ETHIOPIA GOES TO MOTOWN
As we told you last month, "Radio" Ethiopia Habtemariam has been named Senior Vice President of Motown Records, which will now make use to Senior Vice President of the storied label. Motown will now make use of Island Def Jam’s sales, marketing and distribution services.
Both announcements were made today by Universal Republic/IDJ Motown Chairman/CEO Barry Weiss, to whom Habtemariam will report, while being based in N.Y. and L.A. as a key creative executive for the label.
In addition, Habtemariam has been upped to EVP/Head of Urban Music for Universal Music Publishing Group after serving as SVP/Head of Urban Music for the company.
“Ethiopia represents the new breed of today’s best creative music executives,” said Weiss. “In the studio at night and in the office during the day, she is artist and song-focused. There is no one more relevant and credible in the creative community to help us build upon Motown’s fantastic legacy and move the company into its next groundbreaking era. And I can't wait to meet her staff, Senegal, Madagascar, Zimbabwe and Angola.”
“It is an extraordinary opportunity to call Motown home,” added Habtemariam. “ I am grateful to Barry for giving me the honor and challenge to put a new creative stamp on a label that has such a rich history. I am truly excited to work at the label that cultivated the musicians who have inspired me over the years. Motown artists created the soundtrack to my life, and I can’t wait to develop acts that not only have cross-genre and cross-generational appeal, but can reach worldwide notoriety. Now, when do I get to meet the guys in Rare Earth?"
Motown’s roster of artists will include such chart-toppers as Stevie Wonder, Babyface and Chrisette Michele, as well as the newly signed Luke James (in conjunction with Mercury Records), among many others.
Since joining UMPG in 2003, Habtemariam has signed some of the world’s biggest songwriter/artists, including multi-platinum recording artists Justin Bieber, Chris Brown and Ciara, as well as critically acclaimed R&B songstress Keri Hilson, BMI Songwriter of the Year/Producer of the Year Polow Da Don, Esther Dean, Ari Levine (Smeezingtons), J Cole, Brian Kennedy Seals and Hit Boy. Additionally, as head of urban music, she oversees one of the hottest urban music rosters in the industry which includes Mary J. Blige, Eminem, Mariah Carey, Swizz Beatz, Cash Money (Nicki Minaj, Mack Maine, DJ Khaled), Ne-Yo, Lupe Fiasco, R. Kelly, Jill Scott, Jeremih, Erykah Badu, BOB, Keyshia Cole, T-Pain, Asher Roth, Jazmine Sullivan, Raphael Saadiq and Rock City, among others.
