2 weeks ago
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Kevin Liles has revealed why he stepped down from being Chairman and CEO of 300 Entertainment.
In a new interview with TT Torez of Hot 97, the music mogul explained that he’s simply ready to move on to new things. “When you have a ten-year-old baby but that ten-year-old is acting like a 20-year-old (because the people who helped build the company are adult enough to foster what that vision that you had was), you can find your way, you can nurture, and you can get out,” he explained. “I’ve always done this my whole career because the job is never done with me.”
“I want to create more millionaires and more brands,” he continued. “So I think it's important that (300 Entertainment) was a moment in time. I’m very supportive. I want them to be great but God is calling me to do something bigger.”
Liles stepped down from 300 Entertainment in September but would remain a consultant throughout the rest of the year. In a memo to staff, Liles expressed the importance of the label in shaping an important musical legacy over the years since being founded in 2014.
"The cultural impact we created in 10 years when starting from scratch is simply unmatched in the modern era," said Liles. "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."
Warner Music Group CEO Robert Kyncl praised Liles in the memo, explaining that he would not be replaced at 300, and calling him a “charismatic leader.” "Kevin is one of those charismatic leaders who's been successful in many different roles…artist manager, label founder, entrepreneur, senior executive…he even started out as a DJ and songwriter," wrote Kyncl.
"That's given him a 360 vision that makes him an extraordinary brand-builder, artist advocate, and champion of creative expression,” Kyncl continued. “With 300 Entertainment, he has been instrumental in growing a distinct identity from the ground up, to a level that few other new labels have matched in the last twenty years."
Under Liles and co-founders Lyor Cohen, Roger Gold, and Todd Moscowitz, 300 Entertainment became a musical powerhouse that signed artists like Gunna, Migos, and Young Thug. It was acquired by WMG in 2021 and combined with Atlanta Music Group to form 300 Elektra Entertainment Group.
English (US) ·