Much is made of our “successful” hip-hop and cultural heroes, but not merely enough is said about the unsung champions in our industry.
Unsung champions such as the hard workers who actually “Make it Happen,” like Kevin Liles’ (former President of Def Jam and Atlantic) book teaches us.
The ones, like Kevin, who came up from the “guttermost to the uttermost” through hard work, dedication and resilience, without fanfare, bullsh*t or a hit record.
One such inspiration is my lifelong friend and the current President of Atlantic Records, Michael Kyser. I remember the early days of Def Jam when I lived over Tower Records … I would get up (very late in the morning), come downstairs and ask this kid about which record was working and he would offer up amazing insight that was both thoughtful and valuable.
I then hired Mike to be “audience coordinator” at Def Comedy Jam and he didn’t disappoint, filling up every seat in the audience ten nights in a row. Impressed with his hustle, we then hired Mike with a low end job at Def Jam. He continued to do all that was asked and more for all these years. He eventually ran promotion, then became VP and finally about 18 months ago, became the president of Atlantic Records.
Mike’s story is the one to emulate. I love seeing a rapper, singer, actor, ballplayer come through … But I don’t see any as happy or stable or loved as Mike Kyser. That’s the n*gga to be.
