Kevin Liles

Baltimore, MD-born businessman and impresario. From an unpaid internship in 1991, Kevin Liles became the president and CEO of Def Jam Recordings in 1998 when he was just 30 years old. He was notable for discovering the label's artists during his tenure that include LL Cool J, EPMD, Jay-Z, Ja Rule, DMX, Foxy Brown and others. He also co-founded with the label's founder, Russell Simmons, Def Soul, an R&B division of Def Jam which included Dru Hill, Montell Jordan, Case, Musiq Soulchild and more. In 2004, after L.A. Reid replaced him as the CEO of Def Jam and Jay-Z as president, Kevin joined his mentor and friend, Lyor Cohen, to become executive vice president of the recorded music division at the Warner Music Group; he reported to Cohen, WMG's former chairman and CEO. In 2009, he left WMG to create an artist management company, KWL Management, and then three years later, reunited with Cohen, while joining forces with Todd Moscowitz and Roger Gold to form 300 Entertainment. As of 2022, Liles has reunited with the Warner Music Group after the company bought 300 for $400 million and merged the label with Elektra. He is the chairman and CEO of 300/Elektra Entertainment (3EE), WMG's label unit.