at Soho House and was blown away. When they whipped out the saxophone I knew that I had to have them on the podcast. On this episode, Matt and Sam of Drax Project talk how the band came to be, opening for Ed Sheeran, painting houses, how they are inspired by The 1975, and more. For some reason, the connection was a bit spotty at certain points in the podcast. I realize that it’s not the best audio quality which can be frustrating as a listener, but it is top quality conversation. So thank you for sticking with us for this episode. We love you. Without further ado, here is our wide-ranging conversation with Drax Project. Drax Project (Spotify): https://spoti.fi/2LbqJcZ Drax Project (Apple Music): https://apple.co/2YTMlhr The Aux: https://www.auxoro.com/theaux Support Auxoro: https://donorbox.org/support-auxoro Song: 'Woke Up Late' by Drax Project Intro/Outro Music: Produced by David Grossfeld Mixed and Mastered by Dbsound on Fiverr Sound Design: Matt Grossfeld Episode Art: @noahkahanmusic Auxoro main site: https://www.auxoro.com/ Insta: https://www.instagram.com/auxoro/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/auxoromag/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/Auxoromag

This week on A Waste of Time with ItsTheReal, we welcome Houston, Texas rapper, newest signee to 300, Instagram legend and current student at Texas Southern University, Megan Thee Stallion to the Upper West Side! Megan discusses growing up loving school, getting trouble for cursing at a young age, making best friends during a food fight, always being the tallest in her grade, trying every sport and giving up, why she'd be a Plastic in her version of Mean Girls, and how she didn't win Prom Queen but still ended up bodying the night. We talk about secretly writing rhymes during high school, how shy she was as a teen, going to college with plans to be a nurse, putting stress aside and forming a new persona, finding beats on YouTube and starting a rap career on campus, when she found out her mother was a rapper, and the skepticism when her mom found out she rapped. We get into her debut show at SXSW, why she won't perform in a skirt anymore, her viral freestyle over Tay K's The Race, Missy Elliott shouting her out on Twitter, Q-Tip reaching out to offer advice and support and encouraging her ratchetness, Drake and The Migos throwing money to her song in a Houston strip club, what it was like when Kevin Liles walked in the room to sign her to 300, how much her mother likes her raunchy lyrics, and the surprising song that her mom feels she should emulate. All that, plus how her grandmother lurks on IG, practicing what it will be like when she finally meets Beyonce, how she's waiting for a dude to approach her in real life instead of DMing emojis, her southern accent, the dumbest way she's broken a nail, her upcoming project Fever and much more! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Kevin Liles is the co-founder and CEO of 300 Entertainment.  The music mogul talks about hip-hop's entrepreneurial spirit, protecting the art, maintaining an intern mindset, being of service, finding purpose in your work, mentoring and so much more.  As always, thank you for tuning into HYPEBEAST Radio and Business of HYPE. Please don't forget to rate, comment and subscribe to our other shows MIC/LINE, The Anthropology, The HYPE Report and HYPETALKS. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/businessofhype/support

Dajae Williams is a Manufacturing Engineer for NASA who loves hip-hop. We met on Diddy's Yacht in Miami. Yea, true story! Kick it with us as she talks about how important it was to be strategic in her moves as she started her journey in becoming an engineer. She shares her desire to inspire young people of color to pursue a career in the science field, how hard it was to give up her basketball career and how meeting Kevin Liles changed her perspective of what roles an engineer can play in the music industry, especially with hip-hop. Outro Music: Konata Small - Look At Me --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/kickingitwithbutta/support

Today on A Waste of Time with ItsTheReal, for Day 12 of the #12DaysOfPodcasts, we welcome Washington, DC's own, and 2018 Grammy-nominated, Shy Glizzy to the Upper West Side! Young Jefe discusses his distinctive voice, his amazing ear, how long it took him to figure out his sound, losing his father to violence at a super-early age, growing up on Go-Go music and Eazy-E, following in his rapper uncle's footsteps, he effect meeting Birdman had on him, why the DMV doesn't always support their own, his refusal to sign to any label at all, and what Kevin Liles and Lyor Cohen visiting personally meant in changing his mind about the signing process. We get into the making of the Grammy-nominated Crew, working with Young Thug and Peewee Longway, Young Money Yawn, GS9, Fabolous and Trey Songz, and wanting to work with Future. All that, plus raising his three-year old son in his own image, buying suburban houses yet staying in the streets, what he'll be wearing to the Grammy Awards, rebuilding his hometown and much more! PS: Be sure to check out JeezyShop.com for all things Jeezy: his tour, his merch and his new album, Pressure, available now! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Thurs 12/29- As 2017 approaches, the Breakfast Club is giving their best interviews of 2016. Today featured two guest that never been on the show which is Future and Regina Hall, followed by Kevin Liles and Diddy. Charlamagne also rewarded Jason Stokes and Samantha Martinez for Donkey of the Day. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers

Thurs 12/01- From intern to Music Mogul, Kevin Liles stops by the Breakfast Club to discuss his label, new venture Freestyle 50, and gives an update on Trey Songz new album. Plus DJ Envy and Charlamagne give some advice to a lady who isn't getting that good love from her husband. Donkey of the Day goes to one of the members of the Lyons family! (Yes fictional characters can the Hee-Haw too!) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers

