We all have dreams, regardless of age and today (Mar. 10), Emmy-award winning multi-hyphenate Lena Waithe revealed that one of hers came true. In an exclusive joint partnership with Def Jam Recordings, Waithe announced the formation of Hillman Grad Records.
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The goal of the newly formed label is to seek, develop and "prime" artists for longevity, as well as thrive within the intersections of film, TV and music. At Hillman Grad Productions where they continually go against the “status quo,” Waithe mentioned, “we believe in identifying and amplifying new talent, and we want to continue to do that in the music industry,” and she thanked Def Jam for not only “making [her] dreams come true,” but also for providing the Hillman Grad Production team “their trust and their resources to help develop artists that not only have potential, but staying power.”
Waithe further expressed that, “music and storytelling have always gone hand in hand. And I think that’s because musicians are the storytellers we love the most. They can take complex emotions and simplify it in four minutes, the same artist can sing about the revolution and falling in love. Music is a part of us. It’s so often connected to our fondest and sometimes our darkest memories. Musicians tell our story.”
Interim CEO of Def Jam Recordings, Jeff Harleston, also released a statement, regarding his sentiment on the partnership. “Lena Waithe has established herself as one of the most artistically and commercially successful creators and storytellers at work today,” he began. “Lena has a profound understanding of and appreciation for music. After making her mark on television as an actor and writer, then smoothly shifting gears into her role as a film producer and CEO, it follows that she would now spread her wings at the helm of this exciting new record label. Def Jam is the perfect partner for Lena Waithe’s new Hillman Grad venture, and we look forward to bringing her musical vision to life.”
Esteemed executives, Tebs Maqubela and Albert Cooke are set to join the Hillman Grad Records team as Head of A&R and General Manager, respectively. Maqubela previously served as an A&R executive at Columbia Records while Cooke previously served as an Artist Development executive at Island Def Jam before his tenure at Soundcloud. Waithe expressed her excitement over having Cooke and Maqubela guiding the way to help “develop the next generation of underrepresented artists.” She will continue to serve as CEO of Hillman Grad Productions, which is currently developing a biopic on the life of Sammy Davis Jr..
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