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Portrait of Lyor Cohen

Lyor Cohen

Lyor Cohen is an American music executive from New York City, New York active since 1984.

Profession
Record executive, Music executive
From
New York City, New York
Born
October 3, 1959
Years active
1984–present

Early life

Born in New York to Israeli immigrant parents, Lyor Cohen began as Run-DMC's road manager under Russell Simmons.

Career

He rose to run Def Jam and Warner Music, co-founded the label 300 Entertainment, and became the global head of music at YouTube.

Major achievements

He helped build hip-hop's biggest record companies and remains one of the industry's most powerful executives.

Legacy

Lyor Cohen is a defining business architect of hip-hop's rise to commercial dominance.

References

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