Jeff Vaughn is an American music executive. He is the Founder and CEO of Signal Records, a joint venture with Columbia Records. [1] Until 2021, he was the Chairman and CEO of Capitol Music Group. He was the featured executive in Billboard 's 40 Under 40 list in 2021. [2]
Vaughn was born in Virginia. He graduated from Duke University. [3]
Vaughn started his career at United Talent Agency. In 2011, he joined newly launched Artist Partner Group, then a joint venture with Atlantic Records. [4] During his time at Artist Partner Group, he signed and worked closely with hip hop/R&B powerhouses Youngboy Never Broke Again, Kehlani, Kevin Gates, NLE Choppa, NoCap, Rico Nasty, Lil Skies and Don Toliver, among others. [5] He was also instrumental in the signing of Young Thug to Atlantic. [6]
In 2020, he became the President of Capitol Records, [5] and became Chairman and CEO of Capitol Music Group the next year. [7] Under his leadership, the label signed RIAA multi-platinum certified artist Toosii and Kay Flock and secured the label's first No. 1 album on Billboard's Top R&B Albums Chart in decades with Queen Naija's missunderstood album. The label also saw success with numerous RIAA multi-platinum and platinum certified releases from new artists, including Capella Grey's Gyalis , Surf Mesa's ily (i love you baby) and Mooski's Track Star. [8]
He was honored in the cover story of Billboard’s 40 Under 40 list in 2021 for reinvigorating the Capitol roster and expanding the label’s investments in hip hop and R&B. [8]
In 2022, he founded the Los Angeles-based record label Signal Records and became its CEO. [9]
G-funk, short for gangsta funk, is a sub-genre of gangsta rap that emerged from the West Coast scene in the early 1990s. The genre is heavily influenced by the synthesizer-heavy 1970s funk sound of Parliament-Funkadelic, often incorporated through samples or re-recordings. It is represented by commercially successful albums such as Dr. Dre's The Chronic (1992) and Snoop Dogg's Doggystyle (1993).
Aftermath Entertainment is an American record label founded by hip hop producer and rapper Dr. Dre in 1996. It operates as a subsidiary of Universal Music Group, and is distributed through Interscope Records.
Jermaine Dupri Mauldin is an American record producer, rapper, singer, songwriter, and record executive. Raised in Atlanta as the son of Columbia Records executive Michael Mauldin, he began his career in music production at the age of nine. He discovered the teen hip hop duo Kris Kross in 1991. Dupri wrote and produced their 1992 single "Jump," which peaked atop the Billboard Hot 100 and was named the 23rd most successful song of that decade. He established his own record label, So So Def Recordings in a joint venture with Columbia the following year.
Uptown Records is an American record label, based in New York City, founded in 1986 by old school rapper ‘Dr Jekyll’ - Andre Harrell. From the late 1980s into the early 1990s, it was a leader in New Jack Swing, R&B, hip hop., and Hip Hop-Soul
The Island Def Jam Music Group (IDJMG) was an American recording music unit, formed on December 31, 1998 by Universal Music Group. It consisted of labels created under the operations of Island Records and Def Jam Recordings. On April 1, 2014, Universal Music Group publicly announced the disbandment of the Island Def Jam Music Group, leaving IDJMG and its affiliated subsidiaries compelled as separate sister labels.
Priority Records is an American distribution company and record label known for artists including N.W.A, Ice Cube, MC Ren, Eazy-E, Master P, Snoop Dogg, Mos Def, Silkk the Shocker, Jay-Z, Paris, Mack 10, 504 Boyz, Brotha Lynch Hung, C-Murder, Mia X, Westside Connection, and Ice-T. It also distributed hip hop record labels including Death Row Records, Hoo-Bangin' Records, No Limit Records, Posthuman Records, Rap-A-Lot Records, Rawkus Records, Roc-A-Fella Records, Ruthless Records Duck Down Records, and Wu-Tang Records. According to Billboard, "few record labels were as important to the rise of West Coast hip hop as Priority Records".
