Make it
Happen
By 2002, Liles added the title of executive vice president of Island Def Jam Music Group. Instrumental in the success of superstars and emerging artists such as Jay Z, Hoobastank, Ludacris, Sum 41, Ja Rule, LL Cool J, DMX, Kanye West, Musiq and Ashanti, Liles’ track record of artist successes solidifies him as one of the most important executives in the music industry. In recognition of these extraordinary achievements in the music industry, Kevin received the UJA-Federation’s Music Visionary Award in 2003.
A native of Baltimore, the first of four siblings, Liles attended Morgan State College, but exited one semester shy of his degree, opting instead to hit the road with his burgeoning hip hop group. It was during this period in his life that Mr. Liles began to realize that the business side of the music industry interested him most. “I absorbed a lot of hands-on knowledge about the inner workings of the business back then,†says Mr. Liles. “In the beginning there were only five of us; no titles, no job descriptions, we each did what it took to get the job done.â€
In June of 2001, Mr. Liles joined his mentor Russell Simmons in hosting the first of several hip hop summits created to reach out to members of the hip hop community to better grasp the social, political, and cultural ramifications of the hip hop movement.
As far as Liles is concerned, efforts to improve the lives of the young people of his culture are simply the right thing to do.
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