Above Ground Entertainment CEO David Ali leads Billboard’s list of executives across multiple industry sectors pushing the genres forward.
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Labels, Distributors & Artist Services
10K Projects
Marsha St. Hubert
Co-president; executive vp, Atlantic Music Group
Nico Ziangas
Co-president
Tom Phillips
Senior director of marketing
300 Entertainment/Atlantic Records
Rayna Bass
Selim Bouab
Co-presidents; co-presidents of hip-hop, R&B and global music
Tashana Ventura
Vp of marketing
Shyniece “Shy” Ferguson
Senior director of marketing strategy and implementation
Gabe Krantz
Director of streaming
Michael Quiros
Director of A&R, 300 Entertainment
Bass is concerned about “the lack of creative growth” she’s seeing in R&B and hip-hop today. “We have to continue to innovate and push the culture forward.”
Bass and Bouab — co-presidents of the Atlantic Music Group division 300 Entertainment, as well as co-presidents of hip-hop, R&B and global music at Atlantic Records — are dedicated to making good on that mission. Over the last 18 months, a parade of artists across both Atlantic’s and 300’s label rosters has notched multiple career milestones.
Before launching her anticipated Little Miss Drama Tour earlier this year, Cardi B watched her long-awaited sophomore album, Am I the Drama? (which has now surpassed 2.2 billion official on-demand global streams for its songs since its release, according to Luminate) debut atop the Billboard 200 last October and launch 14 songs onto the Billboard Hot 100. Hitting the arena circuit in February, the rap superstar’s tour wrapped in April with a gross of more than $70 million and 453,000 tickets sold, according to Billboard Boxscore.
Atlantic’s Don Toliver also posted wins for the label. Toliver’s fifth studio album, Octane, became his first Billboard 200 chart-topper, and the first leg of his Octane arena world tour began in May and ended in July; the second started Aug. 4 and will wrap in London in November.
Meanwhile, the Kehlani whirlwind is in full force. “Folded,” the singer-songwriter’s first No. 1 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and first top 10 on the Hot 100, won two Grammys (best R&B song and best R&B solo performance). The track helped propel Kehlani’s 2026 self-titled album to a No. 4 debut on the Billboard 200 in May.
At 300 Entertainment, Gunna’s latest project, The Last Wun, landed at No. 1 on Top Rap Albums and Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums — his sixth time to reign on both. The album, which includes the Burna Boy-featuring “WGFT,” also reached No. 3 on the Billboard 200. Meanwhile, fellow 300 Entertainment artist Fetty Wap orchestrated a comeback this year following his early release from prison, dropping his fourth album, Zavier, in March.
“Fetty Wap coming home, releasing new music and being shown the love and recognition he deserves was one of my favorite musical moments,” Bass says. “He’s legendary, and his music will resonate for generations.”
Looking ahead to the rest of the year and 2027, Bass adds, “There’s some incredible music being created across the roster and new partnerships to be announced that will continue to drive our success.” —Gail Mitchell
600 Entertainment
Xavier “BigXthaPlug” Landum
Founder/president
Brandon Farmer
Partner; manager, Solid Foundation Management
ADA
Jacqueline Cheng
Vp of label development and product management
Kanika Mehta
Head of commercial marketing
Alamo Records
Todd Moscowitz
CEO, Alamo Records/Santa Anna Records
Juliette Jones
COO
Lee L’Heureux
President, Alamo Records/Santa Anna Records
Atlantic Music Group
Kevin Holiday
Executive vp of hip-hop and R&B promotion
Angelique Jones
Executive vp of sales and streaming
Danielle Geiger
Senior vp of international
Cole Rechan
Vp of digital marketing
Atlantic Records
Carla Pagano
Senior vp of marketing
Lallie Jones
Vp of marketing, Atlantic Records/300 Entertainment
Cannon Kent-Grant
Vp of hip-hop, R&B and rhythm promotion
Abby Silk
Director of digital marketing
Boominati
Leland Tyler “Metro Boomin” Wayne
CEO
BuVision
Abou “Bu” Thiam
CEO
Malik Wilson
President
Capitol Records
Jessica Eason
Senior vp of marketing
Justin Grant
Senior vp/head of urban digital
Ian Holder
Keno Jordan
Chris Turner
Senior vps of A&R
Danielle Nicholson
Director of digital marketing
CMG Records
Yo Gotti
Founder/CEO
Columbia Records
Lu Mota
Executive vp of A&R
Naim McNair
Senior vp of A&R
Amy Collins
Vp of A&R
James White
Vp of radio promotion
Mont Brown
Senior director of A&R
Def Jam Recordings
Tunji Balogun
Chairman/CEO
Epic Records
Ezekiel Lewis
Chairman/CEO
Jennifer Goiocechea
Senior vp of A&R
Dontay Thompson
Senior vp of promotion
Justin Duran
Vp of marketing
Patrick Afeku
Senior director of A&R
Michelle Hockett
Senior director of marketing
EVEN
Mag Rodriguez
Founder/CEO
EZMNY Records
Tyrone “Ty Dolla $ign” Griffin Jr.
