Executive of the Week: Dreamville Co-Founder Ibrahim 'Ib
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Bulletin YOUR DAILY ENTERTAINMENT NEWS UPDATE MAY 28, 2021 Page 1 of 20 INSIDE Executive of the Week: Dreamville • How Does Co-Founder Ibrahim ‘Ib’ Hamad Humbleriot Founder Anthony Demby Stay BY DAN RYS Mindful? When J. Cole released his sixth studio album, The Off- tinue breaking new ground and how management has • Identity, Awareness Season, out on Dreamville/Roc Nation/Interscope, it evolved in the decade since he and Cole made their & Representation: An AAPI Heritage Month launched a tidal wave that swept over the charts. The breakthrough in 2011. Conversation With release landed Cole his sixth straight No. 1 on the J. Cole’s The Off-Season became his sixth No. 1 Young the Giant’s Billboard 200, all 12 songs in the top 40 of the Hot album on the Billboard 200. What key decisions Sameer Gadhia 100, a record-tying four in the top 10, and leading to did you make to help make that happen? • Garth Brooks his first-ever time topping the Hot 100 Songwriters I don’t think it’s any one decision that I would sit Remembers chart, the Streaming Songs chart and the Hot Rap here and take credit for personally, because every de- Dewayne Blackwell, Songs and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs charts. cision is made together with Cole. The way Cole and ‘Friends in Low In short, it was a monumental album release in I have grown to work together, we talk about every Places’ Songwriter: a career that has seen several of them. And it earns decision before we press go. It’s very collaborative and Exclusive Dreamville co-founder and Cole’s longtime man- I think he pushes me to always push myself and come • Here Are All the ager Ibrahim “Ib” Hamad the title of Billboard’s back with better ideas, the same way I try to push him 2021 iHeartRadio Executive of the Week. in certain areas. Whenever an idea comes in that we Music Awards Hamad has worked alongside Cole for their entire all like, we push it and see how far we can take it. Winners careers, launching Dreamville and building it from a All 12 of the songs on the album hit the top 40 • The Weeknd, Dua label home for Cole into a full, functioning company of the Hot 100, while four of them debuted in Lipa & Other Record- with several other budding stars signed to its roster. the top 10, tying a record, including “my.life,” the Setters at 2021 And along the way he’s helped build Cole into one of iHeartRadio Music highest-charting song of his career. What did you Awards the hip-hop world’s premier artists, building on Cole’s do differently this time to make sure this album’s talent to expand into different lanes and help build his individual songs had such a big impact? brand into one that extends beyond genre. (continued) Here, Hamad discusses what went into the rollout The Billboard Bulletin will not publish on May and release of such a big album, Cole’s ability to con- 31st. We will resume publishing on June 1st. TOTAL IMMERSION ESSENTIAL ANALYSIS of the latest business topics and trends formulated to give industry players the competitive advantage in a rapidly changing market. EXCLUSIVE QUARTERLY REPORTS that deliver in-depth, holistic reporting; case studies; and custom data designed to serve the industry. A DEEP DIVE LIBRARY stocked with intelligence on fan data, SUBSCRIBE TO BILLBOARD PRO FOR song catalog sales, TV synchs, Africa’s burgeoning music ACCESS TO NEW REPORTS business and the gaming industry’s embrace of artists. 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ISSUE DATE 6/26 | AD CLOSE 6/16 | MATERIALS DUE 6/17 Page 3 of 20 IN BRIEF I think what we did differently this time is What goes into a great rollout campaign that are looking to be able to work with a make the rollout and the moment leading up these days, and how did you approach company like Dreamville, but also more to the release feel so big and interesting, so this one in particular? importantly just to learn and get better at that it made not only Cole fans but just pop For me, what goes into a great rollout what they do. culture in general pay attention. Once you is being able to give the fans insight and After a decade in the music busi- do that, the music does the rest of the work perspective on where the artist is at this ness, how has being a manager changed and I think this is Cole’s best work, which is point of his life and why this music is com- or evolved through the years? What what led to such a big reaction. ing. It can’t be just, “Here’s music because is required now that wasn’t when you Cole also tops a slew of other charts here’s music.” Cole has such a connection started? for the first time, including the Hot 100 with his fans that they grow with him and So much has changed it literally feels like Songwriters chart, the Streaming Songs for them to see where he is and just hear it’s a new industry every couple of years. chart and both the R&B/Hip-Hop Songs his perspective goes a long way for the In the decade-plus we’ve been doing this, and Hot Rap Songs charts. Ten years af- music. The documentary was that, so was we’ve watched the game go from physi- ter his debut album, what does it mean to the Slam cover story and even going as far cal CDs and a little bit of iTunes, to iTunes continue to be breaking new ground? back as the Players Tribune piece in July. with a little bit of CDs, to iTunes and a little It’s obviously great to make history. It Everything offers perspective that makes streaming with CDs dying, to a point we speaks to the reach of the music, especially the fans that grew with him want to hear are now where it’s basically just streaming, since Cole does it with a 12-song album and what’s next and that’s important to us and especially in our genre. That alone, plus the not, like, 20 songs. At the same time, I know has always been a part of Cole’s growth. amount of music that’s constantly coming how quickly the game changes and I’m It’s also a lot of real-time adjustments that out every week, changes everything about sure that record will get broken by the next happen too now with our rollouts because how you release and promote music. We’re big release. It speaks more to where our the game moves so fast. blessed that we’ve been able to adjust every genre is and how big of an impact hip-hop Dreamville and Apple also recent- step of the way. You can’t do what worked has right now. The goal, though, is never ly partnered with the Marcus Graham the last album release ‘cause things are so the numbers. It’s more about how far we Project to sponsor 12 individuals in its different. I think the reason we’re still here can push ourselves creatively. If Cole does marketing and media bootcamp. Why is and doing it at a higher level than ever is what he does at the highest level and we as that important to you guys? because we’re students of the game and Dreamville can do what we do at the highest This is important to us because we all understand what we need to do to merge level to push it out, then the numbers will started as these kids looking for opportuni- who we are and how we connect with our reflect exactly how much the music is able ties and not knowing how or where to get fans with what’s happening in today’s game. to impact people. them. The Dreamville team ran point on That’s important for growth. You guys set up the album with the Ap- this and was led by Candace Rodney on plying Pressure documentary, a new Puma that partnership and I think it’s going to collaboration and a social media push. be a great opportunity for young creatives AUTHORITATIVE INTELLIGENCE. DELIVERED DIGITALLY. CLICK HERE FOR FREE DELIVERY DIGITAL NEWSLETTERS 2021 BLACK EYED PEAS 25TH ANNIVERSARY Over the past 25 years, the Los Angeles trio—will.i.am, The album single from December 2020, “GIRL LIKE ME” apl.de.ap, and Taboo—earned six GRAMMY® Awards and [feat. Shakira] achieved success on Latin and Top 40 achieved sales of 35 million albums and 120 million singles radio, and was the subject of a viral TikTok challenge in across seminal releases such as Elephunk, The E.N.D., and late 2020.