Lyor Cohen

Lyor Cohen, now CEO of Warner Music, was once head of Island Def Jam, is the son of an Isreali army general.

Related Topics:
Warner Music - Island - Def Jam

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He entered the rap game in the early 80's after an encounter with the seminal rappers Run-DMC at a club Cohen was running in California. He soon became the group's road manager, rooming with MC Daryl McDaniels (aka DMC) on the road. He eventually headed for New York to work for Def Jam's founder Russell Simmons, when the relationship soured with original partner and influential record producer Rick Rubin, headed out west to start his own label 'Def American'.

Related Topics:
Run-DMC - Daryl McDaniels - Russell Simmons - Rick Rubin

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Lyor Cohen's first public impact came with the de-emphasis of the Def Jam name & logo & the forming of 'RAL' in 1990, which was an informal in house acronym for 'Russel And Lyor', but officially stood for 'Rush Associated Labels'.

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Over the years Cohen's influence grew, to the point where the repotedly foul-tempered, tough negotiator personally took home $100 million from the deal when Def Jam was sold to the Universal Music Group in 1999. He was then made president of a key part of UMG subsidiary Island Def Jam, where he oversaw relationships with numerous artists & labels and whose units achieved phenomenal growth and earned almost $700 million a year.

Related Topics:
Universal Music Group - 1999

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Along with oversight of Rick Rubin's 'American Recordings', were partner labels like Irv 'Gotti' Gottleib's 'Murder Inc' label , where Cohen was listed on the executive board and reportedly was known by the endearing gangster nickname 'Lansky'. Irv Gotti dubbed Cohen his own "Meyer Lansky" in a 2002 statement publicly renewing Murder Inc. and Def Jam/Universal's business deal.

Related Topics:
Murder Inc - Meyer Lansky

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Lyor Cohen, has a reputation for playing hardball, conducting business in a very aggressive manner, including using intense pressure and stealing artists away from other's deals etc .

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After breaking a deal with TVT records over releasing some old pre-'Murder Inc' Ja Rule rap recordings, Lyor was sued by TVT. Despite his deep ties to the "Murder Inc" labels development, distribution and industry largesse, Cohen played down his dealings with the 'Murder Inc' label once the legal heat and spotlight was on. "Do you sit with Mr. Gotti on the executive board of Murder Inc.?" an attorney asked.

Related Topics:
TVT records - Ja Rule

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"I'm not sure," came Cohen's furtive testimony. After he lost the lawsuit to TVT records, it was ruled TVT was owed $132 million, half of which was designated as Cohen's personal responsibility to TVT after it was ruled that Cohen & UMG had committed fraud. Cohen's personal $56 million liability was unprecendented in the industry, but was later overturned in June 2005 by an appeals court. TVT has vowed to appeal. Another suit against Cohen was filed in 2003 by Eric "Eric B." Barrier who claims he's owed up to $70 million in royalties for the ironically titled "Paid In Full" album handled by Def Jam/Island.

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Cohen later left IDJ/UMG in January of 2004 for a position with the Edgar Bronfman Jr. investor group financed Warner Music Group, now officially spun off from Time Warner. Joining Cohen at Warner is his former soldier at IDJ Kevin Liles (37), as well as a trio of older industry figures like Elektra founder Jac Holzman (73) known for work with folk groups & The Doors , Atlantic's legendary Ahmet Ertegun (82) and Sire's Seymour Stein (63) who in the 70's signed The Ramones & Talking Heads. Another industry success that has rejoined the Warner family is old Def Jam co-founder Rick Rubin.

Related Topics:
2004 - Edgar Bronfman Jr. - Time Warner - Elektra - Jac Holzman - The Doors - Ahmet Ertegun - Seymour Stein - The Ramones - Talking Heads

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Cohen announced he would take part in an online reality show about starting a label to be webcast on AOL called The Biz in October 2005

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