Shawn Barron
Co-founders/CEOs
Geffen Records
Aaron “Dash” Sherrod
President of A&R
Courtney Couch
Vp of marketing
Grand Hustle Music Group
Tip “T.I.” Harris
CEO
Thuy-An Julien
Chief business officer
Before this year, many people thought the best days of T.I.’s career were behind him: The owner of four Hot 100 No. 1 singles and three Billboard 200 No. 1 albums hadn’t released a project in six years and hadn’t reached the top half of the Hot 100 in over a decade. But his breezy, braggadocious 2026 single, “Let ’Em Know,” turned back the clock for Tip and reminded hip-hop fans that the man who once called himself “King” wasn’t dead yet.
Released in January, “Let ‘Em Know” enjoyed a gradual run up the charts driven by word-of-mouth and organic marketing, ultimately reaching No. 8 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, No. 1 on Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay and a No. 33 peak on the Hot 100 in April — the first time T.I. reached the top 40 since 2014.
It was a welcome return for one of Atlanta’s elder statesmen and heralded the comeback of his own Grand Hustle imprint, which he’s cultivated for years. “Grand Hustle’s complete transition into true independence and the commercial success we’ve achieved on our own terms” is how Tip characterized the achievement, which he calls his proudest moment of the year. Another highlight: “Being able to open up the BET Awards with ‘Let ’Em Know’ with my son King and my patna Young Dro in front of an audience of my peers was amazing.”
For now, Tip says that the album Kill the King, released in June, will be his last — but that doesn’t mean he’ll stop having fun and playing music. He’s spent the summer on the road with his sons King and Domani for his King Succession Tour, while going forward he’ll be putting in work supporting his Grand Hustle artists P$C, Buddy Red, T.O Green, Joe Green and more. “Seeing them put in the work on a nightly basis has made me proud,” he says. “The future of Grand Hustle remains bright.” —Dan Rys
Human Re Sources/The Orchard
J Erving
President, Human Re Sources; executive vp, The Orchard; executive vp of artist development, Sony Music Entertainment
If the past two years have taught anything, it’s that patience and dedication to the craft can pay off — even outside the confines of the traditional industry.
That has long been where Erving, who heads the Orchard-distributed Human Re Sources, has operated. In RAYE — an uber-talented singer-songwriter who washed out of the major-label system and discovered peace and freedom in the indie world — he found the perfect partner.
After RAYE landed a best new artist nomination at the 2025 Grammys, her trajectory has only exploded upward. Her second album, This Music May Contain Hope., received critical praise for its ambition, scope and raw musicality. The set became her first to reach the top 50 of the Billboard 200, debuting at No. 11 in April, while breakout single “Where Is My Husband!” became her first top 20 hit on the Hot 100, hitting No. 11.
That all preceded a showstopping performance at June’s BET Awards, which Erving singles out in what has been a remarkable year of highlights. “What made it so special was watching her win over a room that may not have been as familiar with her beforehand,” Erving says. “She delivered an incredible performance, per usual, that immediately commanded the room and showcased her talent in a powerful way.”
But it’s not all about RAYE for Human Re Sources: The company was also behind Jill Scott’s first album in 11 years, To Whom This May Concern, which debuted at No. 33 on the Billboard 200, the response to which Erving called “very rewarding,” and which “allowed her and her team to continue building on the career of such an important artist.” Meanwhile, the company recently signed another former best new artist nominee, Tobe Nwigwe, as well as his wife, Fat Nwigwe, now giving Erving three former best new artist nominees on his roster. (Scott was nominated for the award in 2001.)
“The R&B/hip-hop community is thriving,” Erving says. “R&B and hip-hop continue to be among the biggest forces in music consumption, and there are so many exciting new acts emerging from both genres. I’m optimistic about where both genres are headed.” —D.R.
