In our latest Noisemakers roundup, we present a fresh batch of rising professionals from different areas of the biz whose dedication and effort make their superiors look good. This edition's entrants will also find their faces in our recent mag, which could make for good—or disappointing—talking points during Thanksgiving dinner.
Zoe Gillespie
Director, Brand Partnerships,
seventeenfifty/
Capitol Music Group
While helping lead CMG’s in-house partnership agency, Gillespie has secured major pacts and branded moments involving, among others,
Troye Sivan and
MAC Cosmetics,
FLETCHER and
Bulova and
Loren Gray and
Forever21. She also spearheaded CMG’s partnership with
Lyft and Capitol’s first-ever
International Women’s Day event. Pre-pandemic, Zoe, who holds a Swiss passport, jetted off to work on
Katy Perry’s “Harleys in Hawaii” video shoot on Kauai and
Halsey’s
Magnum Ice Cream campaign in Paris.
C’est magnifique!
Ben Ezaki
Artist Manager,
Roc Nation
This unpredictable year has been a momentous one for Ezaki, who handles Roc Nation artists like
Kaash Paige,
jetsonmade,
Charlie Sloth and
Jozzy. When the pandemic started, he was still an assistant, with zero clients—he now manages 10 acts who've collectively put out five albums. Ben is currently working with jetson and
TP on their label
BoyMeetSpace and with
Westside Gunn’s
Griselda Records, as well as getting
Benny the Butcher’s deluxe album across the finish line. Any management growing pains have been alleviated by mass quantities of tacos and drunken
Clubhouse sessions.
Malita Rice
CEO/Founder of
Mogul Mentality
Rice is the driving force behind management clients
OG Parker,
Yung Lan,
Xeryus,
Kilo Keys,
$K,
Felipe Spain and
Beezo, among others. Her work in the studio with some of her favorite artists, representation of
Ski Mask the Slump God and expansion of Mogul Mentality led
ASCAP to honor her at its 2020
Women Behind the Music event. A former dance teacher, Malita doesn't have time to bust many moves these days, though she wouldn’t rule out a victory dance once hit-making producer Parker’s feature-packed album is completed.
Matt Geffen
Head of A&R and Management Partner,
The Revels Group
Just 21, Geffen oversees TRG’s new producer-and-songwriter division, which includes
Teddy Walton (“FRANCHISE,” “No Guidance”) (Co-Management with
Rose Creative Agency),
Ambezza (“Life Is Good”),
JULiA LEWIS,
Swish and
Dounia. He’s also co-A&Ring
G-Eazy’s next album, home to the hit singles “Hate the Way I Miss You”
f/blackbear and “Down”
f/Mulatto, tracks Geffen helped put together.
Matt would be graduating from
USC this year had he stayed in school, but we’re going to assume the chance to work
Drake’s eight sold-out nights at the
Forum and
Staples Center alongside TRC CEO
Jamil Davis was worth the trade-off.
Cory Litwin
EVP,
Hallwood Media
A seasoned hip-hop exec, Litwin recently joined
Neil Jacobson’s Hallwood Media as EVP, significantly enhancing its A-list roster, including the addition of his all-star client Murda Beatz and
Murda Gang Publishing. While running his own
2wenty 2wenty Music Group, Litwin co-produced the #1 Grammy-nominated Drake hit “Nice for What” with
Beatz. His international talent stable boasts producers
Daysix (Czech Republic) and
Zypitano (UAE), who teamed up to co-produce
Rod Wave’s “Rags2Riches.”
Aurielle Brooks
Attorney,
Arrington & Phillips, LLP; VP/General Counsel,
Collective Gallery
The Atlanta-based Brooks recently struck a deal with
Atlantic for a groundbreaking new partnership with Collective Gallery, a JV launched by influential creative
Cam Kirk that will sign and develop hip-hop photographers. Her clients at Arrington & Phillips include
Lil Baby,
Lil Keed,
Kevin Gates and
NBA YoungBoy, whose breakthrough landed Auri her first plaque as she was studying for the bar. A mentor for various nonprofits in ATL, this Renaissance woman is also fluent in German and plays the violin and piano.
Helen Chatham Showalter
Day-to-Day & Marketing Manager,
Crowd Surf
Since she helped bring the
Backstreet Boys back with their first #1 album in 20 years, Showalter has been busy introducing the world to
Loren Gray and working on the return of
Why Don’t We, whose new album is due early next year. She knows a thing or two about marketing and promotion—in college Helen re-tracklisted
One Direction’s discography into four albums based on genre and influence, which ended up going viral on
Tumblr. Pop stans of every generation thank her for her service.
JD Anderson
SVP Marketing,
Epic Records
Having worked closely with hip-hop superstars from
Kanye West to
Future to
DJ Khaled, Anderson can be counted on to quarterback a big rollout. He's assisted on Pluto’s run of #1 debuts, for instance, with
High Off Life posting the biggest bow of Future’s career—during a pandemic, no less. JD got his feet wet at
Def Jam back in 2010 with the launch of Kanye’s
Runaway short film, for which he and Ye hit five countries in seven days while West was the biggest artist on the planet. Next stop: Baby Pluto.
