Andre Torres, founder of Wax Poetics magazine and the former Executive Editor of Genius, has been appointed Vice President of Urban Catalog at Universal Music Enterprises (UMe) – the global catalog division of Universal Music Group (UMG).
In this newly-created role, Torres will work closely with UMe’s senior management team as well as the leadership at UMG’s labels to develop, implement and execute a global A&R, sales, branding and marketing strategy for hip-hop, rap, R&B, along with other genres in urban music.
Torres will be based in Santa Monica and report to Bruce Resnikoff, UMe’s President and CEO.
Resnikoff said, “At UMe, we are focused on elevating our artists and their legacies by engaging both fans and new audiences.
“With Andre, we are adding a very talented, innovative and entrepreneurial executive, who will collaborate closely with our labels and artists to develop unique experiences, products and releases based on our extensive and industry-leading library of urban, hip-hop and R&B music. With his unique perspective and background, Andre has the ability to authentically represent our artists and connect with their fans.”
“With Andre, we are adding a very talented, innovative and entrepreneurial executive, who will collaborate closely with our labels and artists to develop unique experiences, products and releases based on our extensive and industry-leading library of urban, hip-hop and R&B music.”
Bruce Resnikoff, UME
Commented Torres: “I’ve spent my professional career helping artists tell their stories, some for the first time and sometimes long after they are gone. This new role is the culmination of my entrepreneurial and journalism experience, my love and respect for these artists and the music they create and the opportunity to continue telling their stories.
“I’m excited to join Bruce, the incredible team at UMe and to work first hand with my musical heroes.”
Torres founded the quarterly music magazine Wax Poetics in 2001, featuring an eclectic mix of artists from Public Enemy to Daft Punk.
The title became a staple for vinyl collectors, DJs, and music enthusiasts interested in researching hip-hop’s deep history back to its roots.
After fifteen years at the helm of Wax Poetics, Torres joined the Brooklyn lyrics website Genius as Executive Editor.
In addition to ensuring the editorial quality of the site’s crowd-sourced material, he managed a group of editors providing content for the “Behind the Lyrics” collaboration with Spotify.
Genius laid off a quarter of its staff in January, as it announced a re-focus on video content.Music Business Worldwide
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