Madeline Nelson
| Madeline Nelson | |
|---|---|
| Born | April 26 |
| 💼 Occupation | Music Executive, Entrepreneur |
| Board member of | A2IM, Triller, Bquate, Compound VC |
Madeline Nelson is an American music executive and entrepreneur. She is currently the founder and CEO of Heads Music - a boutique woman-founded independent record label and creative music company in New York City. Previously, she held the role of Senior Vice President of A&R / Artist Relations across three major labels at Sony Music. Her previous roles range from working as a manager of Grammy-Award winning R&B supergroup Blackstreet, working A&R with Michael Jackson, and holding a position as the Senior Vice President of A&R / Artist Relations at Sony Music.[1]
Early life[edit]
Nelson was born in Brooklyn, New York and raised in Pawleys Island, South Carolina. She later moved back to New York, where she lived in Harlem, and at the age of 20 started as a talent booker and eventually became a producer for the famed television show "Showtime at the Apollo." She also held various coordinator and producer roles for Def Comedy Jam, The Soap Opera Digest Awards, Essence Awards for Essence Magazine, and the B.E.T. Awards.[2]
Nelson transitioned from entertainment to music started in 1992, starting with her management of hit-maker Teddy Riley. Her involvement with Riley began with the production of 1992's "Rumpshaker."[3]
Nelson soon signed on as Vice President of Music Operations for New Jack Swing Productions, a subsidiary of Jimmy Iovine's Interscope Records Label in 1995. There, she managed the day-to-day operations of Riley and R&B supergroup Blackstreet. While managing Blackstreet, Nelson was responsible for the release of the global hit No Diggity, choosing to debut the track from their new album in place of the suggested ballad, "(Money Can't) Buy Me Love". During her tenure at New Jack / Interscope, she also worked with other great talents such as Gwen Stefani, Snoop Dogg and Pharrell Williams.[4]
In 2010, Nelson worked for Donna Karen's Urban Zen organization, where she served as Senior Vice President of Foundation Operations. Before joining Donna Karen's organization, she also worked for 5 years at Steve Stoute's marketing company, Translation, LLC. While there, Nelson worked on campaigns for high profile personalities such as Ray Allen, Ray Lewis, Denzel Washington, LeBron James, Faith Hill and Rihanna.
Career[edit]
In the 2010s, Nelson served as Senior Vice President of A&R, Artist and Label Relations at Sony Music (a role created specifically for her by SME's CEO Doug Morris), her responsibilities included developing and nurturing new talent in coordination with the A&R teams across three major Sony labels: RCA, Columbia, and Epic. During her time at Sony Music, Nelson worked closely with J.Cole for the release of his 2011 album Cole World: The Sideline Story, which went on to platinum certification, and Elle Varner's debut project Perfectly Imperfect.[5]
Having always dreamt of leading her own label, Nelson shifted away from her corporate music executive role to found her own independent, boutique-style label and full-service music company, Heads Music in 2012. The label is the first of its kind, with a staff made up entirely of women - a reflection of Nelson's dedication to having women achieve equality within the music industry.[6]
As CEO of Heads Music, Nelson manages Grammy-winning, multi-talented artist Wyclef Jean as well as a roster of indie artists such as Jazzy Amra, Jeremy Torres, Price, and Riley. The full-service label focuses on services within management, artist development, brand strategy, and publishing.[7]
Nelson is also heavily involved in the music production side at Heads Music - having the title of co-production on 39 songs to date for Heads Music, including Wyclef Jean's 2016 streaming smash, "Hendrix" (English and Spanish version featuring Farina, Bryan Myers and Anonymous), "I Swear" ft. Young Thug and Wyclef Jean, and "Kiss the Sky" ft Wyclef Jean and The Knocks. She has also been a producer on much of the label's young talent's work, including Jazzy Amra's "Single Single" a TikTok-trending track in January of 2020.[8]
Nelson is also fiercely dedicated to female mentorship. Many of the women who have worked under or have been mentored by Nelson have gone on to leadership roles at Sony Music, Def Jam, Warner Music Group, Columbia Records, and Glassnote Entertainment Group.
Nelson is a member of the Board of Advisors at Triller and is a Board Member at A2IM.
