A TASTE OF RAINMAKERS 2024: TUNJI BALOGUN

After successful A&R stints at Interscope and RCA, where he stewarded projects from the likes of Doja Cat, Bryson Tiller, H.E.R., Wizkid and Normani, Tunji Balogun was tapped by UMG poobah Sir Lucian Grainge in late 2021 to lead Def Jam Recordings. The past years for the iconic hip-hop label have been choppy, marked by C-suite turnover, roster attrition and prolonged absences (Kanye West, Rihanna, Justin Bieber) and, most recently, a corporate restructuring. Balogun is tasked with honoring the legacy of Def Jam, which celebrates its 40th birthday this year, while moving the label forward via breakout R&B artists like Muni Long, Coco Jones and Fridayy and global acts such as Elmiene and ODUMODUBLVCK.

“That’s the challenge,” he acknowledges. “But also the exciting part, the opportunity to breathe new life into something that I not only care about, but that is culturally important. It’s an institution of Black music.”

Let’s start from the beginning. You’re based in L.A. Did you grow up on the West Coast?

I grew up in the Bay Area and in Nigeria. My parents moved to the States in 1980. I was born in Sacramento because my dad went to UC Davis, and then we moved back to Nigeria when I was three, then moved back to the East Bay when I was seven or eight. My dad was a voracious music listener. He loved Motown, R&B and soul music and also played a lot of Nigerian music.

Then I went to boarding school in Massachusetts, because Nigerian parents love boarding schools. The most important thing in a Nigerian household is education. Boarding school was a culture shock. I was a fish out of water. But it taught me how to network with any type of person, and I met kids who were listening to music that I never would have listened to otherwise. Most of the other Black kids at Deerfield were from New York. When I was in the Bay Area, I was listening to West Coast rap. When I went to Deerfield, I met kids who were listening to Wu-Tang, Nas and JAY-Z.

And that was when I really started listening to lyrics. That’s, like, when I put on my backpack and became a nerd. I still am a nerd. I’m a cool-ass nerd [laughs], but I’m definitely a music nerd, especially with Black music.

I was also in high school when I started writing lyrics and rapping.

What was your first gig in the industry?

During college I interned at Warner Bros., but my first paid gig was as a catalog manager at a ringtone company called Def Jam Mobile. It was owned by American Greetings. So when you went into your phone to buy ringtones and got onto the little landing page, I was the one curating that.

Who have been some of your mentors along the way?

Na’im Ali McNair is one of the first people who believed in me. Top Dawg had time for me and gave me opportunities. Shawn “Tubby” Holiday, who I worked for at Interscope starting in 2010. John Janick, who promoted me to an actual A&R role at Interscope in 2013. And eventually Peter Edge and Keith Naftaly at RCA.

How did Peter and Keith figure into your career?

They understood the R&B stuff, the left-of-center stuff, the weird hip-hop stuff that I liked. And they just were like, go for it. I got lucky because the first thing I signed was Bryson Tiller, and that immediately blew up. They believed in me, they empowered me. I had a JV label at RCA [Keep Cool] after a while. Peter’s a music guy first. It’s always about the creative for him.

What was the interview process like for the Def Jam gig?

There wasn’t really an interview process. I’d left Interscope, gone to Sony and went on a run. I was lucky enough to have had tremendous success at RCA. So Lucian was aware of the work. I’d had a couple of meetings with him before the meeting. But I didn’t know that he thought that I could do this job. There were a few other roles at Universal that I thought he might bring up. Joie Manda had just left Interscope, I thought maybe he was going to offer that. So when he brought up the Def Jam job, I was like, “Oh shit, for real? Okay, let me think about it.” It was a tough decision, because I was really loving the work I was doing at RCA. I had my own label, and a ton of artists who were doing really well. But the opportunity to help refresh such an iconic label, such an iconic brand, really speaks to me. It’s the dream job.

Still, in recent years, Def Jam has undergone a lot of turnover at the top and an erosion of market share. What do you think went amiss?

With all due respect to everyone who sat in the seat and did the job, I come from Interscope under Jimmy and then John, and RCA under Peter. I’m a student of seeing a company that’s led by a creative vision. If I could call out anything that maybe changes the energy, it’s that Def Jam hadn’t been led by a creative for a while, someone who could reach into the artist community and speak to artists on their level. That’s not to say that the people who had the job before me couldn’t do it, but it’s more that I live and breathe that.

Also, there aren’t a lot of Black people that get an opportunity like this. And particularly not a lot of young Black people. This is much bigger than just me and my career. Because if this is successful, it changes who gets the next call, right? It’s extremely important that representation is felt at all levels, from the intern to the CEO. And not just in creative roles, but in logistical, functional roles as well. Representation behind the scenes is crucial. Our voices need to be in the room. I want Def Jam to be a reflection of the culture. I want the people whose voices traditionally have the lowest volume to have a loud voice in the room.

When you got the gig, did you hear from any of the former CEOs?

I already had good relationships with Paul Rosenberg and Jeff Harleston, so I heard from them. Going back to the mentor question, Jeff has been one of my mentors, for sure. I didn’t know Steve Bartels, so I reached out to him, and we had a good conversation.

What about the OGs? Rick Rubin, Russell Simmons, Lyor Cohen?

Yeah, they all reached out to me. I’ve known Russell since Def Jam Mobile. Same with Kevin Liles.

Tell me about the next six to 12 months. What are you excited about?

There’s Muni, which I talked about. There’s Fridayy. He’s an amazing example of what I’m trying to do at Def Jam. He’s a Haitian American from Philadelphia. He’s an R&B act at his core, but his music incorporates damn near every element of the patchwork of Black music globally. He’s going to be a superstar. All of the ingredients that I’ve seen in artists I’ve worked with who became superstars are present with Fridayy.

There’s a Big Sean album coming, his first in four years. It’s him stepping into the best version of himself. We’ll have new Alessia Cara in the fall. As an A&R, I was excited to work with her when I came in. I’ve been working on it with [Sr. Director of A&R and marketing] Caitlin Harriford on our team. I know I’ve said this a lot, but I think Alessia is sitting on her best album. It’s a step forward.. And we’ll have a Coco Jones album in the fall. Grammy winner, super talent, superwoman. Oh, and we can talk about this, since they already did: We’ll have a new Clipse album this year.

(The 2024 edition of Rainmakers will be published this fall.)