Lyor Cohen
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Lyor Cohen (born October 3, 1959) is an American music industry executive. He is YouTube's global head of music. He began his career in the 1980s at Rush Management and Def Jam, and later held senior positions at Island Def Jam and Warner Music Group. He also founded 300 Entertainment.


Early life and education

Cohen was born in
New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
in 1959 to Israeli immigrants. His family moved to New York in 1965, In 1981 he graduated with a degree in global marketing and finance from the University of Miami School of Business at the
University of Miami The University of Miami (UM, UMiami, Miami, U of M, and The U) is a private university, private research university in Coral Gables, Florida, United States. , the university enrolled 19,852 students in two colleges and ten schools across over ...
. After graduating from the University of Miami, he worked briefly in the Beverly Hills office of Bank Leumi.


Music career


Rush Productions, Rush Artist Management, Def Jam

In the early 80s, after promoting a pair of rock and rap shows at The Mix Club in Hollywood (one featured Run-DMC, the other featured Whodini), Cohen moved to New York to take a job at Simmons' Rush Productions (later called Rush Artist Management). Beginning as Run-DMC's road manager, Cohen later worked with and/or signed Rush artists
Kurtis Blow Kurtis Walker (born August 9, 1959), known professionally by his stage name Kurtis Blow, is an American rapping , rapper, songwriter, and record producer. Walker is the first commercially successful rapper and the first to sign with a major rec ...
, Whodini, Run-DMC, LL Cool J, the
Beastie Boys The Beastie Boys were an American Hip-hop, hip hop and Rap rock, rap rock group formed in New York City in 1979. They were composed of Ad-Rock, Adam "Ad-Rock" Horovitz (vocals, guitar), Adam Yauch, Adam "MCA" Yauch (vocals, bass), and Mike D, ...
, and
Public Enemy Public Enemy is an American Hip-hop, hip hop group formed in Roosevelt, New York, in 1985 by Chuck D and Flavor Flav. The group rose to prominence for their political messages including subjects such as Racism in the United States, American r ...
and signed artists including
Slick Rick Richard Martin Lloyd Walters (born January 14, 1965), better known as Slick Rick, is an English-American rapper and record producer. He rose to prominence as part of Doug E. Fresh & the Get Fresh Crew in the mid-1980s. His songs " The Show" and ...
, DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince, Eric B. & Rakim, EPMD, Stetsasonic, De La Soul, and A Tribe Called Quest. He was mentored by Jam Master Jay. In 1986 he helped broker Run-DMC's endorsement deal with Adidas; it was the first marketing deal between an artist and an athletic company.Roberts, Johnnie L.
"Rap's Unlikely King"
The Daily Beast, ''Newsweek'', January 31, 2000


Def Jam, Island Def Jam

In 1988, he was named president of Def Jam Recordings, which was founded by Simmons and
Rick Rubin Frederick Jay Rubin (, ; born March 10, 1963) is an American record producer. He is a co-founder of Def Jam Recordings, founder of American Recordings, and former co-president of Columbia Records. Rubin helped popularize hip hop by produci ...
in 1984. Rubin resigned to found Def American following Cohen's appointment, citing creative differences. Since DJs refused to play records by many of Def Jam artists due to obscene lyrics, Cohen marketed the records directly to consumers. Def Jam had significant success with records by EPMD, Public Enemy and LL Cool J, who were initially unplayed on commercial radio. He mentored music industry executives including Kevin Liles and Todd Moscowitz. In 1994 Cohen teamed with Simmons to negotiate Def Jam's departure from Sony, (which had been distributing Def Jam since 1985) to PolyGram. Cohen worked rappers including Redman,
Method Man Clifford Smith, Jr. (born March 2, 1971), known professionally as Method Man, is an American rapper, record producer, and actor. He is a member of the East Coast hip hop collective Wu-Tang Clan, and is half of the hip hop duo Method Man & R ...
,
Jay-Z Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969), known professionally as Jay-Z, is an American Rapping, rapper, businessman, and record executive. Rooted in East Coast hip-hop, he was named Billboard and Vibe's 50 Greatest Rappers of All Time, the ...
, DMX,
Ja Rule Jeffrey Bruce Atkins (born February 29, 1976), better known by his stage name Ja Rule (), is an American rapper, singer, and actor. Born and raised in New York City, Ja Rule became known for blending gangsta rap with pop rap, pop and contempo ...
and
Ludacris Christopher Brian Bridges (born September 11, 1977), known professionally as Ludacris (, spoken as "ludicrous" in American English), is an American rapper and songwriter. Born in Champaign, Illinois, Ludacris moved to Atlanta, Georgia, at age ...
. He also oversaw custom label deals with Roc-A-Fella Records, Murder Inc., Disturbing Tha Peace, and others.


