US-based music distribution / label services company Symphonic Distribution has hired Brandon Hixon to head up its newly-created Black Music Division.
Hixon’s new role will be based in Symphonic’s Brooklyn office, reporting to Chief Client Officer and GM, Nick Gordon.
He has more than 20 years of experience in the global hip-hop business.
Before joining Symphonic Distribution, the former Columbia Records executive created We Make Music management company (also led by his wife, Tirinda Hixon) after his tenure at the label.
There he managed critical brand campaigns within the careers of artists including legendary Multi-Grammy Award nominated Hip Hop trio De La Soul, Queens NY rapper and actor Awkwafina, and African standout artist Sho Madjozi.
Hixon also founded the Code & Beats Hackathon, an experiential created to spawn technology ideation relating to Hip-Hop.
Recently, We Make Music’s client Awkwafina won a Libera Award for Best Hip-Hop Album, and Sho Madjozi won a BET Award for Best New International Act.
As one of his first projects at Symphonic, Hixon curated a best-in-class roster of speakers for RapCon; an exclusive VIP think tank for Hip-Hop executives discussing the state of the industry at National Sawdust in Brooklyn, NY.
The power panel featured representatives from Run The Jewels, Apple, SoundCloud, Genius, VICE, Audiomack, A3C Festival & Conference, Billboard, TIDAL and more.
With over 800 applications, an exclusive group of 150 attendees were approved to participate in RapCon.
Recent signings in Symphonic’s Black Music division include Afro-beats artist Sons of Sonix, Estelle, Kari Faux, Jawnza, LOVETURL, and Yung Joc – with a track featuring superstar Gunna.
“Symphonic’s roots are in reggaeton and electronic music, and its experience building budding artists into stars is a perfect ecosystem to work on the next evolution of Hip-Hop business.”
Brandon Hixon
“I’m proud to join a 100% independent, company with a rich history in developing artists, founded by a Latin American,” said Brandon Hixon, referring to Symphonic founder Jorge Brea.
“Symphonic’s roots are in reggaeton and electronic music, and its experience building budding artists into stars is a perfect ecosystem to work on the next evolution of Hip-Hop business.
“And with that, we’re dropping the long-standing cultural euphemism “urban,” and properly referring to genres emerging from the black experience as what they are, Black Music.”
“Brandon’s entrepreneurial DNA, exceptional taste, and 360-degree vision of the artist experience make him the ideal person to lead Symphonic’s new black music division.”
Jorge Brea, Symphonic
Symphonic CEO Jorge Brea added: “Brandon’s entrepreneurial DNA, exceptional taste, and 360-degree vision of the artist experience make him the ideal person to lead Symphonic’s new black music division.
“Our mission is to build our services around the needs of the modern artist, so hiring a manager provides us with a perspective much broader than a traditional label or distributor.”
Symphonic recently launched an in-house record label, called sleev3s and in February it extended its distribution and label services with a sync licensing division called Bodega Sync.Music Business Worldwide