Loud Records, LLC. is a record label founded by Steve Rifkind and Rich Isaacson in 1991. Rifkind served as the chief executive officer while Isaacson served as the president of the label.
G-Unit Records is an American record label, owned by Universal Music Group. Founded in 2003 by rapper 50 Cent, the label was operated by Interscope Records until February 2014. Thereafter, distribution of G-Unit operated under Caroline Records and Capitol Music Group. The label had also launched the subsidiary label G-Note Records, which caters to R&B and pop. The label's flagship artist is its founder 50 Cent, as well as the label's namesake group of which was formed prior.
Maurice White was an American musician, best known as the founder, leader, main songwriter and chief producer of the band Earth, Wind & Fire, also serving as the band's co-lead singer with Philip Bailey.
Def Jam Recordings is an American multinational record label owned by Universal Music Group. It is based in Manhattan, New York City, specializing predominantly in hip hop, contemporary R&B, soul and pop.
Ernest Dion Wilson, professionally known as No I.D., is an American record producer, DJ and songwriter from Chicago, Illinois. He is known for his early work with Chicago-based rapper Common, as well as his career mentorship of rappers Kanye West, J. Cole and Logic. Wilson first gained success for his role as an in-house producer for Jermaine Dupri's So So Def Recordings—leading to largely uncredited work on Dupri's productions "My Boo" by Usher, "Outta My System" and "Let Me Hold You" by Bow Wow—before reaching commercial success with his solo productions. He worked with Jay-Z to produce his singles "Run This Town" and "Holy Grail," West to produce "Heartless," and Drake to produce "Find Your Love" and "Nonstop"; all of which have peaked within the top five of the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
Interscope Geffen A&M Records (IGA) is an American umbrella label operating as a unit of Interscope Capitol Labels Group, owned by Universal Music Group. It currently consists of record labels Interscope Records and Geffen Records.
Capitol Music Group is an American front-line umbrella label operating as a unit of Interscope Capitol Labels Group, itself a division of Universal Music Group. Inherited from UMG's acquisition of EMI's catalog in 2013, it oversees the handling of record labels assigned to UMG's Capitol Records division. The current chair and CEO is Tom March.
Barry Weiss is an American music executive. He co-founded the record label RECORDS in 2015, an imprint of Sony Music Entertainment which specializes in young recording artists.
Michael Caren is an American record executive. He founded Artist Publishing Company in 2007, as well as its subsidiary Artist Partner Group in 2013. He has served as the President of Worldwide A&R at Warner Music Group from 2012 to 2015, as well as the company's Creative Officer until 2020, Executive Vice President of A&R at Atlantic Records from 2007 to 2012, and Co-president of Elektra Entertainment from 2008 to 2012.
Tony Scales, known professionally as Chef Tone, is an American record producer and songwriter from Chicago, Illinois. He is best known for his songwriting work for numerous releases by American singer Trey Songz, including his 2009 single "Bottoms Up", which peaked at number six on the Billboard Hot 100. Following its success, Scales has since been credited on albums by Justin Bieber, Jamie Foxx, Dr. Dre, Plies, Jacquees, Maejor, Queen Naija, and Sean Paul, among others.
Steve Barnett is the former Chairman and CEO of Capitol Music Group.
Tom Corson is an American record executive. He is the co-chairman and chief operating officer of Warner Records, a position he has held since January 2018. He was previously the president and chief operating officer of RCA Records.
Aaron Bay-Schuck is an American music industry executive. The CEO and co-chairman of Warner Records, he was previously the president of A&R at Interscope Geffen A&M and the senior vice president of A&R at Atlantic Records.
Nau'Jour Lazier Grainger, better known by his stage name Toosii, is an American rapper, and singer-songwriter. Beginning his career in 2017, he rose to mainstream prominence following the release of his 2023 single "Favorite Song", which first gained virality on the social media platform TikTok. The song peaked at number 5 on the Billboard Hot 100, earned double platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), and preceded the release of his second studio album, Naujour (2023). The album peaked at number 19 on the Billboard 200, although his debut album, Poetic Pain (2020), reached number 17 on the chart.