Magic Johnson Michael Kyser Bryan Leach
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Magic Johnson ii.OWNER, MAGIC JOHNSON ENTERPRISES BUSINESS BAILER The Los Angeles Lakers and NBA legend is still playing ball: He's part of the Guggenheim Partners -backed group that pur- chased the Los Angeles Dodgers this year. But Earvin "Magic" Johnson is also prepping fora formidable slam-dunk in urban entertainment. No stranger to that arena, Johnson once hosted a short-lived late -night talk show-"The Magic Hour"-on Fox in 1998. Two years later, he launched Magic Johnson Music. A joint venture with MCA Music, the label scored several hits with R&B singer/songwriter Avant. Fast -forward 12 years and Johnson is now rolling out his own cable channel, Aspire. Focusing on fam- ily -driven content and positive images ofAfrican-Americans, the channel went live June 27 to 7 million Comcast and Time Warner Cable homes in 16 ofthe top 25 African -American markets, induding New York, Atlanta, Chicago and Washington, D.C. Among the personalities helming its prime -time programming blocks: Grammy Award winner Esperanza Spalding, who will host Aspire's "Groundbreaking Music" lineup on Friday nights. Aside from TV, Magic Johnson Enterprises has an interest in Inner City Broadcasting, parent to New York urban radio institu- tion WBLS. Also under the Johnson umbrella: Vibe magazine and the "Soul Train" franchise, whose annual awards show airs on BET's Centric channel. -Gail Mitchell MICHAEL KYSER Michael Kyser is Atlantic's PRESIDENT OFBLACK MUSIC, ATLANTIC RECORDS GROUP irsores!.en of black music. EXPANSIONPLAYER Signaling a redoubled commitment to expand its stake in R&B and hip -hop, Atlantic appointed Michael Kyser 1 label in the world. It should be the premier destination as its first president of black music at the top of last for any artist. I think it still is, but I want to reinvigorate year. At the time, Warner Music Group's 14.2% share of 2010 JOIE MANDA it and really work on the branding of Def jam. I want to U.S. R&B album sales (which include hip -hop) was a distant remind people how important it is. third behind Universal Music Group (47.8%) and Sony Music PRESIDENT, DEF JAM RECORDINGS Entertainment (26.7%), according to Nielsen SoundScan. That What's the most important thing Def Jam can do still represented a sizable gain from 9.8% in 2005. Meanwhile, GOING FOR to continue its 30 -year legacy? Atlantic accounted for most of WMG's 2010 R&B albums tally, THE WORLD TITLE What Def Jam needs to do, and will do right now, is think with a 9% share of the market. By the end of 2011, Atlantic ac- of nontraditional ways to put artists and music out. That's counted for 6.7% of U.S. recorded -music sales, ahead of War- n March, Joie Manda left his two-year tenure as where Def Jam came from. When Russell and Rick started ner Bros. (5.8%) and rivals RCA (6.6%) and Universal Republic head of urban music at Warner Bros. Records this company, there was no blueprint fora rap label. We're (6.3%). Contributing to Atlantic's banner year was rapper Wiz to become president of Def Jam Recordings. It thinking of nontraditional ways. Radio is important, obvi- Khalifa, whose debut album, Rolling Papers, bowed at No. 2 on marked the first time the position had been filled since ously. That's how we get our music to the masses. But we the Billboard 200 thanks to such hits as the platinum -selling Jay -Z ended his three-year reign in 2007. At WBR, really are trying to think of different ways. "Roll Up" and "Black and Yellow." Manda was responsible for signing Common, Maybach Previously a VP at Def Jam, Kyser joined Atlantic as execu- Music Group and Waka Flocka Flame to the imprint, Radio is obviously an integral focus of any label, tive VP of urban music in 2004. "When I came into Atlantic, building a strong roster before exiting. but hip -hop doesn't have as strong a we were kind of all over the place in R&B/hip-hop," Kyser Now three months on the job at Def Jam, grip on pop radio as it once did. How told Billboard last March. "The one thing I wanted to focus Manda is settling into his duties as head of do you hope to bring that back? on was putting together a tight lineup-not more than 20 the decades -old imprint, founded by Rick I think that music, not just hip -hop, has artists on the urban roster." Kyser's tight lineup includes Rubin and Russell Simmons in 1984. Over- become homogenized lately. We're not Lupe Fiasco, Tank, Estelle, Janelle Mollie, Musiq Soulchild, seeing upcoming albums from Nas, Rick scared to sign artists that don't fit inside Andre Harrell's Harrell Records and B.o.B, whose newly re- Ross, 2 Chainz and Kanye West's G.O.O.D. of a box and aren't commercial or com- leased sophomore set, Strange Clouds, debuted at No. 1 on Music, Manda explains how realizing an mercially marketable. We're looking for Top R&B/ Hip -Hop Albums. On tap are high -profile releases artist's vision is of foremost importance as the 2012 N.W.A, the 2012 Public Enemy. by Flo Rida, Trey Songz and T. I. -Gail Mitchell he tries to turn Def Jam from one of the Stuff that other labels would probably say, premier labels in hip -hop into the most "What are we going to do with this? This successful imprint in the world. isn't commercial, this isn't going to cross Bryan Leach over." That's what we're looking for. CEO, POLO GROUNDS MUSIC What did you take from Warner Bros. Where do you the biggest po- and apply to Def Jam? see THE TALENT DEVELOPER Patience. You have to be patient, and you also have to re- tential for growth and opportunity that could use member why we're here: to help new artists. We really work nurturing at the label? wring his 11 -year stint with indie label TVT Records- for the artist. That's the mantra and ethos. Right now, all the people who are involved in artist devel- first as director of artist development in 1995 and opment here, we're all going to take steroids. We're going then as VP of urban A&R beginning in 1998-Bryan What's your goal as president of the label? to be the best in the world at artist development. Ifyou're a Leach signed crunk master Lil Jon, the Ying Yang Twins and To have all of our artists facilitate their vision, to bring their new artist, you're going to want to be on Def Jam, because Cuban -American rapper Pitbull. Of that period, Leach has said music to market in the right way and to do their creativity we're going to be patient and we're going to spend the time he "learned how to slow -bake and develop talent as opposed to justice. My other goal is to revive the Def Jam brand. Forget and the money to really develop new artists. microwaving it; to focus on signing stars and choosing shots." about the No. 1 label in urban music; it needs to be the No. -Steven J. Horowitz Building on that philosophy, Leach established Polo Grounds Music in 2006, a joint venture with RCA Records. In the six years since, Polo Grounds has built a name for itself, thanks to chart - 30 BILLBOARD JULY 7, 2012.