Wayno Named VP/A&R @ Asylum
• Wayne “Wayno” Clark has joined Asylum Records, Warner Music Group’s indie-spirited, streaming-focused imprint, as Vice President, A&R. In this role, he will cultivate Asylum’s fresh crop of talent and align them with premier producers and songwriters. He’s already been busy adding Chicago hip-hop star 600Breezy to Asylum’s roster and will A&R the debut album from Detroit rapper Sada Baby.
Clark is based at the label’s New York headquarters and reports to Asylum GM Gabrielle Peluso, who commented, “Wayno is an authority in the hip-hop community, having spent years climbing the ranks and working with some of the biggest names in the space. His widespread network and his reputation as a respected go-getter are apparent in the emerging acts he’s already brought to us. The relaunched Asylum is made up of a dynamic group of creatives whose hunger and drive will help propel our roster to forward, and I’m thrilled to welcome Wayno into the family.”
Clark remarked, “Asylum is a place where independent artists have the freedom and creative control to express themselves through their music, with support from some of the best young execs in the industry. The work Gabrielle’s team has done thus far is impressive, and I’m excited to start this next chapter of my career and continue to develop and mentor a new generation of talent.”
Earlier in his career Clark served as Assistant A&R at Roc-A-Fella Records, where, in 2003, he led hip-hop duo Young Gunz to a Grammy nomination. Throughout his nearly 15-year career, Clark has served under the leadership of A&R greats such as Kyambo “Hip-Hop” Joshua, Gee Roberson and Lenny S., and has worked with superstars from JAY-Z to Nas. In 2012, Clark founded Triangle Offense, a management, A&R, and marketing group. His current management clients include hip-hop newcomer TJ Porter (Def Jam) and singer-songwriter Daniel Munoz (Epic Records). He also serves as co-host of Complex News’ hip-hop debate show, Everyday Struggle, alongside DJ Akademiks.
Clark’s announcement comes as Asylum is riding a wave of successful hip-hop releases, including platinum-selling emcee Ugly God‘s “Hello,” which generated over 15 million streams, and Sada Baby’s Bartier Bounty mixtape, which generated 7.9 million streams in its first week alone. [Photo credit: @ThankYouSnapGod]
