Shirley Halperin Executive Editor, MusicAbou “Bu” Thiam has been appointed executive vice president at Columbia Records. Reporting into chairman and CEO Ron Perry, Bu’s position will straddle A&R and strategic initiatives across all genres for the label that’s home to Lil Nas X, Harry Styles, Adele, the Kid Laroi and many others.Thiam has been working closely with Perry and Columbia via a joint venture, Buvision, where he signed the artists KayCyy and Rican. “We all know breaking a new artist is very difficult, and to see the Columbia team be so committed in the early stages of KayCyy’s career — from marketing, strategic branding, his EP rollout etc. — was very impressive,” says Thiam. “Columbia’s culture is breaking New artists — like Fivio, Lil Nas X, Polo G, the Kid Laroi — and Ron is a true music man at heart, you don’t see that type of artist development anymore.” Thiam is also known for managing Kanye West, with whom he will continue to work — “Always, that’s my brother,” says Thiam.
His real-life brother is the singer Akon. When Akon was negotiating his first label deal, he insisted his younger sibling come on board as his A&R.
As Akon became a multiplatinum R&B star, Thiam began branching out, playing a role in the early careers of Lady Gaga, Jeremih and T-Pain.At 28, he was hired as vice president of A&R at Def Jam — the youngest person ever to hold that position — and from there he was introduced to West, when the label’s then CEO, Antonio “L.A.” Reid, brought him along to West’s Hawaii studio as he was recording “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy.”“It was a great experience; I was able to learn from one of the greatest music minds, L.A.
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