Carless Named Pres./A&R At Warner Records
• Warner Records has named Steve “Steve-O” Carless to the newly created post of President, A&R. Carless will join the company on December 1, reporting to Co-Chairman & CEO Aaron Bay-Schuck. He will work closely with Warner Records’ entire A&R team, as well as Julian Petty, EVP/Head of Business & Legal Affairs, and Chris Atlas, EVP, Urban Music & Marketing.
Carless was most recently founder of SC Company, driving projects for artists such as Beyoncé and Polo G. Carless previously held senior A&R and creative posts at Def Jam Recordings, Atlantic Records, Republic Records, and he also served as President of Uptown Records.
Bay-Schuck said, “Steve-O has one of the most brilliant A&R minds in our business — driven by an innate ability to identify and nurture emerging artists and champion superstars. He’s been behind the success of countless hits and the development of next-generation talent. Combined with his experience in artist management, as well as multiple other areas of our industry, he’s a true renaissance man and a fantastic addition to the Warner Records senior executive team. Tom [Corson] and I are very happy that he’s come on board, and we’re looking forward to all the amazing talent and music we know he will be bringing into the fold.”
Carless noted, “I’m thrilled to be joining Aaron, Tom, and the entire Warner Records team at such an exciting time in both the label’s growth and the evolution of our business. I’m incredibly grateful that this iconic label group recognizes the critical importance, growth, creativity, and worldwide inclusiveness of the vast diversity of artists of color the world over. My focus will be on rising Black creators as they need to know they have advocates in positions of power who can be mentors, guides, and will support them as they navigate the music world and devote themselves to making game-changing music. With the belief of the team and our resources, we will create multiple runways and landing strips for creative entrepreneurs and artists of every stripe.”
Carless was most recently EVP of A&R at Republic Records. He began his music career in 2003 as an office assistant at Star Trak Entertainment, home of The Neptunes. The following year, he joined Def Jam Recordings, working as Director, Lifestyle & Radio Promotions. In 2012, he moved to Atlantic Records, where he oversaw multiple platinum-certified projects for YG and Jeezy, while also serving as President of Jeezy’s Atlanta-based CTE World Recordings. He returned to Def Jam in 2015 as Sr. Director, A&R & Special Projects before being named SVP A&R, Artist Relations & Development.
Carless has also worked independently on a number of award-winning projects — in 2014, he co-founded the Marathon Agency, and began to manage the career of the late artist and entrepreneur Nipsey Hussle. Forming a partnership with Atlantic Records, they released Nipsey’s Grammy-nominated debut album, Victory Lap, followed by two posthumous Grammy wins in 2020. In 2019, Carless worked with Beyoncé’s Parkwood Entertainment to help A&R her No. 1 album, The Lion King: The Gift and acclaimed Black Is King visual album. Carless also co-manages rising hip-hop superstar Polo G, who scored his first No. 1 on the Billboard 200 this past spring, with Hall of Fame, as well as his first No. 1 on the Hot 100, “Rapstar.” He is also part of the management team for the Nipsey Hussle Estate.
A passionate activist, while at Republic, Carless was organizer of the Republic Records Action Committee and a member of UMG’s Meaningful Change Task Force.
