Ezekiel Lewis on Leading Epic Records & Finding New Stars | On the Record

From crafting hit songs to leading one of the music industry’s most storied labels, Epic Records’ newly appointed CEO/chairman is bringing a songwriter’s perspective to the future of artist development. Ezekiel Lewis joins Billboard On The Record host Kristin Robinson this week in his first-ever interview as the leader of Epic to discuss his career, from writing and producing hits like Justin Bieber’s “One Less Lonely Girl” to helming a label with some of the industry’s top talent, including Travis Scott, Future, 21 Savage, Tyla, Madison Beer, Meghan Trainer and Giveon. Lewis shares his perspective on A&R, how Epic Records signed Tyla and developed her into a global star and the importance of building trust between artists and their teams.

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Billboard On The Record is a podcast in partnership with SickBird Productions.

This episode is sponsored by ASCAP.

Host:
Kristin Robinson

Executive Producers:
Diona DaCosta
Jade Watson

Produced By:
Kayla Forman
Mateo Vergara

Edited By:
Rachel Derbyshire

00:00 Intro: Ezekiel Lewis & Epic Records
01:02 Why this interview is “a first”
02:24 From hitmaker to Epic CEO
03:41 Alabama → Atlanta beginnings
04:57 Working with Luther Vandross
06:03 How “One Less Lonely Girl” happened
07:18 The Clutch & writing camps
08:34 Mentors: LA Reid, Sylvia Rhone + more
10:00 What A&R *should* be (not just research)
11:07 Signing Tyla & developing her sound
12:24 Tyla’s “X factor” through Zoom
13:56 Running a label through the pandemic
15:35 Labels vs algorithms (TikTok era)
16:50 Creating moments where “magic can happen”
18:34 Turning viral success into longevity
19:50 Inflated deals & “you can’t skip steps”
21:30 Artists signing later & building trust
23:10 Strengths as an A&R/exec (trust + taste)
24:00 Sponsor message: ASCAP
25:50 Ezekiel Lewis’ leadership philosophy for Epic
27:38 Balancing Epic’s legacy with a new era
29:24 Rap’s “downturn” & why it’s cyclical
30:58 Sicko Mode writers/samples & clearing records
32:24 Travis Scott: world building & creativity
33:55 Zara Larsson’s next chapter
35:25 Cutting through: vision + artist development
36:36 Why Epic won’t sign “just to see what sticks”
38:03 New artist: Quale P & the “paradox” moment
39:55 Virality vs streaming isn’t as reliable now
41:15 Exec heroes: Berry Gordy, Clive Davis
42:25 Games begin: Spin the Record
43:55 Best signing stories: Tyla + Mariah The Scientist
45:46 Song he wishes he wrote: “Crazy”
47:20 “Man in the Arena” + handling comments
48:56 Instruments + musical family
50:12 What Would You Cue? (childhood + MJ era)
51:50 Coachella moment: Bieber performs “One Less Lonely Girl”
52:39 Outro + follow @billboardontherecord

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Ezekiel Lewis on Leading Epic Records & Finding New Stars | On the Record

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