R&B/Hip-Hop Power Players: Billboard’s 2026 List Revealed

Above Ground Entertainment CEO David Ali leads Billboard ’s list of executives across multiple industry sectors pushing the genres forward.

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Labels, Distributors & Artist Services

10K Projects

Marsha St. Hubert Co-president; executive vp, Atlantic Music Group Nico Ziangas Co-president Tom Phillips Senior director of marketing

300 Entertainment/Atlantic Records

Rayna Bass Selim Bouab Co-presidents; co-presidents of hip-hop, R&B and global music Tashana Ventura Vp of marketing Shyniece “Shy” Ferguson Senior director of marketing strategy and implementation Gabe Krantz Director of streaming Michael Quiros Director of A&R, 300 Entertainment

Bass

Flo Ngala

Bouab

Gabriella Spiegel

Bass is concerned about “the lack of creative growth” she’s seeing in R&B and hip-hop today. “We have to continue to innovate and push the culture forward.”

Bass and Bouab — co-­presidents of the Atlantic Music Group division 300 Entertainment, as well as co-presidents of hip-hop, R&B and global music at Atlantic Records — are dedicated to making good on that mission. Over the last 18 months, a parade of artists across both Atlantic’s and 300’s label rosters has notched multiple career milestones.

Before launching her anticipated Little Miss Drama Tour earlier this year, Cardi B watched her long-awaited sophomore album, Am I the Drama? (which has now surpassed 2.2 billion official on-demand global streams for its songs since its release, according to Luminate) debut atop the Billboard 200 last October and launch 14 songs onto the Billboard Hot 100 . Hitting the arena circuit in February, the rap superstar’s tour wrapped in April with a gross of more than $70 million and 453,000 tickets sold, according to Billboard Boxscore.

Atlantic’s Don Toliver also posted wins for the label. Toliver’s fifth studio album, Octane , became his first Billboard 200 chart-topper, and the first leg of his Octane arena world tour began in May and ended in July; the second started Aug. 4 and will wrap in London in November.

Meanwhile, the Kehlani whirlwind is in full force. “Folded,” the singer-­songwriter’s first No. 1 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and first top 10 on the Hot 100, won two Grammys (best R&B song and best R&B solo performance). The track helped propel Kehlani’s 2026 self-titled album to a No. 4 debut on the Billboard 200 in May.

At 300 Entertainment, Gunna’s latest project, The Last Wun , landed at No. 1 on Top Rap Albums and Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums — his sixth time to reign on both. The album, which includes the Burna Boy-featuring “WGFT,” also reached No. 3 on the Billboard 200. Meanwhile, fellow 300 Entertainment artist Fetty Wap orchestrated a comeback this year following his early release from prison, dropping his fourth album, Zavier , in March.

“Fetty Wap coming home, releasing new music and being shown the love and recognition he deserves was one of my favorite musical moments,” Bass says. “He’s legendary, and his music will resonate for generations.”

Looking ahead to the rest of the year and 2027, Bass adds, “There’s some incredible music being created across the roster and new partnerships to be announced that will continue to drive our success.” —Gail Mitchell

600 Entertainment

Xavier “BigXthaPlug” Landum Founder/president Brandon Farmer Partner; manager, Solid Foundation Management

ADA

Jacqueline Cheng Vp of label development and product management Kanika Mehta Head of commercial marketing

Alamo Records

Todd Moscowitz CEO, Alamo Records/Santa Anna Records Juliette Jones COO Lee L’Heureux President, Alamo Records/Santa Anna Records

Atlantic Music Group

Kevin Holiday Executive vp of hip-hop and R&B promotion Angelique Jones Executive vp of sales and streaming Danielle Geiger Senior vp of international Cole Rechan Vp of digital marketing

Atlantic Records

Carla Pagano Senior vp of marketing Lallie Jones Vp of marketing, Atlantic Records/300 Entertainment Cannon Kent-Grant Vp of hip-hop, R&B and rhythm promotion Abby Silk Director of digital marketing

Boominati

Leland Tyler “Metro Boomin” Wayne CEO

BuVision

Abou “Bu” Thiam CEO Malik Wilson President

Capitol Records

Jessica Eason Senior vp of marketing Justin Grant Senior vp/head of urban digital Ian Holder Keno Jordan Chris Turner Senior vps of A&R Danielle Nicholson Director of digital marketing

CMG Records

Yo Gotti Founder/CEO

Columbia Records

Lu Mota Executive vp of A&R Naim McNair Senior vp of A&R Amy Collins Vp of A&R James White Vp of radio promotion Mont Brown Senior director of A&R

Def Jam Recordings

Tunji Balogun Chairman/CEO

Epic Records

Ezekiel Lewis Chairman/CEO Jennifer Goiocechea Senior vp of A&R Dontay Thompson Senior vp of promotion Justin Duran Vp of marketing Patrick Afeku Senior director of A&R Michelle Hockett Senior director of marketing

EVEN

Mag Rodriguez Founder/CEO

EZMNY Records

Tyrone “Ty Dolla $ign” Griffin Jr. Shawn Barron Co-founders/CEOs

Geffen Records

Aaron “Dash” Sherrod President of A&R Courtney Couch Vp of marketing

Grand Hustle Music Group

Tip “T.I.” Harris CEO Thuy-An Julien Chief business officer

T.I.

Gilbert Flores

Before this year, many people thought the best days of T.I.’s career were behind him: The owner of four Hot 100 No. 1 singles and three Billboard 200 No. 1 albums hadn’t released a project in six years and hadn’t reached the top half of the Hot 100 in over a decade. But his breezy, braggadocious 2026 single, “Let ’Em Know,” turned back the clock for Tip and reminded hip-hop fans that the man who once called himsel...