Republic Records has promoted Chris Blackwell to the role of executive vp of A&R and content strategy, the company announced today (May 9). The new role will see Blackwell continuing to focus on content development across the label’s roster and focus on new artists early in their careers to maximize opportunities for their content as well.
Blackwell, based in L.A., reports to Republic co-president Wendy Goldstein. He most recently was senior vp of creative content and development at Republic, after founder/CEO Monte Lipman brought him into the company from All Def Media, where he had risen from social director to CEO by 2019.
“Chris is a 360-degree creative thinker and strategist,” Goldstein said in a statement. “He’s made incredible inroads for our artists to reach critical mass by venturing off the beaten path and treading new territory. He’s a proven visionary whose dynamic personality will be key to our expansion.”
According to the company, Blackwell played a key role in the rise of Coi Leray over the past several years, producing her Cooking With Coi Leray series that went viral, and has also worked with Lil Wayne, Benee and Kash Doll on future projects. He’s also worked with Federal Films to produce the documentary Contact High: A Visual History of Hip Hop, and was named as part of Billboard’s R&B/Hip-Hop Power Players feature in 2020.
“I refer to what I do as A&R-plus,” Blackwell said in a statement. “More than ever, artists are multi-hyphenates, content creators and brand builders. I’m honored to be their liaison when it comes to creative projects. Monte and Avery [Lipman, Republic’s COO] have built the perfect space for entrepreneurs to flourish. They’ve entrusted me with an innovative role, which speaks to their willingness to break ground in order to break artists. My goal is to continue improving this ecosystem for the next generation of diverse artists, executives and employees.”