Selected Discography[edit]
| Writing & Arrangement | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Blackstreet & Mya Ft. Ma$e & Blinky Blink | Take Me There | Interscope Records | 1998 |
| Various - Music From The Motion Picture The Rugrats Movie | Take Me There | 1998 | |
| Various - Universal Music Radio Compilation #12 - December 1998 (CD, Comp, Promo) | Take Me There (Want U Back Mix - No Rap Version) | Universal Music | 1998 |
| Various - New Music Spins 10 (CD, Comp, Promo) | Take Me There | Universal Music, Spins | 1998 |
| Various - Universal Music Radio Compilation #11 - November 1998 (CD, Comp, Promo) | Take Me There (Radio Version) | Universal Music | 1998 |
| Blackstreet - Finally (CD, Album) | Take Me There (Remix) | Interscope Records | 1999 |
| Blackstreet - Girlfriend / Boyfriend | Take Me There (Thugrats Remix) | 1999 | |
| Mike E - Master Plan (CD, Album, Unofficial) | Masterplan | Capitol Records | 2000 |
| The Knocks - 55 (CD, Album) | 55 | Big Beat, Neon Gold | 2016 |
| Wyclef Jean - Carnival III: The Fall And Rise Of A Refugee | Fela Kuti | Heads Music, Legacy | 2017 |
| Production | |||
| Queen Pen Ft. Eric Williams of Blackstreet - All My Love | All My Love | Interscope Records, Lil' Man Records | 1997 |
| Queen Pen - My Melody | My Melody | Lil' Man Records, Interscope Records | 1997 |
| Blackstreet - Girlfriend / Boyfriend (CD, Single) | Girlfriend / Boyfriend (Dirty Version) | Interscope Records | 1999 |
| Mike E - Master Plan (CD, Album, Unofficial) | Masterplan | Capitol Records | 2000 |
| Wyclef Jean - J'Ouvert (CD, EP) | J'Ouvert | eOne | 2017 |
| Wyclef Jean - Carnival III: The Fall and Rise Of A Refugee | Carnival III: The Fall and Rise Of A Refugee | Heads Music, Legacy | 2017 |
| Management | |||
| Monifah - Home (CD, Album) | Home | Universal Records | 2000 |
| Guy - Guy III | Guy III | MCA Records | 2000 |
| Wyclef Jean - Carnival III: The Fall And Rise Rise Of A Refugee | Carnival III: The Fall And Rise Of A Refugee | Heads Music, Legacy | 2017 |
| Year | Title | Writer(s) | Album | Label |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Kiss the Sky | Wyclef Jean
Madeline Nelson Ben Ruttner James Patterson Ross Clark |
55 | Big Beat / Atlantic |
| 2016 | Zoom, Zoom | Wyclef Jean
Madeline Nelson Matthew Robson Kye Gibbon |
--- | --- |
| 2016 | My Girl | Wyclef Jean
Madeline Nelson Ben Ruttner James Patterson Ross Clark Phoebe Ryan Ivan Jackson Rosenburg |
--- | Heads Music |
| 2016 | Hendrix Spanglish Remix | Wyclef Jean
Madeline Nelson Farina Franco Bryan Perez Luis Beauchamp |
--- | Heads Music |
| 2016 | Me Myself & I | Nikki Yanofsky
Madeline Nelson |
Solid Gold EP | A 440 Entertainment |
| Young Love (acoustic) | Nikki Yanofsky
Madeline Nelson | |||
| Young Love | Nikki Yanofsky
Madeline Nelson | |||
| 2017 | Hendrix | Wyclef Jean
Madeline Nelson |
J'ouvert EP | Heads Music / eOne |
| Party Started | Wyclef Jean
Madeline Nelson Farina Franco Jube Altino Nutron | |||
| Holding on the Edge | Wyclef Jean
Madeline Nelson Nicholas Petricca | |||
| The Ring | Wyclef Jean
Madeline Nelson Branden Washington | |||
| Rear View | Wyclef Jean
Madeline Nelson Branden Washington | |||
| Little Things | Wyclef Jean
Madeline Nelson DJ Reymo T-Baby | |||
| Lady Haiti | Wyclef Jean
Madeline Nelson Ron Carr John Altino | |||
| I Swear | Wyclef Jean
