Benny Medina | |
|---|---|
 Medina in June 2013 | |
| Born | January 24, 1958 |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Producer |
| Years active | 1979–present |
Benny Medina (born January 24, 1958) is an American record executive, talent manager, and television producer.
Benny Medina | |
|---|---|
| Medina in June 2013 | |
| Born | January 24, 1958 |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Producer |
| Years active | 1979–present |
Benny Medina (born January 24, 1958) is an American record executive, talent manager, and television producer.
Medina was born in East Los Angeles, California, into a poor family. The death of his mother and abandonment by his father resulted in him being placed into a number of foster homes, which he repeatedly ran away from before he and his siblings were taken in by his aunt. In his early teenage years, Medina dealt cannabis and amphetamines.
He befriended a wealthy white teenager, whose family in Beverly Hills allowed him to live in a refurbished garage behind their property. Medina then attended Beverly Hills High where he met Kerry Gordy and was a successful student. Medina's experiences of transferring to this wealthy environment is the loose basis for The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air . [1] [2] [3]
Medina started his career with the group Apollo, who released their self-titled debut on Gordy/Motown in 1979. He was the lead singer. Other members included Kerry Gordy (keyboards), Cliff Liles (bass), Lenny Greene (drums) and Larry Robinson (guitar). Medina co-wrote three of the seven tracks, including “Astro Disco,” their best known track. The album was produced by Ray Singleton, former wife of Motown founder Berry Gordy.
At age 24, Medina became the head of A&R for Motown, working as a protégé to Berry Gordy. Under Gordy, Medina wrote and produced for legendary Motown acts such as The Temptations, Smokey Robinson, Billy Preston, Rick James and Teena Marie.
Medina then moved on to Warner Bros. Records, where executive Mo Ostin tasked him to build and cultivate the careers of the company's urban artists as VP/GM of its urban-music division. While there, Medina collaborated with artists such as Ray Charles, Babyface, Prince, Chaka Khan, Madonna, Paul Simon and Fleetwood Mac. He also worked with Naughty by Nature, Queen Latifah, De La Soul, Biz Markie, Kool G. Rap, Big Daddy Kane, Roxanne Shanté, and Monie Love. [4]
After leaving Warner Bros., Medina and longtime friend Jeff Pollack formed Medina/Pollack Entertainment, which grew into a full service management and production company. Among their projects were Booty Call , Above the Rim , and Maid in Manhattan . [5]
In early 2009, Medina formed The Medina Company. [6]
Medina managed Jennifer Lopez, and along with then-head of Sony Music, Tommy Mottola, Medina launched Lopez's pop music career in 1999, after which, in 2003, at the height of her popularity, Lopez fired Medina and filed a complaint against him with California's labor commission. [3] As of 2008, Medina officially resumed his role as Lopez's manager, [7] and is also a godparent to her twin children. [7]
Other clients were also managed by Medina, including Tyra Banks, P. Diddy, [8] Medina also managed singer-songwriter Vanessa Daou from 1996 to 1998 while the artist was signed to Krasnow Entertainment/MCA Records. Medina also managed Mariah Carey from 2003 to 2008. Carey later parted ways from Medina's Handprint Entertainment to represent herself, with her own Maroon Entertainment.
In November 2017, actor Jason Dottley accused Medina of attempting to rape him in December 2008. [9] Dottley stated the event happened at Medina's Los Angeles mansion after Medina gave Dottley and fellow actor T. Ashanti Mozelle a tour of the home. [10] Dottley stated in an interview with The Advocate that Anthony Rapp's recent sexual assault allegations against Kevin Spacey inspired him to come out with his "shameful secret." [11] Through his attorneys Howard Weitzman and Shawn Holley, Medina said in a statement, "Benny Medina categorically denies the allegation of attempted rape." [12]
Brett Ratner is an American film director and producer. He directed the Rush Hour film series, The Family Man, Red Dragon, X-Men: The Last Stand, and Tower Heist. He is a producer of several films, including the Horrible Bosses series, The Revenant and War Dogs, and was an executive producer of the television series Prison Break.
Motown is an American record label owned by the Universal Music Group. It was founded by Berry Gordy Jr. as Tamla Records on January 12, 1959, and incorporated as Motown Record Corporation on April 14, 1960. Its name, a portmanteau of motor and town, has become a nickname for Detroit, where the label was originally headquartered.
"Hitsville U.S.A." is the nickname given to Motown's first headquarters and recording studio. The house is located at 2648 West Grand Boulevard in Detroit near the New Center area of the city. Motown founder Berry Gordy bought the house in 1959.
