Chris Atlas is aware of the hip-hop panorama just like the again of his hand. A local of The Bronx and savvy music trade vet, he at the moment holds the place as president of Fats Beats, which is at the moment celebrating its thirtieth anniversary. On this episode of XXL’s Inside Monitor podcast, Atlas speaks on his almost 30 years within the music trade, advertising and marketing expertise, the significance of artist improvement, the development of artists like Earl Sweatshirt, IDK and Tyler, The Creator, and extra.
Atlas began as an intern at Tommy Boy Data in 1995 whereas attending Metropolis School in New York earlier than being tasked with heading Tommy Boy Black Label three years later. In 2000, labored at Cornerstone Company, the mother or father firm of The Fader, earlier than shifting on to Government Vice President of Advertising at Def Jam in 2008 the place he labored with artists like Ye, Rick Ross, Jeezy, Ludacris and Rihanna. From 2017-2023 he was the Government Vice President, East Coast Operations & City Music at Warner earlier than taking up his present position at Fats Beats the place he makes use of his abilities for growing artists within the new period.
“You may’t brief the artist improvement a part of constructing an artist and making a model,” Atlas explains within the video beneath. “To me, the artists that may truly break via perceive, ‘OK, I have to have my digital footprint. I have to handle my socials, however I have to get on the highway. I have to see individuals. I have to good my craft.'”
Atlas names just a few artists he believes exemplify these requirements.
“I really feel like IDK is an artist that is doing that,” Atlas continues. “That’s dedicated to pushing artwork,” Atlas notes. “To me, Earl Sweatshirt is an unimaginable artist. Having seen Earl…and his trajectory by way of his dedication and dedication to the music, however now the place he is going so far as media and doing reveals, he is one other nice instance. I am an enormous Tyler, The Creator fan. Once more, Tyler has been round. However I am a fan of the development of his artwork.”
“To me, a few of the greatest artists I’ve labored with have had a imaginative and prescient for themselves,” Atlas provides. “They’ve an understanding for themselves and the way they wish to painting themselves and put themselves on the market. It is my job to reinforce that, add on to it and execute it.”
XXL is again with one other episode of Inside Monitor, a biweekly podcast that spends time with a few of hip-hop’s most influential trade executives, entrepreneurs and extra. Hosted by XXL Editor-in-Chief Vanessa Satten and music government Courtney “Courtney CL” Lowery, every episode will proceed to discover hip-hop via the eyes of people that have lived and breathed the tradition.
Watch or hearken to the episode of XXL’s Inside Monitor podcast beneath. The podcast may be discovered on xxlmag.com, XXL’s YouTube web page and on most podcast platforms: Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and XXL Dwell.
