Photos: Lyor Cohen screenshot from YouTube All Urban Central video, Nov. 30, 2016 "Young Thug Turns His Manager Gangster: Lyor Cohen Is A Blood Now," https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EvfVeb4CO7w / Young Thug attends the Young Thug "No, My Name Is Jeffery" Listening Event Hosted By Lyor Cohen, pictured at YouTube Space, Aug. 25, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Johnny Nunez/WireImage/Getty)
Record label 300 Entertainment, which distributes Young Thug’s YSL (Young Stoner Life) Records, was sold to Warner Music Group in December 2021. Founded by Lyor Cohen, Roger Gold, Kevin Liles, and Todd Moscowitz, the label cashed in on a whopping $400 million just months before one of its main artists, Young Thug, was arrested and hit with 52 RICO charges in May 2022.
RICO — the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act — is a federal law designed to control and combat organized crime in the U.S. “The power of RICO lies in its conspiracy provision, based on an enterprise rationale, that allows tying together apparently unrelated crimes with a common objective into a prosecutable pattern of racketeering,” according to the Department of Justice.
The federal investigation into Young Thug and YSL Records, which law enforcement claims is a criminal organization, goes back to 2013, On Smash reported.
300 Entertainment, founded in 2012, is the group behind Megan Thee Stallion and Mary J Blige, among other heavy-hitting artists. When the label was first launched, it focused on hip-hop labels with acts such as Fetty Wap and Young Thug.
Cohen was hired by YouTube in 2016 as its global head of music. “300 is a way of life and is in very good hands,” Cohen told The Financial Times.
Liles, the former president of the Def Jam label, has stayed on to run New York-based 300 Entertainment.
Gold started working in the music industry at Warner Music Group, where he was employed from 1996 to 2005, and he helped MTV by creating a video advertising platform for it. He has worked as the artist manager for singer Camila Cabello and is Cabello’s manager and music and tech Lawyer.
In 2013, Gold was hired by global digital rights agency Merlin Network to assist in strategic commercial and licensing activities in the U.S. for independent labels. During this time, Gold also led Merlin to a historic licensing deal with YouTube.
Moscowitz parted ways with 300 Entertainment in 2016 to launch Alamo Records. He is also the manager of hip-hop superstar Gucci Mane. Moscowitz has a long history in music.
While still in law school, Moscowitz worked for Rush Communications. Later, Cohen asked Moscowitz to rejoin the company as the head of Rush, the umbrella company for all of the entertainment assets of Cohen and partner Russell Simmons, according to MediaPlayer.
Moscowitz held various titles after he joined Rush. He was president of Def Jam Music Publishing, president of Def Jam Interactive Gaming, and a member of the board of directors of the Simmons’ clothing brand Phat Farm Inc. Ultimately, Moscowitz was elevated to the title of general manager of Def Jam Records.
In 2000, Moscowitz left to join industry friends Chris Lighty and Mona Scott-Young at Violator Records.
In late 2016, he founded Cold Heat Records, which was later renamed Alamo Records, under Interscope Records. Sony Music Entertainment acquired Alamo Records in June 2021, according to a Sony Music press release.
Photos: Lyor Cohen screenshot from YouTube All Urban Central video, Nov. 30, 2016 “Young Thug Turns His Manager Gangster: Lyor Cohen Is A Blood Now,” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EvfVeb4CO7w
/ Young Thug attends the Young Thug “No, My Name Is Jeffery” Listening Event Hosted By Lyor Cohen, pictured at YouTube Space, Aug. 25, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Johnny Nunez/WireImage/Getty)
