Kedar Massenburg
| Kedar Massenburg | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | William Massenburg |
| Born | 1964 |
| Origin | Flatbush, Brooklyn, New York United States |
| Genres | R&B/soul |
| Occupation(s) | entrepreneur, music producer, manager |
| Years active | 1995 – present |
| Labels |
Motown Records (1997-2004) Kedar Entertainment (1995-2012) Massenburg Media (2012-present) |
| Associated acts | D'Angelo, Joe, Profyle, Erykah Badu, A+, and Freestyle Fellowship |
| Website | www.kedar.com |
William "Kedar" Massenburg is an American record producer and record label executive, who was the president of Motown Records from 1997 to 2004. Massenburg is best known for bringing Erykah Badu to fame. He trademarked the term "neo soul."
Massenburg is the founder, president and CEO of Kedar Entertainment.
William "Kedar" Massenburg was born in 1963. Massenburg is a 1981 graduate of Erasmus Hall High School in Flatbush, Brooklyn, New York City, New York and a 1986 graduate of Central State University in Wilberforce, Greene County, Ohio.
After college, Massenburg spent several years in marketing positions, including two years as a district manager for Pepsico (maker of Pepsi Cola), and a year with SmithKline Beecham Clinical Labs Pharmaceuticals.
In 1995, he established Kedar Entertainment, originating out of his New York home, with a $1,700 outlay from his own pocket and consisted of a desk set, fax machine, copier, and portable phone. He became President and CEO. Involved in artist management, he directed the career of the pioneering rap group Stetsasonic for a time.
By 1994, Massenburg was negotiating artist contracts to the tune of more than $1 million a year. His own salary was in six figures, and he had hired two assistants, one of them working out of a satellite office in Los Angeles. Massenburg later expanded his activities into production, music publishing, and publicity. Massenburg was also responsible for signing the young rapper A+, and Freestyle Fellowship as well as Erykah Badu to their first major recording contracts. He was also in involved in the production of Chico Debarge's Long Time No See album which received high acclaim after Debarge's release from prison.
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