N.O.R.E. and DJ EFN are the Drink Champs. In this episode the guys set up shop at the Revolt Music Conference and sit down with hip hop powerhouse executives Lyor Cohen and Kevin Liles. The guys are also joined by Jadakiss and Shawn Prez of the Global Spin Awards and Power Moves inc. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/drinkchamps/support

DJ Booman is a legendary DJ and producer from Baltimore. His credentials are too numerous to properly summarize. He is an originator of Baltimore Club Music, and even if you're not familiar with the genre, you've probably heard classic records he produced such "Watch Out For The Big Girl" and "Pick 'Em Up." He's also a mainstay on the Baltimore Hip-Hop scene, and his work with Baltimore rapper Mully Man ("Bmore Go Harder" & "She Hurtin' Em") landed a spot in MTV's rotation. On this historic episode of the Channel 10 Podcast, DJ Booman breaks down the origins of Baltimore Club Music and the early Baltimore Hip-Hop scene. We also get into production techniques, touring, his new projects, how he ended up producing the "Get Off (Baltimore Club Remix)" for Diddy through Kevin Liles, how he got production credits on Michael Jackson's "Strangers In Moscow," and so much more. You can't miss this episode! DJ Booman stays in the lab, and you can check out everything he's up to here: https://www.facebook.com/dj.booman https://twitter.com/djbooman https://soundcloud.com/djbooman

You want to hear a great story, or stories? You want to be inspired? You want to learn what it takes to be a success? Kevin Liles blessed us with so much, behind the scenes of Def Jam, working with Russell Simmons and Lyor Cohen, the deaths of Biggie, Tupac, Jam Master Jay and Chris Lighty, stories of DMX, Jay Z, Red and Meth and so much more. If you're not ready to conquer the world after listening to this episode, you gotta check your pulse.

Nancy "Mama" Jones is a mother, businesswoman, youth advocate and mentor. Anyone who meets Nancy "Mama" Jones immediately recognizes that she is an unapologetic optimist and a woman whose passion for her family and success is stamped on every page of her life. Born and raised in Manhattan this inspiring, "real" woman has faced many challenges as a mother of 6 girls and mother of Rap Star Jim Jones.  Nancy "Mama" Jones is an established and successful businesswoman and entrepreneur. She has been touring and visiting radio stations and venues across America promoting her current and future endeavors. She currently has a single entitled "Psychotic ...tch," which was to be distributed globally by Fanatix Agency.  Multifaceted mogul TALIA COLES embodies the word "couture"; merging high impact, genre breaking music with stunning elements of fashion and dance. Talia is the premiere artist from her aptly named music-based content company, Couture Music, where she is Founder and Co-President, along with entertainment industry heavyweight (and Kevin Liles protégé) Jojo Brim (Brim is Senior Manager at KWL Enterprises; the firm representing Platinum recording artist Trey Songz, Nelly, Selita Ebanks, and Big Sean). Top level producers and artists call upon Talia's boutique songwriting approach, and she has lent her talents to Fabolous, Trey Songz, LL Cool J, Musiq Soulchild, Teddy Riley, Slim from 112, Tyler Perry, Deborah Cox, Case, Coko, Irv Gotti, and Polish superstar Tatiana Okpuknik.Talia’s prominence as a fashionista has also captured much media attention. Talia’s designs have been featured in several publications. Talia’s serves as Stylist for Trey Songz and her work can be seen in his number one hit “Love Faces”.

Chenese returns to the Essence Music Festival in New Orleans to interview some of todays hottest celebrities in music, film, and television! Part two includes interviews with Valerie Jarrett, SInbad, Dr. Steve Perry, Datwon Thomas, Laz Alonzo, Tami Roman, Shaunie O'Neal, & Evelyn Lozada (Basketball Wives), Lisa Nicholas, Committed (NBC's The Sing Off), Brian Courtney Wilson, Kevin Liles, Detrick Haddon, AJ Hammer, Suzanne Malveaux, Tina Knowles, Vashawn Mitchell, Brian White, Evelyn "Champagne" King, Diann Valentine, Deniece Williams, Isaiah Washington, and Kierra "KeKe" Sheard 

Late Night with "Ms. LTR". Tonight on “LTR Celebrity Radio" our special guest is Platinum Recording Artist, Songwriter & Executive Producer, Perri "Pebbles" Reid. ESSENCE.com and Grammy nominated, platinum recording artist Pebbles have joined forces in search of the next R&B superstar! The lucky winner receives an instant pass to stardom with a one-year artist management contract with music industry veteran Kevin Liles' KWL Enterprises, a feature in an upcoming issue of ESSENCE and a once-in-lifetime opportunity to hit the stage for a featured performance during the 2011 Essence Music Festival (July 1st-3rd in New Orleans). Veteran artist "Pebbles", scored several hit singles on her own during the late 1980s and early 1990s with songs such as  ("Girlfriend" and Mercedes Boy"), she became known as the manager and creator of one of the genre's biggest hit machines, TLC There is no doubt that Pebbles will bring a great deal of expertise and her outstanding artist development capabilities to the table to find R&B’s next big Super Star! LOG ON TO www.ESSENCE.com/RBSTAR FOR CONTEST ENTRY, UPDATES & MORE!