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Part 4: Lyor Cohen on Launching "300", Why He Signed Young Thug & Their Relationship
Part 2: Lyor Cohen on Becoming Def Jam Owner, Drake Not Signing, Def Jam Sold for $100M+
Part 1: Lyor Cohen on Growing Up in LA & Israel, Losing All His Money Doing a Hip-Hop Show
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Lyor Cohen spoke about his journey as a music executive after a significant merger. Being the first hip-hop president of a major label, he aimed to transform the perception of the genre in order to do "great work." He joined Warner Music as chairman and CEO in 2004 due to unresolved internal politics at Universal and an enticing offer from Edgar Bronfman, owner of Universal. At Warner, he aimed to make the company stand out by focusing on artist development, necessitating a smaller roster. This strategy gave birth to 360 deals. Rather than viewing this as a quick profit scheme, he stressed his goal was to establish a partnership with artists, allowing them to grow and develop over time. This different perspective on the controversial concept of 360 deals, he believes, has the potential to reshape the music industry.