Island Def Jam Music Group

In June 1998, after PolyGram's merger with Universal Music and its MCA-related label group,
Island An island or isle is a piece of land, distinct from a continent, completely surrounded by water. There are continental islands, which were formed by being split from a continent by plate tectonics, and oceanic islands, which have never been ...
, Mercury, and Def Jam were merged to create Island Def Jam Music Group. Cohen was named co-president. He extended his focus beyond rap and hip hop at Island Def Jam. The label released records by
Bon Jovi Bon Jovi is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Sayreville, New Jersey in 1983. The band consists of singer Jon Bon Jovi, keyboardist David Bryan, drummer Tico Torres, guitarists John Shanks and Phil X, percussionist Everett Bradley ...
and
Mariah Carey Mariah Carey ( ; born March 27, 1969) is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Songbird Supreme" by ''Guinness World Records'', Carey is known for her five-octave voc ...
, both of whom Cohen signed, and Shania Twain,
Elvis Costello Declan Patrick MacManus (born 25 August 1954), known professionally as Elvis Costello, is an English singer, songwriter, record producer, author and television host. According to ''Rolling Stone'', Costello "reinvigorated the literate, lyrical ...
, Ashanti,
Nickelback Nickelback is a Canadian Rock music, rock band formed in 1995 in Hanna, Alberta, Hanna, Alberta. Throughout its history, it has consisted of lead guitarist and lead vocalist Chad Kroeger, rhythm guitarist, keyboardist and backing vocalist Ryan ...
, Slipknot, Sum 41,
The Killers The Killers are an American Rock music, rock band formed in Las Vegas, Nevada, in 2001 by Brandon Flowers (lead vocals, keyboards, bass) and Dave Keuning (lead guitar, backing vocals). After the band went through a number of short-term bas ...
, and Slayer. IDJ also bought the metal label
Roadrunner Records Roadrunner Records is a Dutch–American record label focused on Heavy metal music, heavy metal and hard rock music. Founded in the Netherlands in 1980, it is now a division of Warner Music Group and is based in New York City. Formerly seen as ...
, among others, and distributed labels including Def American. In 1999 Cohen and his partners sold their personal stakes in Def Jam to Seagram for approximately $130 million. In 2001, IDJ's sales reached an estimated $500 million. The label prospered, more than doubling its market share during Cohen's tenure.


Warner Music Group

In January 2004, Cohen left Island Def Jam for a position at Warner Music Group, then owned by Edgar Bronfman Jr. He served as chairman and chief executive. At Warner, Cohen oversaw the merger of the
Atlantic The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, with an area of about . It covers approximately 17% of Earth's surface and about 24% of its water surface area. During the Age of Discovery, it was known for se ...
and Elektra labels into
Atlantic The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, with an area of about . It covers approximately 17% of Earth's surface and about 24% of its water surface area. During the Age of Discovery, it was known for se ...
, and placed Julie Greenwald, his protégée, into a top executive position. In 2009 she was named chairman and chief operating officer of Atlantic, becoming the highest-ranking female executive at an American record company. Cohen resigned from Warner in September 2012.


YouTube and Spotify

In September 2006, Cohen oversaw an agreement with
YouTube YouTube is an American social media and online video sharing platform owned by Google. YouTube was founded on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim who were three former employees of PayPal. Headquartered in ...
that allowed the site to show videos by Warner artists in exchange for a share of YouTube's advertising revenue. According to ''The New York Times'', the deal marked "the first time a major record company adlicensed content to YouTube". In 2011, Cohen oversaw an agreement on behalf of the Warner roster with
Spotify Spotify (; ) is a List of companies of Sweden, Swedish Music streaming service, audio streaming and media service provider founded on 23 April 2006 by Daniel Ek and Martin Lorentzon. , it is one of the largest providers of music streaming services ...
, the digital music service. Eventually, Cohen oversaw all of Warner's digital initiatives.


