With a solid reputation dating back 25 years, Warner Music Group Chairman and CEO Lyor Cohen has more than proven his impeccable eye for talent. The Hip Hop mogul has signed artists like Jay-Z, Ja Rule, T.I., and many others. In an insightful interview with Complex Magazine, Cohen gave his opinion on the state of Hip Hop and his sentiments over losing Drake to Universal. He told the magazine that current Hip Hop music, although disappointing, has an explosive future.
“I like moments of staleness and mildew simply because it creates the lane for change,” he said. “Remember when everything was full of color and happy-dappy when Bad Boy was running everything and then we came with DMX? Do you remember that summer? How excited people got? That’s my favorite moment—when I sit on a porch in the summertime and the air gets really thick. There’s no breeze. The birds start darting around. And then all of a sudden a violent storm comes through—raindrops as big as cups; lighting and thunder. I know when things get stale there’s someone making an opportunity.”
While he expressed his appreciation for artists “making an opportunity,” he admitted that he missed an opportunity himself in not being able to sign Drake. After negotiating with Warner, the Canadian-born artist opted to sign with Universal instead.
“[That was] a very disappointing thing. But I’m a lover of rap music. I want good things to happen to this industry. I have so much good fortune and already have everything. I feel like we have a terrific company, and we’re very old-school in that once we grip someone’s hand, fundamentally we believe that’s a deal. But that’s not this generation. They’ll grip someone’s hand and say they’re coming, but if someone offers them more they will renege. That’s not how we get down.”
While he kept mum about the dealings between Drake and himself, he did give his thoughts on the newer generation of music executives.
“[This] generation is handicapped by the era of excess. I grew up in an era of love and swimming upstream, determined to prove people wrong. We had chips on our shoulders, like, ‘We belong here.’ But now it’s the most popular, biggest segment of the industry. We’ve had a decade of private planes and Maybachs. That’s not the era that I came from. The era I came from, I had zero expectation that I was going to make any money. I was determined to prove to the gatekeepers of the industry that we had a place here and we weren’t going to relinquish our opportunity. I never had to keep up with nobody because we were all on subways. So it was never like, “My subway is bigger and flyer than your subway.” And there was a real fraternal order. We were backstage with Andy Warhol, Jean-Michel Basquiat, and Keith Haring, and we had zero fucking money. But everybody wanted us in the VIP room because we were doing something that was so important to them. People understood that it wasn’t if it was going to happen, it was when it was going to happen.”
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Lyor Cohen is a legend and just broke it down to the purest form.
NIGGA LOST OUT REAL TALK
DRAKE A GAY ASS NIGGA BUT WILL SELL RECORDS
Some tall isreali is running this rap shit…
this rich ass nigga actin like drake hurt his feelings. Its called a bidding war homie. If he was worth more, you shoulda offered him more…
Drake is stale…….
Twitter Me nigga
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lyor cohen is a reptilian scumbag.
russell simmons a bonafide faggot. he been fuckin men for years.
lyor would drink baby blood if it lined his pockets.
this industry (and the world) run by some snakes for real.
these industry heads on all kinds of funny shit.
puffy is a bisexual bully.
kimmora lee simmons has seen russell getting anally plowed.
ll cool j knows.
slick rick knows.
def scam.
Take their draws out of your mouth…
You can TELL someone has no life when they’re up late commenting on others… go ride a bike… backwards… on I-70…
only a faggot would defend cohen.
hes a snake kid.
you can say, well, look how many brothas he put on.
when this nigga slammed the door on more niggas than you can count.
lyor cohen and russell simmons get respect, they get things done.
ll cool j, slick rick, rick rubin, they dont fuck with these snakes like that.
they built def jam.
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LYOR COHEN SHUT THE FUCK UP! This dude is a fucking leach ass Jew CEO, talking shit about being broke back in the day. What the fuck have you contributed creatively to the culture? You’re a business man, Master P and Diddy taught us to go get that fucking money and NOT get raped by the Jew man like what’s been happening during the entire HISTORY of music.
FUCK YOU FOR GETTING MAD THAT DRAKE MADE A GREAT BUSINESS MOVE BY NOT LETTING YOU FUCK HIM W/ NO VASELINE.