HYBE America
Ethiopia Habtemariam
President of music
Jennifer McDaniels
President of management
Pierre “P” Thomas
CEO, Quality Control
Kevin “Coach K” Lee
COO, Quality Control
Interscope Capitol
Bill Evans
Executive vp of urban promotion
Interscope Geffen A&M
Nicole Wyskoarko
President/head of urban A&R
Ramon Alvarez-Smikle
President of digital and artist strategy
Laura Carter
President of urban marketing and strategy
Aura Harewood
Senior vp of urban marketing
Forrest Lipton
Vp of marketing
Jive Records
David Melhado
Mike Weiss
Co-presidents
Legacy Recordings
Derek Watson
Director of creative content and marketing
Motown Records
Dante Smith
Senior vp/head of digital
mprs
Rob Brown
Chief revenue officer
The Orchard
Naji Grampus
Vp of urban strategy
Lanre Masha
Director of West Africa
RCA Records
Shani Fuller Tillman
Vp of marketing/campaign leadership
Norjon Hedman
Vp of urban promotion
Layla Mustafa Rock
Vp of global brand partnerships
Natalie Ho
Senior director of marketing/campaign leadership
Justin “Jus” McMullen
Senior director of commercial partnerships
REPUBLIC Collective
Danielle Price Sanders
Executive vp; president, Uptown Records
Natina Nimene
Executive vp of urban promotion
Christina Suarez
Executive vp/head of Republic business affairs
Myra DeCastro-Yournett
Senior vp of global marketing strategy
Dave Ingenloff
Senior vp of rhythm audience
Republic Records
Xiarra-Diamond Nimrod
Senior vp/head of hip-hop and R&B
Haarlem Branch
Vp of A&R
Allegra Chautin
Vp of digital strategy
Touré Shiver
Vp of marketing strategy
UnitedMasters
Steve Stoute
Founder/CEO
Jesse Morav
Vp of A&R
Ebony Maria Hadley
Senior director of digital marketing
Vanta Music
Dernst “D’Mile” Emile II
Co-founder
Virgin Music Group
Adam Starr
Senior vp of marketing, North America
Trenton Pratt
Vp of genre strategy and commercial marketing
Femi “Shamz” Obasju
Senior director of label management
Mike Willis
Director of marketing, hip-hop and R&B
Warner Records
Tim Hinshaw
Head of urban strategy; founder/CEO, Free Lunch
Shawnae Corbett-Rice
Senior vp of marketing/head of urban marketing
Ericka Coulter
Senior vp of A&R; GM, Free Lunch Records
Brannon Scales
Senior vp of rhythm promotion
Ron Stewart
Senior vp of urban promotion
XO Records
Abel “The Weeknd” Tesfaye
Founder
Wassim “SAL” Slaiby
Amir “Cash” Esmailian
La Mar C. Taylor
Co-founders
Melissa Mahood
GM
Multisector
Aftermath
Andre Young
Founder/CEO
Ashley Palmer-Gilkey
GM
Artist Partner Group
Eli Piccarreta
Senior vp of A&R
Anthony Morales
Senior director of A&R
BMG
Tab Nkhereanye
Senior vp of A&R, frontline publishing
Tim Reid
Senior vp of repertoire and marketing, recorded music
Cactus Jack
Bilal “Bizzy” Joseph
Co-founder, Cactus Jack/Stragg/Lab Rats
David Stromberg
CEO, Cactus Jack/Unmanageable
Randall “Sickamore” Medford
Manager; CEO, Three Times Louder
Create Music Group
Wayne Hampton
Co-founder/chief business officer
Chris Herche
Senior vp of music operations and marketing
Mark L. Hill Jr.
Senior vp of A&R and business development
Carl LeGrett
Senior vp of A&R, publishing
Crucible Management and Ventures
David Gross
Founder
DMG Clearances
Deborah Mannis-Gardner
Owner/president
Dreamville
Jermaine “J. Cole” Cole
Co-founder/partner
Ibrahim “Ib” Hamad
Co-founder/partner; manager, J. Cole; president, Dreamville Records
Adam Roy
Co-founder/partner; president, Dreamville Festival
EMPIRE
Vinny Kumar
President, EMPIRE Publishing
Al McLean
Executive vp of global creative, EMPIRE Publishing
Ari Simon
Vp of marketing
Jentry Salvatore
Vp of A&R and creative development
EQT
Henny Yegezu
Co-founder/CEO
Kazz Laidlaw
Partner
G59 Records
Dana Biondi
Partner/artist manager
gamma./Death Row
Larry Jackson
Co-founder/CEO, gamma.
Ike Youssef
Co-founder/president, gamma.
Sara Ramaker
President, Death Row Pictures
Jasmin Ratansi
Vp of branding and licensing for Snoop Dogg, Death Row
Generation Now
Don Cannon
Leighton “Lake” Morrison
DJ Drama
Founding partners/co-CEOs
With their decades of experience, Generation Now’s founding partners have seen just about everything in the music business. Since launching Generation Now in partnership with Atlantic Records in 2015, the label has guided the likes of Lil Uzi Vert and Jack Harlow to stardom. Harlow took a creative turn with his 2026 album, Monica, where the Kentucky-born artist threw on a brown Kangol hat and explored his neo-soul and jazz influences. The release gave Harlow a No. 11 debut on Billboard’s Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and he’s currently on the road touring it.
As managers, the Generation Now team struck gold bringing Yung Miami into the fold, as the City Girls rapper scored a song of the summer candidate with “Spend Dat,” which reached the Hot 100’s top 20.
“Seeing where we started compared to where we are now is a great feeling,” DJ Drama says of Yung Miami’s growth. “A big shout-out to the entire GN management team who have been in the trenches leading the day-to-day alongside our partners at Uptown Records.”
