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Longtime and respected music executive Kevin Liles has announced that he is stepping down from his position at 300 Entertainment. The unexpected news, along with his announcement on Twitter that Sean “Diddy” Combs has been indicted, arrested and charged with extortion and sex trafficking, has many speculating that the two items are not unrelated.
On Tuesday morning (September 17), Liles announced via social media that he will be stepping down as president and CEO of 300 Entertainment, where he has worked for nearly 10 years.
300 launched in late 2014 as an independent label and is run by Liles, Lyor Cohen, Todd Moscowitz and Roger Gold. Their reps boosted the careers of young Hip-Hop artists, particularly from the South, which included Megan Thee Stallion, Migos, Gunna, Young Thug among others. In 2021, 300 was acquired by Warner Music Group which in turn merged it with Alantic Music Group to form 300 Elektra Entertainment Group a year later.
“The cultural impact we've created in 10 years of starting from scratch is simply unmatched in the modern era,” Liles said in the memo to employees shared online. “We've transformed our value proposition – 'independent, big-minded mentality' – into a model for the rest of the industry to chase in this new era of music. But if there's one constant in music and culture, it's that change is inevitable. “
Liles says he will officially step down at the end of the month, but will remain in consultation to ensure a smooth transition. In terms of timing, there have been other executives who recently left the WMG fold, including another longtime executive whose name may be familiar to Hip-Hop heads, Atlantic's Julie Greenwald. However, the internet loves a good conspiracy theory, so Diddy and his troubles with the law are added to the mix.
But it's really worth noting that in February 2023, Trey Songz, Atlantic Records & Kevin Liles were named in a $25 million lawsuit alleging “systemic sexual abuse in the music industry.” The case was installed in April 2024 for an unknown amount.
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