Motown and Universal Motown Records
In 2004, Rhone was appointed president of Motown Records, executive vice president of Universal Records, with chairman of Universal Music Group, Doug Morris, calling her "a rainmaker", and Universal Motown Record Group chairman Mel Lewinter citing Rhone as a "natural to lead Motown's evolution into the future". Under Rhone's stewardship, Motown reinvigorated both roster and staff, re-tooling the label into one of the more savvy digital music business platforms. Rhone added Akon, India.Arie, Erykah Badu, Lil Wayne, Chamillionaire, Stevie Wonder and others to the label.
In February 2006, the Universal Music label split into two labels, Universal Republic Records and Universal Motown Records, with Rhone serving as president of the latter. Rhone's approach helped to raise the global identity of Cash Money Records, while also placing an increased emphasis on Universal Motown artists' connecting with fans via micro-blogging and social network platforms.
Profiled and quoted in many magazines and entertainment media outlets through the years, Rhone has become a repeated choice on business and entertainment power lists. She has been named to the Entertainment Weekly Most Influential People list six times and to the Hollywood Reporter Women In Entertainment Power list seven times. Rhone has been praised by Crain's New York Business magazine for "breaking ground for years" and recognized by NBC, MTV, BET, Rolling Stone, VH1, Billboard, Vibe, and Ebony. Black Enterprise Magazine included her in their 2011 "Most Powerful Women In Business" issue.
Rhone passed up on signing Drake_(entertainer); later he would sign a distribution deal with Universal for one of the largest advances to an unsigned artist in history.
Rhone stepped down from being president of the company in 2011.
Read more about this topic: Sylvia Rhone
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