The Island Def Jam Music Group (IDJMG) was an American recording music unit, formed on New Year's Eve 1998 by Universal Music Group. It consists of labels created under the basic 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 as separate sister labels.
The Contours is one of the early American soul singing groups signed to Motown Records. The group is best known for its classic chart-topping 1962 hit, "Do You Love Me", which sold over 1 million copies and became a major hit again in 1988.
Robert Alan Cohen is an American director and producer of film and television. Beginning his career as an executive producer at 20th Century Fox, Cohen produced and developed numerous high-profile film and television programs, including The Wiz, The Witches of Eastwick, and Light of Day until he began focusing on full-time directing in the 1990s. He directed the action films The Fast and the Furious, and XXX.
"Shop Around" is a song originally recorded by the Miracles on Motown Records' Tamla subsidiary label. It was written by Miracles lead singer Smokey Robinson and Motown Records founder Berry Gordy. It became a smash hit in 1960 when originally recorded by the Miracles, reaching number one on the Billboard R&B chart, number one on the Cashbox Top 100 Pop Chart, and number two on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. It was the Miracles' first million-selling hit record, and the first-million-selling hit for the Motown Record Corporation.
Bryan Jay Singer is an American filmmaker. He is the founder of Bad Hat Harry Productions and has produced almost all of the films he has directed.
Nuyorican Productions, Inc. is an American production company founded by Jennifer Lopez and Benny Medina.
Jennifer Lopez: Let's Get Loud is the first live long-form video by American recording artist and actress Jennifer Lopez, released in February 2003. The material is chosen from two concerts of the same name recorded at the Roberto Clemente Coliseum in Puerto Rico.
Jennifer Lopez: Feelin' So Good is the first long-form video by American singer Jennifer Lopez. It was released in the United States on DVD and VHS on November 7, 2000, by SMV Enterprises, the home media division of Sony's music and entertainment label. With a running time of 60 minutes, the video provides a documentary-style look at the launch of Lopez's music career, through a mixture of interviews, behind-the-scenes footage, music videos and live performances. The interview segments were conducted by Lopez's sister Lynda, who interviews not only Lopez, but also their mother, Benny Medina and Marc Anthony.
Dreamgirls is a 2006 American musical drama film written and directed by Bill Condon and jointly produced and released by DreamWorks Pictures and Paramount Pictures. Adapted from the 1981 Broadway musical of the same name, Dreamgirls is a film à clef, a work of fiction taking strong inspiration from the history of the Motown record label and its superstar act, The Supremes. The story follows the history and evolution of American R&B music during the 1960s and 1970s through the eyes of a Detroit girl group known as "The Dreams" and their manipulative record executive.
Oladapo Daniel Oyebanjo, better known by his stage name D'banj, is a Nigerian singer, rapper, and television personality. His stage name D'banj is a combination of his first name, Dapo, and his surname, Oyebanjo. He is the founder of Mo' Hits Records with producer Don Jazzy. D'banj is best known for his song "Oliver Twist", an uptempo dance fusion of Afrobeats and electronic dance music that topped the African charts in 2011.
Abraham Laboriel López Sr. is a Mexican-American bassist who has played on over 4,000 recordings and soundtracks. Guitar Player magazine called him "the most widely used session bassist of our time". Laboriel is the father of drummer Abe Laboriel Jr. and of producer, songwriter, and film composer Mateo Laboriel.
Robert Louis Gordy was an American songwriter, music publishing executive, and recording artist under the stage name Bob Kayli. He released the minor hit song "Everyone Was There" in 1958. He was the brother of Motown founder Berry Gordy Jr. and uncle of Redfoo.
Doug Morris is an American record executive. He served as chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) of Universal Music Group from 1995 to 2011, as well as Sony Music Entertainment from 2011 to 2017. He founded the record label 12Tone in 2018, where he's since served as CEO.
Kerry Ashby Gordy is a career music executive, and fourth eldest child of the founder of Motown Records, Berry Gordy. Kerry is the chief executive officer of Kerry Gordy & Associates, Inc. LLC, KGIP Inc., and NuVintage, LLC., intellectual property and branding companies focused on entertainment.
Gwen Fuqua was an American businesswoman, songwriter and composer, most notably writing hit songs such as "Lonely Teardrops", "All I Could Do Was Cry" and "Distant Lover". She acquired her full name after marrying Harvey Fuqua and kept the name after their divorce.
Jeffrey Ian Pollack was an American film director, screenwriter, television producer and writer.
Jason Dottley is an American actor, singer, writer, director and producer. He appeared in the 2008 television series Sordid Lives: The Series in the role of actor Ty Williamson. He has charted 3 Top 25 and 2 additional Top 40 singles on Billboard dance charts.
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