In a full-circle moment, two decades after making mixtape magic with the classic Trap or Die, Drama reunited with Jeezy and joined the Atlanta trap pioneer for his Legend of the Snowman residency in Las Vegas.
“To see something Cannon, Jeezy and I started building over 20 years ago — paired with Lake’s decades of expertise in touring, show production and management — still translate to something so widely received in 2026 is an amazing feat,” Drama says.
As the rap landscape continues to evolve with niche subgenres bubbling up, Drama believes “oversaturation” is hurting hip-hop as a whole. “We lose both culturally and monetarily,” he says, “by trying to force a product that either isn’t ready or isn’t at the highest level of quality.” —Michael Saponara
Giant Music/Fullstop Management
Shawn Holiday
Co-founder/manager
Courtney Worrell
Artist manager, Fullstop Management
Influence Media Partners
Rene McLean
Founder/co-managing partner; founder/CEO, SLANG
ISO Supremacy
Brent Faiyaz
Founder/CEO
Ashani Allick
Head of A&R and marketing
Monami Entertainment
Mona Scott-Young
CEO/executive producer/manager
Opium
Jordan “Playboi Carti” Carter
Founder
Erin Larsen
President/CEO
OVO Sound
Aubrey “Drake” Graham
Noah “40” Shebib
Co-founders
Adel “Future the Prince” Nur
Co-founder; manager, Drake
Morgan “Mr. Morgan” Lieberthal
President
Matte Babel
Chief creative officer
Lauren “Shug” Ritzer
GM
“I used to want to be on Roc-A-Fella, then I turned into Jay,” Drake rapped a decade ago on “Summer Sixteen.” That was four years after he launched OVO Sound, which has been the driving force behind the Canadian star’s evolution into a formidable executive.
After departing as a subsidiary of Warner Records in 2022 and partnering with Todd Moscowitz’s Sony Music-backed Santa Anna Label Group in 2024, OVO Sound has found its footing with a versatile roster of rappers and moody R&B artists that fits perfectly under the OVO umbrella.
As with any Drake endeavor, it’s a family affair at OVO, where longtime Drizzy affiliates Matte Babel, Morgan “Mr. Morgan” Lieberthal, Adel “Future the Prince” Nur, Lauren “Shug” Ritzer and right-hand producer Noah “40” Shebib are his partners. This year has been a busy one for the label, with releases from Naomi Sharon (No Sleep in Paradise), Roy Woods (X), Pimmie (Don’t Come Home EP) and R&B duo Majid Jordan (Two Roads, out Aug. 28).
And it wouldn’t be a banner year for OVO without the return of Drake himself, who delivered a trifecta of albums in May. All eyes were on the anticipated ICEMAN, the 6 God’s most rap-heavy solo album in over a decade — but then he surprised fans with another two albums (Habibti and Maid of Honour) the same night.
The campaign worked: Drizzy made history as the first artist to simultaneously occupy the top three slots on the Billboard 200. ICEMAN marked Drake’s 15th No. 1 album (breaking a tie with Jay-Z for the most No. 1s of any rapper), while the album’s “Janice STFU” debuted atop the Hot 100 to give Drake his 14th No. 1 hit, surpassing Michael Jackson’s mark for the most among male soloists. —M.S.
Primary Wave Music
Sean Lewis
Manager of digital and strategic marketing
Songhay Taylor
Estate manager
Pulse Music Group
Josh Abraham
Scott Cutler
Co-founders/co-CEOs
Ashley Calhoun
President
Range Music
Jared Cotter
Tyler Henry
Chris Thomas
Managing partners
Rebel Music/Open Shift Distribution
Javier “Jay” Sang
Founder/CEO; partner, Sandy Boys
Reservoir Media
Donna Caseine
Executive vp/global creative director
Faith Newman
Executive vp of A&R and catalog development
Roc Nation
Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter
Founder/chairman
Jay Brown
Vice chairman
Desiree Perez
CEO
Roc Nation has had a crowning 2026, centering its efforts on two of the biggest stages of the year: the Super Bowl halftime show with Bad Bunny, which earned nine Primetime Emmy nominations, a record for the event; and the long-awaited return to the stage by Jay-Z, the company’s iconic founder and chairman who not only headlined the sold-out Roots Picnic in May but delivered three historic performances at Yankee Stadium in July.
Jay’s shows were part of a yearlong career celebration in honor of the 30th anniversary of his debut album, Reasonable Doubt, which “has seen three successful and unique pop-up shops across New York City, exclusive vinyl, custom merchandise drops and record-breaking performances,” according to Perez. That has also included a planned HBO documentary, Jay-Z in 8, with more shows to come in London, Paris and Los Angeles.
But a victory lap for the boss wasn’t the only highlight of Roc’s heavy-hitting year: Megan Thee Stallion’s turn toward acting has paid big dividends, as she hit the stage in a different way with her run in Broadway’s Moulin Rouge! The Musical, as well as the Netflix film Roommates and the NBC sitcom The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins alongside Tracy Morgan.
