Warner Reveals Revitalized Urban, Rhythmic Depts.
• Warner Records announced the completion of the revitalization of its Urban & Rhythmic Promotion Department under the leadership of EVP of Promotion Mike Chester. Since joining the company nearly two years ago, Chester has overseen the growth and fortification of Warner’s entire promo team.
Among Chester’s moves was the promotion earlier this year of Wilt Wallace (left) to SVP/Head of Urban Promotion, based in Atlanta. This followed the hiring late last year of Brannon Scales (right) as SVP of Rhythm Promotion, based in Los Angeles.
The team’s latest additions, both of whom joined the label this month in New York, are VP of Urban Promotion Ron Stewart (left) and VP of Rhythm Promotion & Lifestyle Leah Bekele (center). In addition, Leroy Johnson(right) was promoted this spring to Senior Director of Urban Promotion, based in Chicago.
In making the announcement, Chester commented, “The past couple of years have seen a complete revamping of our promo team across every format and platform. On the urban front, we have an amazing and growing artist roster, so we’ve been on a mission to build the best urban and rhythmic team in the business. Wilt, Brannon, Ron, Leah, and Leroy bring an outstanding depth of industry experience and knowledge to their new posts. Reflecting the incredible diversity and range of the Warner artists and music they represent, they are a truly cross-country team, from New York to Atlanta, from Chicago to LA. I’m thrilled to have such a stellar group of promo visionaries on board.”
The Warner Records Urban & Rhythmic roster includes Saweetie, NLE Choppa, Wale, YFN Lucci, and more, as well as artists who are part of the OVO Sound family, including DVSN, PartyNextDoor, Roy Woods, and Popcaan.
• Wallace first joined Warner Records 14 years ago as a promotion assistant, and then Southeast Mixshow Manager. After leaving for a year to do indie promotion in Atlanta, Wallace returned in 2008 as National Mixshow Manager and was subsequently upped to Sr. Director and then VP of Urban & Rhythmic Promotion in 2018.
• Scales joined Warner in November 2019 from Caroline/Capitol Records, where he was VP of Promotion. He previously worked for Warner from 2003 to 2011 as Head of Mixshow/Rap Promotion before moving to Atlantic Records for seven years as Sr. Director of Promotion.
• Stewart joins Warner Records from Asylum Records, where he was Sr. Director of Promotion. He comes to the label with over 15 years of prior promotion experience at Atlantic, Warner, Sony Red, Interscope, and Jive.
• Bekele was most recently National Director of Promotion & Lifestyle at Epic Records/Sony Music. During her six years in Epic’s promotion department, she moved up the ranks from Regional Promotion Manager, based in New York.
• Johnson joined Warner Records in 2018 as National Director of Urban Promotion. He previously worked with Empire Distribution, Epic Records, and Atlantic Records. He began his career in 2002 at iHeartMedia’s WGCI/Chicago.