Future ventures and 300

There was much speculation about Cohen's next move. Cohen's own assessment of his career was broadly predictive. "I've been an outsider in the traditional record industry for more than 25 years," he told the ''Los Angeles Times''. "I'm an entrepreneur, so I encourage risk-taking. And the only way to encourage risk-taking is to take risks yourself, which means sometimes you'll fail, or people will say you are too aggressive or controversial. But someone needs to jump into the pool first for a party to get really great. I've always been willing to be that guy."Duhigg, Charles
"Getting Warner Music More Upbeat: U.S. CEO Lyor Cohen is Heading a Turnaround that Includes a Recent Boost in Market Share"
''Los Angeles Times'', August 28, 2006.
In November 2013, Cohen revealed he was starting a new company named "
300 __NOTOC__ Year 300 ( CCC) was a leap year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Constantius and Valerius (or, less frequently, year 1053 ''Ab urbe condita''). The denomination 300 ...
", after the 300 Spartan Warriors who fought the famous war against the Persians seen in the movie
300 __NOTOC__ Year 300 ( CCC) was a leap year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Constantius and Valerius (or, less frequently, year 1053 ''Ab urbe condita''). The denomination 300 ...
. He stated the company would be part record label, part marketing company, part distributor, with major backing from
Google Google LLC (, ) is an American multinational corporation and technology company focusing on online advertising, search engine technology, cloud computing, computer software, quantum computing, e-commerce, consumer electronics, and artificial ...
and
Atlantic The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, with an area of about . It covers approximately 17% of Earth's surface and about 24% of its water surface area. During the Age of Discovery, it was known for se ...
.


YouTube

In September 2016, Google's YouTube announced Cohen would be joining the organization as Global Head of Music. He officially joined the company in December 2016. He wrote a public letter stating some of his goals and aspirations for his new role.


Controversy


Murder Inc. Records raid

In January 2003 the offices of Murder Inc. Records at Island Def Jam were raided by a joint task force of the NYPD and the
FBI The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic Intelligence agency, intelligence and Security agency, security service of the United States and Federal law enforcement in the United States, its principal federal law enforcement ag ...
as part of a federal probe of label founder Irv Gotti's ties to drug lord Kenneth "Supreme" McGriff. Of particular interest to authorities was an Island Def Jam payment of $500,000 to a company fronted by McGriff. In 2005, Gotti was acquitted of all charges, as was Cohen, who had also testified.


TVT Records lawsuit

In 2002, Cohen was personally sued for fraud, tortious interference, breach of contract and copyright infringement by TVT Records as part of a larger action against Island Def Jam Music Group and Universal Music Group. The suit alleged that Cohen tried to hinder the production and release of an album by Ja Rule's group, the Cash Money Click. Initially, the defendants were ordered to pay TVT $132 million in compensatory and punitive damages, with $56 million due personally from Cohen. On appeal that figure was substantially reduced. TVT was awarded $126,720 for a breach of contract claim.


Personal life

Cohen's close associates have included his longtime friend and business partner Russell Simmons, and
Kanye West Ye ( ; born Kanye Omari West ; June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer and record producer. One of the most prominent figures in hip-hop, he is known for his varying musical style and polarizing cultural and political commentary. After ...
, who dubbed himself "the Lyor Cohen of Dior Homme" on a 2010 recording Devil in a New Dress. Cohen met his first wife, E.K. Smith, during the recording of the music video for " (You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party!)" by the
Beastie Boys The Beastie Boys were an American Hip-hop, hip hop and Rap rock, rap rock group formed in New York City in 1979. They were composed of Ad-Rock, Adam "Ad-Rock" Horovitz (vocals, guitar), Adam Yauch, Adam "MCA" Yauch (vocals, bass), and Mike D, ...
. He and his second wife, Amy Cohen, divorced in 2006. They have a daughter and a son. Cohen credited his son and a friend for saving his life when he had a pulmonary embolism during N.W.A's induction into the
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (RRHOF), also simply referred to as the Rock Hall, is a museum and hall of fame located in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States, on the shore of Lake Erie. The museum documents the history of rock music and the ...
in April 2016. In August 2016, Cohen married art consultant Xin Li. She is a former basketball player and model who is deputy chairman of
Christie's Christie's is a British auction house founded in 1766 by James Christie (auctioneer), James Christie. Its main premises are on King Street, St James's in London, and it has additional salerooms in New York, Paris, Hong Kong, Milan, Geneva, Shan ...
Asia. Cohen is on the board of the
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (RRHOF), also simply referred to as the Rock Hall, is a museum and hall of fame located in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States, on the shore of Lake Erie. The museum documents the history of rock music and the ...
, and is an acting Director for the New York-based charitable organization Boys & Girls Harbor.


Further reading


Talking trash, making cash, and still able to sign Mariah
Profile at ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
''


References


External links


Lyor Cohen
at
Twitter Twitter, officially known as X since 2023, is an American microblogging and social networking service. It is one of the world's largest social media platforms and one of the most-visited websites. Users can share short text messages, image ...
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Cohen, Lyor 1959 births Living people Israeli Jews American music industry executives American music managers American people of Israeli descent Businesspeople from Los Angeles Businesspeople from New York City University of Miami Business School alumni