Alicia Keys celebrated the capstone of her own Broadway adventure with the documentary film Alicia Keys: Girl From Hell’s Kitchen, whose world premiere closed out the Tribeca Film Festival in June, and Fat Joe and Jadakiss’ Netflix podcast, Joe & Jada, has earned accolades since its launch last May.
At the same time, Roc Nation has an eye on the future. “The most important issue facing the industry is how we embrace technology without it being to our detriment,” Perez says. “AI tools can’t replace artistry; they should be available to improve the industry, not replace human-created art.” —D.R.
Rock the Bells
James Todd “LL Cool J” Smith
Founder/CEO
Management
4 Strikes
Christian Clancy
Kelly Clancy
Co-founders
10 Summers
Dijon “Mustard” McFarlane
Producer/DJ/artist/executive
40 By Tuesday Group
Fabian Marasciullo
CEO; artist manager, Lil Wayne
617 Management
Brooke Payne
President/CEO
Above Ground Entertainment
David Ali
CEO
By the time David Ali finally met Kehlani, at her Receda, Calif., home in the San Fernando Valley in 2013, they’d been trying to link up for months. He’d first become aware of the fledgling 18-year-old singer-songwriter after hearing one of her early SoundCloud uploads, “Antisummerluv,” earlier that year. After he tweeted his praise at her, the two agreed they should meet.
“But she was busy, I was busy and it just never happened,” the soft-spoken Ali recalls over brunch on a hot July morning in Los Angeles.
When the San Francisco-based music business entrepreneur and the Oakland, Calif., native finally crossed paths, though, they had immediate chemistry. “We talked for four, five hours, while she played me a bunch of songs,” Ali says. “I felt then like her story was my story: I understood where she was coming from. I just wanted her to win.”
Today, Kehlani is Billboard’s 2026 R&B/Hip-Hop Power Players R&B Artist of the Year and Ali is her manager. But that moment 13 years ago is still at the heart of his operating philosophy as CEO of the full-service management and entertainment company Above Ground Entertainment: building careers and business partnerships by fostering artistic freedom, trust and loyalty. “It’s about investing in people,” says Billboard’s R&B/Hip-Hop Executive of the Year, who also manages R&B singer Destin Conrad and rapper Larry June. “If they don’t make money, I don’t make money. That’s been my thing from the beginning of this [journey]. With this job, you’re signing up to be the person who’s got to be there for your artist through thick and thin. And I love it.”
Read the full story on Executive of the Year David Ali here.
Bieber Family Office
Justin Bieber
Founder
By the Way
Alex DePersia
Kevin McMullan
Managers
Culture Collective
Jonathan Azu
Founder/CEO
Sabrina Thomas
Director of artist management
Donnway & Co
Erin Duran
Manager
11th & Co/A Seat at the Table
Ebonie Ward
Chairwoman/CEO
Forward Artists Management
Tyler Childs
Founder; co-founder, The Crossover Group
Good Day Management
Gordan Dillard
Josh Kaplan
Co-founders/co-CEOs
Good Money Global
Antoine “Fee” Banks
CEO
Alex Junnier
CEO, Culturvated
Kyle “Montana” Claiborne
Founder, Claiborne Consultants
Laffitte Management Group
Ron Laffitte
Founder/president
ØN 91
Cristina Bran McDonald
Founder/artist manager
OVMBR
Beniam “Hanz” Hannes
Artist manager
Claudia Dragone
Marketing lead
SALXCO
Lindsay Unwin
CEO
Manny Dion
Ryan Ramsey
Co-presidents
Franz de los Reyes
Head of marketing
Camillle Delaney
Delanie Lowe
Artist management
Seeing Sounds/AMATR
Armin Motamedi
Management, Seeing Sounds
Jory Carver
Strategist/product manager, AMATR
Top Dawg Entertainment
Anthony “Top Dawg” Tiffith
CEO
Terrence “Punch” Henderson
Anthony “Moosa” Tiffith
Co-presidents
Tycoon Music
Anthony “Ant” Wilson
Manager
Streaming
Amazon Music
Phylicia Fant
Global director of Black music and culture
Melanie Mercedes
Senior social lead
Sharon Bako
Senior manager of artist relations
Apple Music
Ebro Darden
Global head of editorial for hip-hop and R&B
Walter J. Tucker
Music business partnerships lead for hip-hop and R&B
Yomi Desalu
Music editorial for hip-hop, Caribbean and sports music
Dominique Higdon
Music editorial for R&B
SoundCloud
Maurice Slade
Head of music
Spotify
Carl Chery
Creative director/head of urban music
Alaysia Sierra
Head of R&B
Brandon Payano
R&B lead of artist partnerships
Kimmy Summers
Lead of artist partnerships
YouTube Music
Brittany Lewis
Artist partnerships lead
Noah Rakoski
Head of West Coast label partnerships
Rachel Jackson
Artist partnerships manager
Darrick Williams
Label partnerships
Publishing
Kobalt Music Publishing
Lindsey Lanier
Vp of hip-hop, R&B and gospel
Kate Loesch
Senior director of creative
Sony Music Publishing
Ari Gelaw
Senior vp of creative A&R
Jamin Whatley
Senior director of creative A&R
Amir Dastoori
Da’Shawn Vinson
Senior managers of creative A&R
Universal Music Publishing Group
Cristina Chavez
Vp of A&R
Omar Teagle
Senior director of A&R
Warner Chappell Music
Ryan Press
President of North America
Amber Davis
Senior vp/head of A&R for U.K.
