Troy Carter (talent manager) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Troy Carter
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Carter in 2014
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Troy Lemar Carter
November 14, 1972 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
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| Years active | 1995–present |
| Title | Founder, CEO of Q&A |
| Children | 5 |
Troy Lemar Carter, Sr. (born November 14, 1972) is an American talent manager and business leader. He is from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In 2019, he co-founded Q&A Media, a company focused on music and technology, and is its CEO. Before this, he led Atom Factory, a company that managed artists and produced media. He also worked as the Global Head of Creator Services at Spotify.
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Troy Carter's Early Life and Career
Growing Up in Philadelphia (1972–1998)
Troy Carter was born on November 14, 1972. He grew up in West Philadelphia, where he went to Huey Elementary and Sayre Middle School. When he was two, his parents divorced. Troy has said his father is "one of my real heroes."
In 1990, at age 17, Troy left West Philadelphia High School. He wanted to work in the music industry. He was part of a hip hop group called 2 Too Many. Will Smith and James Lassiter signed his group to their label, WilJam Records. The group's contract ended the next year, and they broke up.
After that, Troy worked for DJ Jazzy Jeff in the studio. He also worked as a personal assistant for James Lassiter. At 22, Troy tried to start a music project with Will Smith's recording studio in Philadelphia. A year later, he was promoting rap concerts in Philadelphia. He worked with artists like The Notorious B.I.G.. Through this work, he met record producer Sean Combs. Combs hired Troy as an intern for Bad Boy Records in New York City. Troy worked there for about a year and a half.
After his internship, Troy moved to Los Angeles to work more with Lassiter. However, Lassiter fired him and sent him back to Philadelphia. Lassiter felt Troy needed to learn about hard work. For several years, Troy found it hard to succeed in Philadelphia.
Building a Career in Music (Since 1999)
In 1999, Troy met a new rap artist named Eve in Germantown. She asked him to be her manager. Troy also began managing other rap artists like Nelly and Floetry. That same year, Troy started a talent management company called Erving Wonder. He co-founded it with Jay Erving, who is the son of basketball player Julius Erving.
In 2003, Troy moved back to Los Angeles. He helped Eve get her own TV show on UPN. The next year, Troy and Erving sold Erving Wonder to a British company called Sanctuary. Troy became an executive vice president there. Over the next two years, the deal with Sanctuary did not work out. Eve also stopped working with him. By 2006, Troy had lost all the money from the deal and was in debt. He faced losing his home and car.
While facing these challenges, record producer Vincent Herbert introduced Troy to a new artist. This was Lady Gaga, who was not yet famous and had been dropped by her record label. For the next year, Troy, Herbert, and Gaga performed at many clubs in California. They had little money and support. In 2007, Troy started Coalition Media Group. Its management part, Atom Factory, began in 2010.
In 2011, Troy helped start The Backplane. This startup in Silicon Valley aimed to change social media. It helped celebrities and brands connect with their fans. Also in 2011, Troy was nominated for an Emmy Award. This was for his work on the HBO special Lady Gaga Presents the Monster Ball Tour: At Madison Square Garden. He shared the nomination with Lady Gaga and others.
After signing Lady Gaga in 2007, Troy managed many other artists. These included John Legend, Greyson Chance, Priyanka Chopra, Lindsey Stirling, and Meghan Trainor. Lady Gaga stopped working with him in 2014.
Troy is a member of the Henry Crown Fellows at The Aspen Institute. He is also on the board of advisors for the 'opinion-network' startup State.com. Troy appeared as a guest investor on the TV show Shark Tank on October 9, 2015. In 2016, Oprah Winfrey named Troy to her SuperSoul 100 list. This list features visionaries and influential leaders.
In July 2018, it was announced that Troy would leave Spotify in early September. He then took on an advisory role there. In 2019, he became the CEO of Q&A Media.
Troy Carter's Family Life
Troy Carter and his wife Rebecca have five children. In 2012, they helped raise a lot of money for Barack Obama's presidential campaign.
Images for kids
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Carter in 2014
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Carter grew up in West Philadelphia.
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Eve
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Lady Gaga
