THE "CHOSEN" ONES

As Red Bull Records celebrates its 15th anniversary with all due fanfare, the label is also marking the platinum certification of artist Blxst’s single “Chosen” f/Tyga and Ty Dolla $ign. Seen well within the Blxst radius are (l-r) SVP/Head of A&R Kenny “Tick” Salcido, Evgle LLC’s Vic Burnett II, Blxst and VP A&R Charles “CB” Burks III. Not pictured here is Red Bull Records Managing Director Greg Hammer, who went outside to look for the kid with the Grubhub sushi delivery.

“It’s been an incredible 15 years and counting,” Hammer reflected on this momentous occasion, noting the success of projects like AWOLNATION (whose “Sail” is only the third indie release in history to get a diamond cert), Twin Atlantic, Beartooth and now Blxst. “Huge credit goes to the innovative staff we’ve assembled, especially our A&R department’s instincts in identifying great artists and dedication to their development.”

“The past 10 years helping expand Red Bull Records' A&R department have been nothing short of amazing,” added Salcido, who expressed particular gratitude to Hammer, remarking, “Together, we’ve been able to grow the roster in such a profound way, working with talent who are truly sonically genre-bending and diverse. Being an artist-friendly label backed by a passionate team is what makes us stand out, as well as having patience to truly develop and not feel the need to chase trends.”

Burks acknowledged his debt to Hammer and Salcido, declaring, “I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished in the three years since I joined Red Bull Records. During that time I’ve been fortunate to help A&R releases across the roster, which has been an incredible experience. But what’s been the most rewarding—and what I think makes us stand out from other labels—is the emphasis our team places on artist development and empowering our artists to bring their vision to life. We get behind acts early, oftentimes ahead of the data, based purely on their talent and the belief that they have that special something.”