Xavier Champagne
Senior director of urban A&R
Media
Audacy
Skip Dillard
Urban AC and throwbacks format vp
Mike Street
Vp of programming/on-air host
BET
Connie Orlando
Executive vp/head of specials, music programming and strategy
Genius
Rob Markman
Vp of music and content
iHeartMedia
Doc Wynter
President of hip-hop and R&B programming strategy/program director, KRRL (Real 92.3) Los Angeles
Thea Mitchem
Executive vp of programming/executive vp of hip-hop and R&B programming strategy/program director, WWPR (Power 105.1) New York
Charlamagne Tha God
Co-host, The Breakfast Club/chief creative officer of cultural content and programming; co-founder/chief creative officer, Black Effect Podcast Network; co-host, The Brilliant Idiots
DJ Envy
Co-host, The Breakfast Club and The Casey Crew
Jess Hilarious
Co-host, The Breakfast Club
Angela Yee
Host, Way Up With Angela Yee and Angela Yee’s Lip Service
Meta
Nicole Johnson
Music creator partnerships
Radio One/Reach Media, Urban One
Colby Tyner
Senior vp of programming, Radio One/Reach Media
Dre Smith
Senior director of creator network and partnerships, Urban One
SiriusXM
Joshua “J1” Raiford
Dion Summers
Vps of music programming
Ryan Hobbs
Senior director of artist and industry relations
Agencies
CAA
Zack Borson
Joseph Harris
Cheryl Paglierani
Ryan Thomson
Music agents
Cara Lewis Group
Cara Lewis
Founder/CEO
Day After Day Productions
Seth Shomes
Founder/CEO
Independent Artist Group
Alex Chaykin
Partner/agent
Paul O’Loughlin
Max Rosenfield
Agents
THE·TEAM
Callender
Senior vp
Eli Gelernter
Lauren Marker
Vps
Mallory Smith
Director of music brand partnerships
UTA
Rob Gibbs
Partner/co-head of UTA Atlanta/head of Atlanta music
Mike G
Zach Iser
Caroline Yim
Partners/agents
WME
Craig D’Souza
Partner/agent
Justin Nabors
Caroline Simionescu-Marin
Jordan Stone
Agents
Live
AEG Presents
Adam Stroul
Talent buyer
Black Promoters Collective
Gary Guidry
Partner/CEO
Shelby Joyner
Partner/president
Troy Brown
Partner/chief marketing officer
Sulaiman Mausi
Partner/senior vp
Walter Reed Jr.
Partner/senior vp of talent acquisitions
Janice Cotton
Partner/vp
Over the last 18 months, the Black Promoters Collective presented Brandy & Monica’s The Boy Is Mine Tour, New Edition’s Way Tour and The Millennium Tour Presents: The Boys 4 Life Tour with B2K, Bow Wow and Omarion. That calendar kept the promoter busy but helped it hit its goals. As CEO Gary Guidry says, “It’s the year of being innovative.”
With its recent outings, the company has worked to package artists for tours, creating experiences for fans where their favorite artists will perform with each other.
“We did that with Brandy and Monica and New Edition, where the artist didn’t perform one after the other but intertwined,” Guidry says. “It changed the trajectory of what people want to see. We reintroduced something.”
While the concept of such onstage collaborations is not new, Guidry notes it became less frequent over the last 20 years. But the format is roaring back — look no further than Usher and Chris Brown’s Live Nation-promoted stadium tour this year — as a way to entice fans.
Since it launched in 2020, the independent promotion company has worked to highlight hip-hop and R&B artists and help them better connect with their audiences.
Over the years, the Black Promoters Collective has worked with Mary J. Blige, Ella Mai and Queen Naija — and this year, it ranked at No. 10 on Billboard Boxscore’s midyear 2026 Top Promoters chart, marking the first time it cracked the top 10.
