NOISEMAKERS:
A VICTORY LAP
In our latest roundup of Noisemakers, we present eight more rising professionals from different parts of the biz whose dedication and effort make their superiors look good.
At the very least, we’re told copies of our mag make for decent paper plates, which could come in handy on Cinco de Mayo.
Junko Takeda
Director, A&R Operations, Warner Chappell Music
In addition to overseeing and leading some of Warner Chappell’s biggest writing camps—including a 2019 Las Vegas outing that resulted in placements like Little Mix’s “Sweet Melody,” Kygo and OneRepublic’s “Lose Somebody” and Lil Wayne’s “Dreams”—Takeda aided in the development of WCM’s proprietary demo-pitching tool, ARROW, rolling out now. She’s demonstrated her flexibility during the pandemic by helping launch a series of virtual writing camps, with songwriters like T-Minus, Ross Golan, Tayla Parx and Priscilla Renea. In short, this classically trained pianist is hitting all the right notes.
David Wander
Chief Digital Officer, Roc Nation
Running digital for Roc Nation, Wander is the man to thank for some memorable out-of-home advertising for Jay-Z’s 4:44 and many a wrapped city bus. He’s also played a crucial role in such projects as the Team Roc x Black History Month We Recognize campaign; Nipsey Hussle & Jay-Z’s “What It Feels Like” release; the NFL’s Super Bowl LV pre-show and Pepsi Halftime Show live visual-album launch; and the announcement of Jay-Z’s Champagne Armand de Brignac partnership with LVMH, which generated more than a billion impressions. Now that’s bottle service.
Melissa Mendez
Director, Promotion Events & Logistics, Capitol Music Group
Before the pandemic, Mendez scheduled promotional activities for national radio events, including a sold-out Jingle Ball at Madison Square Garden and CBS’ We Can Survive at the Hollywood Bowl; last year, she facilitated 600+ virtual experiences, for artists like Katy Perry, Sam Smith (with whom she shares a 5/19 birthday), Internet Money, Surf Mesa, City Girls and Lewis Capaldi, who scored a historic #1 with “Before You Go.” Mendez is now breaking new Tower acts like Duncan Laurence, Mooski and Toosii.
Jordan Moran
Director, Digital Marketing, Primary Wave
Moran breathes new life into the catalogs of creators as diverse as Smokey Robinson, Burt Bacharach and Glenn Gould by introducing their classic works to a fresh crop of listeners. He was instrumental in launching the Gloria Gaynor #IWillSurviveChallenge on TikTok, which resulted in an 81% spike in digital sales, and partnered with JibJab on an eCard for Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons’ “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You.” Moran is currently gearing up for the launch of Primary Wave’s first navigation pack with Waze, featuring PW’s roster of iconic voices.
Todd Perry
VP, A&R/Business Development, Create Music Group
When Perry inked Tory Lanez to a distribution deal, he demonstrated that an artist of Lanez’ stature can function creatively without major-label assistance. By the same token, he’s since been working on a content hub/label with Funk Flex, which will serve as a place for rappers like Rowdy Rebel, Jadakiss, Lil Tjay and Pooh Sheisty to release music and rising hip-hop talent to flourish. A man of many talents, Perry has even sung Stevie Wonder’s version of “Happy Birthday” with Stevie Wonder.
Drew Kaklamanos
A&R, Creative Director, Photo Finish Records
Kaklamanos worked his first tour (while at Warner Music) in support of Gary Clark Jr.’s 2012-13 North American/European road show. He notched a big win in 2018 when ZAYN hopped on Photo Finish artist SHAED’s “Trampoline.” Kaklamanos is excited at the moment about music from SHAED and The Maine and welcoming Marian Hill and 3OH!3 back to PFR, which is celebrating its 15th anniversary. Having met HITS’ Lenny Beer during his MBA studies at USC in 2008, Kaklamanos has done a decent job of steering clear of us—until now, that is.
Jae Brown
VP, A&R, Rostrum Records
During his Interscope days, Brown worked with the folks responsible for helping Kendrick Lamar deliver his 2017 Grammy Award- and Pulitzer Prize-winning DAMN. Today he’s working on the rollout of Rich the Kid’s album while developing rising stars like Taleban Dooda, Mr. Chicken—whose “Never Could” is creating quite a buzz—DC the Don and Russell. Reportedly enjoying one of the best jump shots in the rap game, Brown triggered our asthma just by mentioning outdoor exercise.
Marissa Ramirez
Senior Director, Creative Content, IGA
Ramirez has loved every minute of being on Summer Walker’s LVRN team, from the artist’s “Girls Need Love” video to her performance at the BET Awards with Usher. The creative exec is also working on Olivia Rodrigo’s debut album alongside her colleague Christiana Divona—they’ve been pedal to the metal since “drivers license” set Spotify’s record for most streams in a day for a non-holiday song. When she’s not busy advancing the careers of IGA talent, Ramirez finds her bliss at DTLA’s flower market and crafting arrangements with the posies she procures.
