Sylvia Rhone Departs as Head of Universal Motown

The management shake-up at Universal Music Group continues as Sylvia Rhone, a lieutenant of the company’s former chairman and one of the most prominent women in the music business, steps down as president of Universal Motown, one of the group’s labels.

Ms. Rhone, 59, has been president of Universal Motown since 2004, overseeing artists like Erykah Badu, Akon and, through the label’s Cash Money and Young Money subsidiaries, Lil Wayne and Nicki Minaj. She began her career at Buddha Records in 1974, and in 1990 she became the first black woman to lead a major record company when she took over East West Records America, a division of Atlantic. In 1994, she became chairman of Elektra Records.

Motown executives will now report to Barry Weiss, chairman of the Island Def Jam/Universal Motown Group.

SOURCE: NYTimes.com