“Preservation of culture is important to authenticity,” Guidry says. “Those moments of authenticity where you feel like something resonates with your spirit — those stay with you forever. Those are the things that drive people to fall in love with certain artists and certain music and certain songs.” —Ariel King
Goldenvoice
Ellen Lu
Vp of regional festivals
Live Nation
Cindy Agi-Williams
Colin Lewis
Global tour promoters
Sasha Rincon-Camacho
Vp of tour marketing
Austin Sarich
Sascha Stone Guttfreud
Tour promoters
Live Nation Urban
Shawn Gee
President
Richard Gay
COO
Mari Davies
Vp of talent and booking
Malcolm Gray
Vp of marketing
Brandon Pankey
Vp of business development and operations
When Shawn Gee partnered with Live Nation to launch Live Nation Urban in 2017, the longtime manager of both The Roots and Jill Scott had a straightforward goal: “To better cater to the genres’ underserved audiences by developing original urban-focused events, festival brands and strategic content partnerships for emerging, established and classic hip-hop, R&B and gospel artists.”
Since then, the Live Nation Urban team has realized that mission in spades, with an expansive docket of partnerships, festivals and campaigns. Over the last 12 to 18 months, those ranged from the inaugural HBCU Awarefest and music/cultural festival BET Experience (BETX) leading up to the annual BET Awards to Atlanta’s ONE Musicfest and Lil Wayne’s Lil’ Weezyana Fest in the rapper’s hometown of New Orleans — to say nothing of headlining tours with T.I., 112 and Jagged Edge.
This spring, Gee experienced a full-circle moment when the 18th annual Roots Picnic reunited the Philadelphia collective (Billboard’s Hip-Hop Hall of Fame honorees this year) with Jay-Z as headliners — “proof,” Gee says, “of what persistence and creative connection can do.”
That connection dates back to 2001, when Gee was organizing one of his “first big deals” as a manager: the MTV special and live album Jay-Z Unplugged with The Roots as the backing band. “It was a genuine culture clash,” Gee recalls. “The Roots were ‘backpack’ artistic leaders of underground hip-hop. Jay was the King of New York City, opulence personified. That pairing was one of many things that cemented The Roots’ legacy and impact on hip-hop, as it introduced live instrumentation to a generation of hip-hop artists. It made it ‘cool and safe’ for the genre to put a band onstage.”
Inspired six years ago to re-create that moment and the creative bond between Jay-Z and The Roots’ Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson, Gee began sending offers to Roc Nation CEO Desiree Perez. In turn, he received “six polite no’s.” Then this year, the answer was yes.
“When Jay stepped onstage — spotlight on his Afro — the world was watching,” Gee says. “There will be other big moments on this [Jay-Z] run, but there’s only one ‘first time back.’ We got to make that happen, and I’m grateful to Jay and Desiree for trusting us with it.”
The night before June’s BET Awards, Live Nation Urban brought the Roots Picnic experience to Los Angeles for a third year. Billed as “A Great Night in Hip-Hop” and co-produced by the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the evening at the Hollywood Bowl starred The Roots and Nas. That same pairing recently took the event global with the first-ever Roots Picnic London in early August.
As The Roots continue their long-running stint as Jimmy Fallon’s late-night house band, the group’s co-founders, Thompson and Tariq “Black Thought” Trotter, are moving further into the film, TV and digital arenas. This year, the duo’s award-winning Two One Five Entertainment production company released the documentary Earth, Wind & Fire (To Be Celestial vs. That’s the Weight of the World) and kick-started a new digital talk show, The Next Move, based on Questlove’s own famed game nights.
In February, Scott released her first album in 11 years, To Whom This May Concern, which Gee singles out as another favorite moment of the past year. “When Jill told me the songs were ‘walking her up,’ I knew it was time,” he says. “But I also knew the challenge ahead.”
While Scott’s Woman debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 in 2015, that feat happened in an early streaming, Facebook-era world. This time, Gee says, “the job was making her music matter in the 2026 conversation.”
Gee and partners Human Re Sources/The Orchard built and executed a rollout “to remind longtime fans what Jill makes them feel,” as well as to introduce “her to a new generation of young women who grew up hearing her with their mothers and now hear her completely differently as adults.” To Whom This May Concern debuted in the top 10 across seven Billboard charts, including Top Album Sales (No. 7) and Top R&B Albums (No. 4).
Scott is currently on the road with her residency-style tour of the same name, which launched June 4 with three nights in Nashville. All told, the Grammy winner will perform 34 shows across 13 markets in the United States before heading to Europe and the United Kingdom in October and Africa in November.
In September, Scott reprises her role as Sheila Jackson when the third chapter of Tyler Perry’s popular film franchise, Why Did I Get Married Again?, comes to Netflix.
“For me as a manager,” Gee says, “it’s about, how do I grow my clients’ business around their interests year over year — and continue to stay relevant in the marketplace over multiple decades?”
Sharing his perspective on the state of R&B and hip-hop, Gee says while “often lumped together” the genres have totally different dynamics. “R&B is thriving across generations,” he continues, citing examples like Usher and Chris Brown’s stadium tour, the chart success of artists like Kehlani and Leon Thomas, and R&B’s global reach. “What’s happening in the U.K. with kwn, Sasha Keable and Elmiene, in addition to its influence on pop superstars like RAYE and Olivia Dean, is exciting.”
