Music industry executive
Kevin Liles announced that he will release an inspirational book in September
titled “From Intern to President Make it Happen: The Hip Hop Generation
Guide to Success.”
The book gives advice to
up and coming executives on how to navigate the turbulent waters of the music
industry and contains stories from his experiences running Def Jam with Russell
Simmons and Lyor Cohen.
Liles, who hails from Baltimore,
Maryland, started his career in 1986 when he penned the multi-platinum single
“Girl You Know It’s True,” which he wrote with his group Numarx.
In 1991, Liles started his
ascent as an executive in the music industry, as an unpaid intern in the Mid-Atlantic
region. Two years later he was named the Mid-Atlantic Marketing Manager.
By 1998 Liles was the President
of Def Jam, a position he held until 2002. During his tenure as President, revenues
doubled to $400 million, with hits coming from such acts as DMX, Ja Rule, Jay-Z,
Ludacris, Ashanti, LL Cool J and others.
Liles left his President
position at Def Jam in 2004 and headed over to Warner Music Group, where he
is executive Vice President.
“From Intern
to President Make it Happen: The Hip Hop Generation Guide to Success”
was co-writen with Samantah Marshall, a senior staff Reporter for Crain’s New
York Business.
Here are some of
Liles’ rules from the book:
Rule 1: Find Your Will
Look deep inside to discover that thing you really love to do…
Rule 2: Do You
Discover your own flava, then package it and present it to the world…
Rule 3: Walk This Way
Get educated, find a mentor, read and research…
Rule 4: The Blue Print
Create a vision of what you want from life and draw a roadmap to
success…
Rule 5: Play Your Position
Have the humility to do your job and then some…
Rule 6: Embrace the Struggle
Love the hard times because they make you stronger, wiser, and more
willing to take risks…
Rule 7: Get Connected
Build relationships to last forever…
Rule 8: Step Outside Your Box
Be open to people from all walks of life…
Rule 9: Don’t Let Cash Rule
Greed will only trip you up…
Rule 10: Flex Purpose, Not Power
It’s never too early to learn how to lead…
