Music Industry Moves: Peso Pluma Signs With CAA

Peso is managed by George Prajin of Prajin Parlay, Inc.

+ BMG has appointed Kristal McKanders Dube as its new global head of corporate communications.

McKanders Dube joins BMG after nearly six years at Warner Music Group (WMG) where she led the global communications function at Warner Chappell Music (WCM), the publishing arm of WMG, including overseeing executive and songwriter communications, corporate events and philanthropic initiatives at WMG’s West Coast headquarters in Los Angeles.

Based in LA, McKanders Dube will report to BMG CEO Thomas Coesfeld. In her new role, she will handle BMG’s corporate communications worldwide, spearheading internal and external communications efforts, and liaising with BMG’s parent company, Bertelsmann

Coesfeld said, “It’s an exciting time at BMG with the company uniquely positioned for growth in a rapidly evolving music landscape, and we’re happy to have Kristal join us at such a pivotal moment and bring a fresh perspective to our business. Kristal’s innate storytelling ability, coupled with her expertise in corporate and music publishing communications, makes her an invaluable addition to our team.”

+ Full Coverage Communications has named Taylor Vaughn as its new vice president, as confirmed by President Kristen Foster and Managing Partner Erica Gerard.

The company has also added Amy McBrayer as a publicist following her years at Rogers & Cowan PMK and Press Here PR, working with A-list clients across music, entertainment and sports. Both new hires will work out of the Los Angeles office.

+ Kobalt has signed singer-songwriter Imani “Mocha” Lewis, co-writer of Tyla’s Grammy winning “Water,” and eight other tracks on the South African singer’s self-titled debut album.

“Mocha is a phenomenally gifted and versatile songwriter whose power to create lyrics and melody are only just now being recognized in the creative community,” said Genevieve Jackson Huguely, creative manager at Kobalt. “Her contributions to the success of Tyla’s debut album are just a sampling of what we can expect from her in the coming years. We are thrilled to have her at Kobalt.”

Mocha is also an actor who hails from Southside Jamaica, Queens, and only just recently returned to songwriting as a full-time pursuit. She has co-writing credits on K-Pop sensation P1 Harmony’s “Fall In Love Again” and Iggy Azalea’s “Money Come.” On screen, Mocha has starred in Netflix’s fantasy drama series, “First Kill,” Hulu’s coming-of-age comedy, “Miguel Wants to Fight,” Baz Luhrmann’s “The Get Down,” and A24’s award-winning film “Eighth Grade,” to name a few.

“When my manager, Ekram Ismael, introduced me to the Kobalt team, we encountered a bespoke organization of individuals who share with me the same level of intentionality, passion for music and a desire to make a global impact,” said Mocha. “I feel at home with a publisher that can represent my needs while I focus on making great music that can truly impact the world.”

Pictured above (L-R): Lindsey Lanier, Kate Loesch, Jamie Kinelski, Genevieve Jackson Huguely, Mocha, Jeannette Perez and Amanda Tufeld.

+ Rise Music Group has signed Hayefield for exclusive management representation following the release of their debut EP “Trees,” which was produced by Austin Shawn (Bailey Zimmerman, Chase Matthew) and Adam Ernst.

Rise Music Group is headquartered in Nashville, Tenn. and Austin, Texas. The company was founded in 2018 by long-time industry professional Tanner Louis. Rise Music Group also represents Hayden Coffman, Lane Smith, and Dave Fenley.

“We couldn’t be more excited to join the Rise Music Group roster. Every artist on that roster is a superb talent and it’s an honor to join this winning team,” said Hayefield. “Tanner is such a solid / genuine person. We wanted someone that was willing to work as hard or harder than us… and I wouldn’t want anybody else having our back in this business. He’s been a fan since day one and that’s exactly who you want supporting you along this journey. We can’t wait to share our sound and vision together.”

+ Concord has hired Brad Clark for the newly created position of senior vice president of streaming and data analysis. Additionally, Concord has hired Kristen Reed as VP of data analytics and research.

Working across Concord Label Group, Clark and Reed will focus on utilizing data to drive revenue and to amplify the voices of Concord artists. Both Clark and Reed will be based in Concord’s Nashville headquarters, Clark reporting to newly appointed Chief Executive of Concord Label Group Tom Becci and Reed reporting to Clark.

“I am excited to have Brad and Kristen join the team. Brad has worked with artists at all stages of their career, from the releasing of their first song to some of the biggest stadium acts in the industry. He has developed a unique understanding of how to translate data into real-world advancement for an artist’s career,” said Becci.

Having led projects for artists such as Chris Stapleton, Darius Rucker, Eric Church, Lady A, Luke Bryan and Sam Hunt, Clark has deep understanding of how to employ data to increase sales and enhance artists’ careers. Meanwhile, Reed joins Concord after a six-year stint in data analytics and research at Universal Music Group.

+ A&R executive Luis “Lu” Mota has joined Atlantic Records as executive VP of A&R. Based at Atlantic’s New York City headquarters, he will report to the label’s co-president of Black Music, Lanre Gaba.

Mota comes to Atlantic from Columbia Records where he played a pivotal role on the team that discovered and developed hip-hop stars including Lil Tjay, Polo G, Fivio Foreign, and Joey Bada$$.

Most recently, Mota served as senior VP of A&R at Columbia Records. After discovering Lil Tjay, Mota brought him to Columbia Records, developing the breakout star and playing a major role in the Bronx native’s success, including his Billboard Hot 100 No. 3 song “Calling My Phone,” and multi-platinum hits “F.N” and “Brothers.” Mota and his team also notably A&R’d Polo G’s “Pop Out.”

+ Cinq Music has acquired the catalog of late Puerto Rican music producer and hitmaker, Flow La Movie. José Angel Hernández — better known as Flow La Movie — is responsible for crafting hits including “Te Boté,” which was remixed by Bad Bunny, Ozuna and Nicky Jam and has over 4B global streams as the top Latin RIAA Certified record in history

The late Hernández founded his Flow La Movie record label in 2016 and developed a chart-topping repertoire with his artists, Nio Garcia and Casper Magico, who also participated in the sale. The catalog sale was possible through Flow La Movie’s estate, now administered by his daughter, Keigelyan Hernandez and with collaboration from GLAD Empire.

“Reggaeton has been a core element of our DNA since the founding of this company. I remember the day that ‘Te Boté’ was released and watching the remix catapult into a global phenomenon,” said Barry Daffurn, Cinq Music president and co-founder. “We all mourned the loss of José, and we are honored to continue his legacy with the addition of his catalog to our storied portfolio. Cinq is committed to honoring his life’s work and to preserving his remarkable legacy. We have tremendous respect and admiration for him and his family, and we are looking forward to continuing to build upon the special place that he occupies in the hearts of music fans everywhere.”