As for hip-hop, Gee believes that the future revolves around its next wave of superstars. “Drake, Travis Scott, Kendrick Lamar, Tyler, The Creator and J. Cole … that Mount Rushmore has been running the genre for nearly 15 years,” Gee says. “Who’s next, and how do you build that kind of mystique and aura in an era of influencer marketing and information overload?” —G.M.
Mainstay Touring
Rod Wave
Founder/CEO
Rolling Loud
Tariq Cherif
Co-founder; founder, TC Music
Matt Zingler
Co-founder/CEO; founder/CEO, Motion Music
Associations
The Black Music Action Coalition
Willie “Prophet” Stiggers
Co-founder/president/CEO
Femme It Forward
Heather Lowery
Founder/CEO
Finance
City National Bank
Randie Brooks
Senior vp/team leader of entertainment and sports banking
HarbourView Equity Partners
Sherrese Clarke
Founder/CEO
With now close to $4 billion in entertainment assets under management, Clarke’s HarbourView Equity Partners has been busy investing across music, film, TV and sports.
In the past year, Clarke highlights the company’s acquisition of the Quincy Jones catalog as well as its partnership with Colors x Studio for a special rerelease of Chaka Khan’s “Through the Fire”; the video of Khan’s performance of the song was viewed 11 million times in 48 hours. At the time of Jones’ death in late 2024, Clarke says she was working with his family to establish a partnership.
“We’re creating an intergenerational loop [introducing Khan and Jones] to a new audience … in a way that is authentic to who the artists are and the next generation’s digital experience,” Clarke says.
“What’s really important to us, whether it’s R&B and hip-hop, heavy metal, pop, rock, Spanish-language music, any of the things that we touch, is that we center audience and artistry in everything that we do. In R&B and hip-hop, where sometimes people may not think that there is the same intrinsic value, it’s been really important to me to demonstrate that we will do those two things and that value is not exclusive to any one particular genre.”
When asked what the most important issue facing those genres is today, Clarke says, “We need to let art be art,” offering the example of Yung Miami’s Billboard Hot 100 top 20 hit, “Spend Dat,” which some, including India.Arie, have criticized for its lyrics about theft and scams. “Art has to reflect the times. A robust conversation about it is fine, but there’s no world where we should be paternalistic about what art should say or not say. If no one’s interested, it won’t be engaging. And if it is engaging, you have to ask yourself why.” —Elizabeth Dilts Marshall
Rights
ASCAP
Nicole George-Middleton
Executive vp/head of creative membership
BMI
Catherine Brewton
Vp of creative, Atlanta
SESAC
Mario Prins
Senior vp/head of L.A. creative
SoundExchange
Sean Glover
Director of industry engagement
Contributors: Katie Bain, Anna Chan, Ed Christman, Kyle Denis, Angel Diaz, Thom Duffy, Lyndsey Havens, Ariel King, Carl Lamarre, Elizabeth Dilts Marshall, Taylor Mims, Gail Mitchell, Kristin Robinson, Dan Rys, Michael Saponara, Andrew Unterberger
Methodology: Billboard executive power list honorees are chosen by our editorial staff with consideration given to industry nominations. For industry-sourced executive lists, nominations open no less than 150 days in advance of publication. A submission link is sent to all who request to participate in the power list process before the nomination period. (Email thom.duffy@billboard.com for inclusion on the email list for nomination links and for how to obtain an editorial calendar.) Priority for the R&B/Hip-Hop Power Players list was given to companies previously recognized on the Billboard Power 100. Priority for managers was given to those whose clients ranked highest on year-end artist and Boxscore charts, and those whose clients are participants in the R&B/Hip-Hop Power Players event. Honorees are chosen by editors based on factors including the impact of honorees and their companies on consumer behavior, as measured by year-end Billboard charts, sales and streaming performance, market share, revenue or, where not available, Billboard revenue estimates, which may be aided by company guidance, social media impressions and radio audiences reached, using data available as of July 9. Career trajectory and momentum were also considered. Where required, U.S. record-label market share was consulted using Luminate’s current market share for albums, plus track-equivalent and streaming-equivalent album consumption and Billboard’s quarterly top 10 publisher rankings. Unless otherwise noted, Billboard Boxscore and Luminate are the sources for tour grosses and sales/streaming data, respectively. Luminate is also the source for radio audience metrics. The source for radio metrics is monitored station airplay from Mediabase provided by Luminate.
Executives on the Rise
Separate from R&B/Hip-Hop Power Players, these five executives are designated by Billboard as up-and-comers to watch.
Tefferi “Teff” Mogus
Vp/head of A&R, Death Row Records
Travis Wilson
CEO, FTS Global Management
Sanchey “Dharmic” Jain
GM, Mainstay Music; manager, Rod Wave
Azia Javier
Vp of creative, Roc Nation
Demario “Meechii” Smith
Manager, Sequence Management
This story appears in the Aug. 22, 2026, issue of Billboard.