Madeline Nelson Brendon Waters Young Thug Keithen Foster James Patterson | |||
| If I Was President 2016 | Wyclef Jean
Madeline Nelson Jerry Duplessis | |||
| Life Matters | Wyclef Jean
Madeline Nelson | |||
| 2017 | S.L.U.M.S | Wyclef Jean
Madeline Nelson Branden Washington Jamika Deshazer Antoine Kern Jacob Washington |
Carnival III: The Fall and Rise of a Refugee | Heads Music / Sony |
| Borrowed Time | Wyclef Jean
Madeline Nelson | |||
| Shotta Boys | Wyclef Jean
Madeline Nelson Brandon Bailey Branden Washington | |||
| Double Dutch | Wyclef Jean
Madeline Nelson | |||
| Trapicabana | Wyclef Jean
Madeline Nelson Theodore Riley Angie Chirino Emilio Estefan | |||
| What Happened to Love | Wyclef Jean
Madeline Nelson Ben Ruttner James Paterson Ross Clark Jacob Kasher Hindlin | |||
| Concrete Rose | Wyclef Jean
Madeline Nelson Izolan Branden Washington | |||
| Thank God for the Culture | Wyclef Jean
Madeline Nelson James Patterson Marx Solvila H1DaHook | |||
| Fela Kuti | Wyclef Jean
Madeline Nelson Supah Mario Fela Kuti | |||
| What Happened to Love TAL REMIX | Wyclef Jean
Madeline Nelson Ben Ruttner James Patterson Ross Clark Jacob Kasher Hindlin Tal Benyezri Ralph Beaubrun Ludovic Gissellbrecht-Carquet Therry Marie-Louise |
--- | --- | |
| Concrete Rose Voodoo Trap Version | Wyclef Jean
Madeline Nelson Izolan Branden Washington Elvis Milord |
--- | --- | |
| 2017 | Camels to Ferraris | Wyclef Jean
Madeline Nelson Branden Washington Daniel Paul Washington Jacob Raphael Washington Phillip Fender Sidney Swift |
Wyclef Inspired By | Heads Music / Sony |
| 2018 | You Got Me (Remix) | Wyclef Jean
Madeline Nelson Kali Schrouder TJ Riley Kofi Brifu James A. Johnson Allan Felder Kenneth Burke Norma Jean Wright |
AMRA | Heads Music |
| 2019 | Kingsbridge Road | Jazmine Peña
Wyclef Jean Madeline Nelson | ||
| Be With You | Jazmine Peña
Wyclef Jean Madeline Nelson Matthew Reyes | |||
| Jazmine's Diary | Jazmine Peña
Wyclef Jean Madeline Nelson | |||
| Big Plans | Jazmine Peña
Wyclef Jean Devon Golder Zakaiyah Qamar Parker Madeline Nelson Jeremy Torres | |||
| 2019 | Faded Butterfly | Wyclef Jean
Madeline Nelson TJ Riley Samantha Uzbay |
Wyclef Goes Back to School | Heads Music |
| Conexion Caribena | Wyclef Jean
Branden Washington Daniel Lucas Irizarry Madeline Nelson | |||
| Hieroglyphics | Wyclef Jean
Ausar Bradley Madeline Nelson | |||
| When a Rose Dies | Wyclef Jean
Pedro Torres III Madeline Nelson | |||
| 2019 | Dear Future Self (Hands Up) | Wyclef Jean
Madeline Nelson Jonas Wallin Jens Silverstedt Noonie Bao Barac Alexandru Botezan Marcel Annalise Moreli Alina Smith |
Believers Never Die | Island Records |
| 2020 | Distance | Wyclef Jean
Madeline Nelson |
--- | Heads Music |
| 2020 | Black Owned Friday | Wyclef Jean
Madeline Nelson |
Jingles | Heads Music |
References[edit]
- ↑ "About". Madeline Nelson. Retrieved 2020-11-06.
- ↑ "About". Madeline Nelson. Retrieved 2020-11-06.
- ↑ "About". Madeline Nelson. Retrieved 2020-11-06.
- ↑ "About". Madeline Nelson. Retrieved 2020-11-06.
- ↑ "About". Madeline Nelson. Retrieved 2020-11-06.
- ↑ "About". Madeline Nelson. Retrieved 2020-11-06.
- ↑ "About". Madeline Nelson. Retrieved 2020-11-06.
- ↑ "About". Madeline Nelson. Retrieved 2020-11-06.
https://www.madelinenelson.com/
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