WMG Exec Kevin Liles Dropping Inspirational Book

Music industry executive Kevin Liles announced that he will release an inspirational book in September titled “From Intern to President Make it Happen: The Hip Hop Generation Guide to Success.” The book gives advice to up and coming executives on how to navigate the turbulent waters of the music industry and contains stories from his […]

Music industry executive

Kevin Liles announced that he will release an inspirational book in September

titled “From Intern to President Make it Happen: The Hip Hop Generation

Guide to Success.”

The book gives advice to

up and coming executives on how to navigate the turbulent waters of the music

industry and contains stories from his experiences running Def Jam with Russell

Simmons and Lyor Cohen.

Liles, who hails from Baltimore,

Maryland, started his career in 1986 when he penned the multi-platinum single

“Girl You Know It’s True,” which he wrote with his group Numarx.

In 1991, Liles started his

ascent as an executive in the music industry, as an unpaid intern in the Mid-Atlantic

region. Two years later he was named the Mid-Atlantic Marketing Manager.

By 1998 Liles was the President

of Def Jam, a position he held until 2002. During his tenure as President, revenues

doubled to $400 million, with hits coming from such acts as DMX, Ja Rule, Jay-Z,

Ludacris, Ashanti, LL Cool J and others.

Liles left his President

position at Def Jam in 2004 and headed over to Warner Music Group, where he

is executive Vice President.

“From Intern

to President Make it Happen: The Hip Hop Generation Guide to Success”

was co-writen with Samantah Marshall, a senior staff Reporter for Crain’s New

York Business.

Here are some of

Liles’ rules from the book:

Rule 1: Find Your Will

Look deep inside to discover that thing you really love to do…

Rule 2: Do You

Discover your own flava, then package it and present it to the world…

Rule 3: Walk This Way

Get educated, find a mentor, read and research…

Rule 4: The Blue Print

Create a vision of what you want from life and draw a roadmap to

success…

Rule 5: Play Your Position

Have the humility to do your job and then some…

Rule 6: Embrace the Struggle

Love the hard times because they make you stronger, wiser, and more

willing to take risks…

Rule 7: Get Connected

Build relationships to last forever…

Rule 8: Step Outside Your Box

Be open to people from all walks of life…

Rule 9: Don’t Let Cash Rule

Greed will only trip you up…

Rule 10: Flex Purpose, Not Power

It’s never too early to learn how to lead…