What does him being a Jew have to do with anything? I mean, do your co-workers insult you because you like to worship sticks, after you’ve sat on them upright?
Probably…
you are ignorant and a disgrace, Drake is a Jew as well, and racism won’t lead you anywhere (ask your ancestors).
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niggas is ignorant as fuck….lyor and russell have made more black people rich than u….lol… niggas and flies boy i tell ya!!!!!
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fuck all haterz including gaddic you still a bitch
wont u go douche ur mom’s anal, i can smell it from here faggot
It’s Sad to say this but he went over all your heads it’s not about him signing with another label . It’s about being a man when you give your word! If Drake wanted more money he should have been a man and say what your offering it’s not enough but see none of you’ll know the behind scene’s Drake was always going to stay with YM he was just creating hype and media attention. Let’s see what happen when his project drop numbers dont lie
Today everyone is a gangster and has BIG Voice as on the internet. EVery Fucking Body wants to be seen and heard. Look how the industry is so fucked up no one ones to buy shit they want it all for free.
You a bitch too
Jean-Michel Basquiat, yall knw who dat is?? look up Basquiat da movie on you tube. he was a thowed ass artist. kinda inspiring. After u do dat add me on da space/rumuzik @hittman_ru FREE MIXTAPE D/L on datpiff.c.o.m. search CTW by Young RU
ITS BEEN STALE FOR AWHILE. THE GOLDEN YEARS ARE OVER AND THERES NOT GONNA BE A SECOND WAVE ANY TIME SOON. IM JUST LOOKING FORWARD TO SOME CREATIVE NEW RAPPERS AND ALBUMS FROM PIONEERS.
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dayum why are yall niggaz so negative about everything on this site? i can understand dissin the hell out of a wack ass record but my man cohen is speaking some real shyt mane! why would yall have something negative to say about that? and all the racist name calling that shyt is just some ignorant shyt! if he lost drake he just lost him. he said pretty much drake was one of the only true artists out now who is at least trying to keep the basic element of mceeing alive that is what hes saying nobody said drake was the shyt. he regretted losing him but im sure he aint crying about it… damn people!
Damn the Big Jew Speaks the truth. How come he didn’t pull some Jewish Mafia shit with Drake, not like it matters because the kid is average with a bunch of damn hype. Is he a rapper, singer, or actor? You can’t do all three well, he’s not a modern day Paul Robeson. He’s mediocre at all 3, but boy, does he have money behind him. La Heim!!
LIAR COHEN
Lyor knows talent. Thats why he aint sign this clown.
That aint what I got out of the article.. He did say he missed an opportunity and was kind of disappointed it didn’t go through with Drake..
Whether you trust industry execs or not, every time I hear Cohen he has sensible things to drop. They are things that even if he was a shady dude, they are good rules to live by. Not saying that he’s shady in particular but it’s the stigma in music and film industries that these guys pay pennies for millions of dollars. Tieuel Legacy! aka The Devil’s Devil’s Advocate
DRAKE IS A TALENT ARTIST CUZZ AND IT’S YOU LOST FOR LETTING CUZZ GET SNATCH WEST COAST IN THE BUILDING
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LYOR COHEN LOST THE WAR AND BATTLE ALL THIS INDUSTRY PEOPLE SELL OUT THERE SOUL FOR FAME…DRAKE AND THE WHOLE YOUNG/MONEY/CASH MONEY IS ALL SOLD THERE SOUL..IT A DAMN SHAME WHAT YOU MUST DO TO MAKE IT PERIOD
BLACC POWER IS THE MOVEMENT PERIOD WEST COAST SLAUSON BOYZ CRENSHAW/SLAUSON
BLACC POWER IS THE MOVEMENT PERIOD WEST COAST SLAUSON BOYZ CRENSHAW/SLAUSON
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THEN GET OUT YOU TIGHT JEANS, COCK-BOY. OH YEA, AND IF I EVER CATCH YOU COMMENTIN ON anyone, THAT WILL BE YOUR ASS DICKHEAD.
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damn cohen shoudla signed drake cuz hes the man
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