As reported by Billboard, Kevin Liles has announced that he will be stepping down from his position as chairman and CEO of 300 Entertainment at the end of September. In an internal message to staff acquired by Billboard, Liles stated that he would be leaving his role as CEO of the Warner Music-owned label at the end of the month, but will continue to serve as a consultant through the year. WMG CEO Robert Kyncl expressed his admiration for Liles, referring to him as an "extraordinary brand-builder, artist advocate, and champion of creative expression." Kyncl also announced that 300 will not seek a replacement for Liles, highlighting the capable leadership of co-presidents Rayna Bass and Selim Bouab, as well as Elektra president Gregg Nadel.
300 Entertainment was co-founded by Liles, Lyor Cohen, Todd Moscowitz, and Roger Gold in late 2014 as an independent label. The label quickly made a name for itself by signing and developing future music entities such as Megan Thee Stallion, Migos, Fetty Wap, and Young Thug. In 2021, the label was acquired by Warner Music Group, which subsequently integrated it into the Atlantic Music Group, forming the 300 Elektra Entertainment Group in 2022.
The changes at 300 Entertainment come in the wake of the departures of WMG's CEO of recorded music Max Lousada, longtime Atlantic leader Julie Greenwald, and the upcoming appointment of 10K Projects founder Elliot Grainge as CEO of the new-look AMG. WMG has been under the leadership of Kyncl since January 1, 2023.
According to sources, additional executive departures may be anticipated during this leadership transition.
Reflecting on his time at 300 Entertainment, Liles remarked, "The cultural impact we created in 10 years when starting from scratch is simply unmatched in the modern era. We transformed our value proposition – ‘mindset of independent, muscle of a major’ – into a model for the rest of the industry to chase in this new era of music. But if there’s one consistent in music and culture, it’s that change is inevitable."
Kevin Liles full memo to staff:
A Celebration of Who We Are Team, From the start, 300 was centered around the idea that when you intensely focus on servicing artists and the culture, good things happen. When we combined that intention with our fearlessness, creativity, and passion, it unlocked greatness and delivered impact. Next month, 300 will be celebrating its tenth anniversary of greatness and impact. I wanted to take a moment to express my gratitude to our team and share some news.
A Decade of InfluenceThroughout the past decade, we stayed true to our original vision and values. As we created the first ever label ecosystem in the industry, we celebrated Trap Queens, we Dripped Too Hard as a Lifestyle, and it was always a Hot Girl Summer, even on our Skis. We have leaders like the Bad and Boujee Rayna Bass who can switch between Pushin P and being Savage with No Promises other than excellence. Then there’s the Awwsome Selim Bouab who is Hot regardless of whether in Japan, The London, or From The D To The A. Our whole team is One of Wun. Our Bread & Butter was saying less and doing more – when others talked, we didn’t stop to ask Fukumean, we just said Good Morning Gorgeous and proved Boy’s A Liar. Whether Lydia, Kehlani, or 679 of Your Friends, we made fans evangelists. We Mixed Personalities, put in work like it’s First Day Out, and ran up Digits that made everyone Pick Up The Phone.
Then when we became part of the WMG family and joined forces with Gregg Nadel and other brilliant minds and artists across Elektra Music Group, we continued to deliver Religiously and Right On Time. As 3EE, we had The Craving to always make it Bigger Than The Song, whether it felt like we were on Holiday or between a Rock And A Hard Place.
The cultural impact we created in 10 years when starting from scratch is simply unmatched in the modern era. We transformed our value proposition – “mindset of independent, muscle of a major” – into a model for the rest of the industry to chase in this new era of music. But if there’s one consistent in music and culture, it’s that change is inevitable.
As committed servants of the culture, we know growing and empowering the next generation of leaders is a responsibility, and when the time is right, we pass the torch. As I mentioned above, at 300 we have two of the most talented, home-grown young leaders in the entire music industry, Rayna Bass and Selim Bouab. On this tenth anniversary of 300, it’s their turn to lead our 300 team into the next decade of excellence. At the end of this month, I’ll be stepping aside and departing WMG, although to ensure a successful transition, I’ll continue to consult with the team through the end of the year.
300 has never been about one person or one artist. It’s a movement united in belief in our culture and community. Personally, I’m looking forward to my next chapter where I will continue to Listen, Learn, Lead, and Love. Specifically, I will be continuing the fight to end the criminalization of hip-hop lyrics exemplified by the unjust prosecution of Jeffery Williams. And in the short-term, I’ll be dedicating all my other time to making history by electing Kamala Harris as the first African-American female President, as well as holding the Senate and winning back the House to make Hakeem Jeffries the first African-American Speaker. This chapter may be closing, but always remember: #jobnotdone.
I have full faith in the leadership of Rayna, Selim, and Gregg, and I want to extend a sincere thank you to Len and the senior leaders at WMG who have empowered our success, particularly Robert, Max, and Julie.
Thank You and God Bless, Kevin
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