Taylor Joins Republic As EVP/A&R
• Republic Records welcomes Sammie Taylor as Executive Vice President of A&R — as announced today by Founder & President Avery Lipman and President, West Coast Creative Wendy Goldstein. Taylor will be based in Republic’s Los Angeles office and oversee A&R for a myriad of artists on the roster in addition to seeking, signing, developing, and cultivating new talent.
Lipman commented, “Sammie brings a ton of energy, an incredible track record, and noticeable passion to our team. He has an unbelievable ability to develop talent. It’s an honor to welcome him aboard.” Goldstein added, “Sammie and I have teamed up on multiple projects in the past, and his passion, vision, and work ethic always impressed me. He can certainly recognize talent, but he also has an incredible ability to develop and cultivate talent. He will be key to our continued growth and evolution as a company and a cornerstone of our A&R strategy going forward.”
Taylor segues from Kobalt, where he has served as Executive Vice President, Creative since 2016, notably signing superstars Roddy Ricch and Gunna while working on other high-profile signings such as Raphael Saadiq and Jay Rock. He also signed top hitmakers like Yung Exclusive [Drake, Travis Scott], BlaqNmilD [Drake], Jay White [Cardi B, Megan Thee Stallion], Teddy Walton [Chris Brown, Kendrick Lamar], Jahaan Sweet [Drake, Russ, A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie] and Al Shux, who co-wrote and produced the Academy® Award- and Grammy® Award-nominated “All The Stars” for Kendrick Lamar and SZA. He was also the liaison between Pharrell and Kendrick for the anthemic song “Alright.” Rolling Stone named him among its “Future 25.”
Taylor commented, “I’ve always respected Republic Records and what Monte and Avery Lipman have built from the outside. I’ve had the pleasure of working with Wendy Goldstein for years on different projects. I want to be a part of bringing artists with a lot of substance, who are saying something, staying current, and going forward to Republic. The label is giving me a platform to do just that, and it’s very exciting.”
A native of Newport News, VA, Taylor began his career in 2002 in the A&R department at Elektra Records and has worked at Atlantic Records, Warner/Chappell, Sony/ATV, and EMI Music Publishing.
