RAINMAKERS 2020: THICK AS A BRICK

Rainmakers 2020, our latest anthology narrating the stories of top industry players, will be landing on desks with a resounding thud very soon. Among the careers profiled will be those of Steve Berman, Joie Manda and Randy Goodman.

A scion of the biz, Berman has been with Interscope since its inception—nearly 30 years—and his unrivaled marketing chops, powerful and enduring industry relationships and finely honed instincts have played an essential role in catapulting the label to its airy perch, which currently includes the #1 rank in label marketshare. He and better half Frances have also been deeply committed to an array of philanthropic causes, including voter resources, social justice, addiction recovery and cancer research. Steve is, in plain Yiddish, a mensch.

Manda has also been instrumental to Interscope’s extraordinary run, bringing his lifelong immersion in hip-hop and R&B to the table and pursuing signings and JV deals that have taken IGA streaming and marketshare into the stratosphere. These include, among others, profitable collaborations with LVRN, SCMG, Ten Summers and Alamo, the latter run by Manda’s longtime friend and collaborator Todd Moscowitz. Drawn to hip-hop since childhood, he has transformed his true passion into a veritable superpower—and become one of the hottest execs in the industry.

Sony Music Nashville chief Goodman may have started out as a drummer, but of late he’s been beating the drum for a group of breakout acts who’ve scored superlative streaming numbers and achieved genuine crossover success, pushing the envelope commercially and creatively. With a nimble team and a mandate to defy Nashville’s conventional wisdom, he’s cultivated a powerhouse roster that shows no sign of slowing down.