Troy Carter (talent manager) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Troy Carter
Carter in 2014
Born	Troy Lemar Carter (1972-11-14) November 14, 1972 (age 53) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Occupation	Talent manager entrepreneur
Years active	1995–present
Title	Founder, CEO of Q&A
Children	5

Troy Lemar Carter, Sr. (born November 14, 1972) is an American music manager and entrepreneur from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He helps artists manage their careers and grow their businesses. In 2019, he co-founded Q&A Media, a music and technology company, where he is the CEO. Before that, he led Atom Factory, a company that managed talent and produced media. He also worked as the Global Head of Creator Services at Spotify, a popular music streaming service.

Troy Carter's Early Life and Career Beginnings

Growing Up in Philadelphia (1972–1998)

Troy Carter grew up in West Philadelphia.

Troy Carter was born on November 14, 1972. He grew up in West Philadelphia and went to Huey Elementary and Sayre Middle School. When he was 17, in 1990, Troy left West Philadelphia High School to follow his dream of working in the music industry. He was part of a hip hop group called 2 Too Many. The famous artist Will Smith and his partner James Lassiter signed Troy's group to their record 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. When Troy was 22, he tried to work with Will Smith's recording studio in Philadelphia. A year later, he was promoting rap concerts in Philadelphia for artists like The Notorious B.I.G.. This is how he met record producer Sean Combs, who 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 James Lassiter. However, Lassiter let him go and sent him back to Philadelphia. Lassiter felt Troy needed to learn more about hard work and starting from the bottom. For the next few years, Troy found it tough to succeed in Philadelphia. He described this time as one of his "darkest."

Building a Career in Music (Since 1999)

In 1999, after working in Philadelphia for a few years, Troy met a rising rap artist named Eve in Germantown. She asked him to be her manager. Troy also started managing other rap artists like Nelly and Floetry. That same year, Troy teamed up with Jay Erving, who is the son of famous basketball player Julius Erving. Together, they started a talent management company called Erving Wonder.

Troy Carter has managed American recording artists Eve (left) and Lady Gaga (right).

In 2003, Troy moved back to Los Angeles. He helped Eve get her own TV show on the UPN network. The next year, Troy and Erving sold their company, Erving Wonder, to a British company called Sanctuary. Troy became an executive vice president at Sanctuary. Over the next two years, the deal with Sanctuary didn't work out, and Eve decided to find a new manager. By 2006, Troy had lost the money from the Sanctuary deal and was facing financial difficulties.

As Troy was going through a tough time, record producer Vincent Herbert introduced him to a new artist who was not yet famous: Lady Gaga. She had recently been dropped by her record label. For the next year, Troy, Vincent, and Lady Gaga worked hard. They performed at many clubs across California, often with little money or support. In 2007, Troy started Coalition Media Group, and its management part, Atom Factory, began in 2010.

In 2011, Troy helped start The Backplane. This company aimed to create new ways for celebrities and brands to connect with their fans online. Also in 2011, Troy was nominated for an Emmy Award for his work on the HBO special Lady Gaga Presents the Monster Ball Tour: At Madison Square Garden. He shared this nomination with Lady Gaga and others.

After signing Lady Gaga in 2007, Troy went on to manage many other artists. These included John Legend, Greyson Chance, Mindless Behavior, Priyanka Chopra, Lindsey Stirling, Meghan Trainor, The Ceremonies, and Pia Mia. Lady Gaga stopped working with him in 2014.

Troy is a member of the Henry Crown Fellows class of 2012 at The Aspen Institute. He also advises a company called State.com. Troy appeared as a guest investor on the TV show Shark Tank on October 9, 2015. In 2016, Oprah Winfrey included Troy on her SuperSoul 100 list of inspiring leaders.

In July 2018, it was announced that Troy would leave his role at Spotify in early September. He then took on an advisory position.

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.