Kedar Massenburg facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Kedar Massenburg
|
|
|---|---|
| Birth name | William Henry Massenburg |
| Born | March 1, 1963 New York City, U.S. |
| Genres | Neo soul |
| Occupation(s) |
|
| Years active | 1995–present |
| Labels | Motown Records (1998–2004) Kedar Entertainment (1995–2012) RED (2012–present) |
| Associated acts | D'Angelo, Joe, Profyle, Erykah Badu, A+, Chico DeBarge, Da Bush Babees, Freestyle Fellowship |
William Henry "Kedar" Massenburg is a famous American record producer and music executive. He was born in 1963. Kedar is well-known for being the president of Motown Records from 1997 to 2004.
He is especially famous for finding and helping the talented singer Erykah Badu. Kedar also helped create and name the music style known as neo soul. He is the founder and head of his own company, Kedar Entertainment.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Kedar Massenburg was born in 1963. He grew up in New York City. He went to Erasmus Hall High School in Brooklyn, New York.
After high school, he continued his education. He graduated from Central State University in Ohio in 1986. He was also a member of a college group called Kappa Alpha Psi.
Kedar's Music Career
After college, Kedar Massenburg worked in marketing for a few years. He worked for big companies like PepsiCo. These jobs helped him learn about business.
In 1995, Kedar started his own company, Kedar Entertainment. He began it from his home in New York. He started with just $1,700 and some basic office equipment.
Discovering New Artists
Kedar Entertainment quickly grew. Kedar became very good at finding new music talent. He helped many artists get their first big record deals.
He signed young rapper A+ and the group Freestyle Fellowship. Kedar also played a big part in the success of Chico DeBarge's album Long Time No See.
Working with D'Angelo
Kedar Massenburg also managed the soul singer D'Angelo. D'Angelo's first song, "Brown Sugar," was popular on the East Coast. However, it wasn't getting much airplay on the West Coast.
Kedar came up with a clever plan. He worked with EMI, D'Angelo's record label. They flew many radio programmers from the West Coast to New York. They attended a special D'Angelo performance. This helped D'Angelo's music get more airplay across the country.
The Rise of Erykah Badu
In 1995, Kedar Entertainment signed Erykah Badu. Kedar's work with Badu made him very well-known in the music world. He helped her first song, "On & On," become a hit.
He gave out 1,000 copies of her song at the 1996 Soul Train Music Awards. Kedar knew he had found something special when he heard her song playing from cars that same night. Erykah Badu's unique style was exactly what Kedar was looking for.
Creating Neo Soul
Kedar Massenburg wanted to create a new music style. He called it "neo soul." This style mixed the sounds of hip-hop and electronic music. But it also brought back older, classic soul music feelings.
Neo soul became a very popular music genre. It helped define the sound of many artists in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
Other Ventures
In 2005, Kedar Massenburg started Kedar Beverages LLC. This company makes different kinds of wine. They produce chardonnay, merlot, and cabernet sauvignon.
Personal Life
Kedar Massenburg has lived in different places. He has lived in Manhattan, New York, and in Saddle River, New Jersey.
He has three children. Their names are Kayla, Eliana, and Elijah Massenburg.
