Courtney Stewart

Courtney Stewart is the founder of Right Hand Music Group and Right Hand Foundation and co-founder of Keep Cool Records. He is an artist manager known for his work with multi-platinum global superstar Khalid, and is a record label executive, tech investor, real estate developer, and humanitarian.

Early Life and Career

Born 16 December 1981 in Atlanta, Stewart attended North Atlanta High School and Alabama State University.[1] An early friendship with fellow musician Bobby Wilson (now known as Bobby V) led him to become Bobby's manager when the latter's music career took off.[2] Later he ran Ludacris’ publishing company and managed hip-hop producers.[3]

2015–2019

Stewart discovered Khalid[4] in 2015-16 when the artist was still a teenager,[3] and went on to mentor and manage him beginning in 2016.[5] Following Khalid's breakout success, Stewart was included in Billboard's "40 Under 40: Music's Top Young Power Players" in 2017.[6]

In 2018, with Tunji Balogun (now CEO of Def Jam Recordings)[7] and two others, Stewart co-founded Keep Cool Records,[8] a joint venture with RCA Records.[9] Keep Cool's first signing was Normani of Fifth Harmony.[10] Its roster also includes Lucky Daye, VanJess, Freddie Gibbs & Madlib, UMI, and Marzz.

In October 2018 Billboard included Stewart in its "21 Under 21" list.[11] Variety named him a Hitmaker in both 2018[12] and 2019.[13] Stewart and Khalid delivered the keynote Q&A at the 2019 Pollstar Live! conference.[14]

2020-Present

Stewart was a founding member and serves on the executive committee[2] of the Black Music Action Coalition, a nonprofit formed in 2020 to combat systemic racism in the music industry.[15] In 2020 Billboard included him on both its 2020 Power List[16] and its R&B/Hip-Hop Power Players list, recognizing him for activism.[17]

Also in 2020, his Right Hand Music Group partnered with Techstars Music, an accelerator program for music-related startups. Right Hand became Techstars' first member company owned by a person of color.[18]

His management clients include Sinéad Harnett,[19] Wynne, Marzz, and South African R&B artist Elaine[20] in addition to Khalid.

Philanthropy

Stewart began supporting local Atlanta shelters in 2015,[21] buying and delivering Christmas gifts to local homeless shelters housed in hotels.[22] Inspired by this experience, in 2019 he founded the Right Hand Foundation, which provides free housing and educational programs to single mothers and their children in Atlanta.[23] The nonprofit launched its first "Right Hand Haven" housing in October 2019.[24]

Stewart also assisted Khalid in setting up the Great Khalid Foundation. He worked with Great Khalid when it donated $500,000 to the El Paso Community Foundation in El Paso, Texas in 2019[25] to aid children and grandchildren of victims of the 3 August 2019 mass murder at Walmart.

In 2020 the National Museum of African American Music appointed Stewart to its Board of Directors' first Music Industry Relations Committee,[26] and his Right Hand Foundation partnered with St. Stephen Missionary Baptist Church-East Point to help support struggling families during the holiday season.[27]

In 2021 Billboard honored him as a Change Agent for helping the music community survive the COVID-19 pandemic and confront racial inequality.[28]

He is also committed to the advancement of HBCUs and was honored in October 2021 with an Alabama State University 50 Under 50 alumni award.

References

  1. Jewél Jackson (17 October 2018). "Courtney Stewart on success in the music industry: "Don't follow the dream. Set the dream."". Syracuse University. Retrieved 14 February 2022.
  2. Sarah Pittman (13 August 2020). "Voices Of Live: Courtney Stewart On Finding His Place In The Music Biz – 'This Is My Calling'". Pollstar. Retrieved 14 February 2022.
  3. Eric Renner Brown (15 April 2019). "'We Just Dream Big And Go After It': How Khalid & Manager Courtney Stewart Built A Streaming-Age Juggernaut". Pollstar. Retrieved 14 February 2022.
  4. "Khalid Is The Shooting Star Of The Playlist Era". NPR. 23 July 2019. Retrieved 15 February 2022.
  5. "Khalid (Right Hand Music Group)". Hits Daily Double. 13 November 2016. Retrieved 14 February 2022.
  6. "40 Under 40: Music's Top Young Power Players Revealed". Billboard. 6 October 2017. Retrieved 14 February 2022.
  7. Motolani Alake (10 August 2021). "Tunji Balogun to become the new CEO of Def Jam". Pulse Nigeria. Retrieved 14 February 2022.
  8. Rhian Jones (9 April 2018). "RCA Announces Joint Venture With Keep Cool And CoFounder Tunji Balogun". Music Business Worldwide. Retrieved 14 February 2022.
  9. Ogden Payne (9 April 2018). "RCA Announces Joint Venture With Keep Cool And CoFounder Tunji Balogun". Forbes. Retrieved 14 February 2022.
  10. Gail Mitchell (9 April 2018). "Records: Exclusive". Billboard. Retrieved 14 February 2022.
  11. Rob LeDonne (12 October 2018). "21 Under 21: How Managers for Billie Eilish, Khalid and Bhad Bhabie Keep Their Clients on the Right Path". Billboard. Retrieved 14 February 2022.
  12. "Variety's 2018 Hitmakers Revealed". Variety. 29 November 2018. Retrieved 14 February 2022.
  13. "The Hitmakers and Hitbreakers Who Defined the Sound of 2019". Variety. 5 December 2019. Retrieved 14 February 2022.
  14. Eric Renner Brown (15 February 2019). "Khalid, Manager Courtney Stewart Discuss Musician's Meteoric Rise In Pollstar Live! Keynote". Pollstar. Retrieved 15 February 2022.
  15. Samantha Hissong (22 June 2020). "Meet the Music Industry's New Black Music Action Coalition". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 14 February 2022.
  16. "The 2020 Billboard Power List Revealed". Billboard. 23 January 2020. Retrieved 14 February 2022.
  17. "Revealed: Billboard's 2020 R&B/Hip-Hop Power Players — In A Year of Activism". Billboard. 12 November 2020. Retrieved 14 February 2022.
  18. Bob Moczydlowsky (23 November 2020). "We Gotta Start Somewhere: Techstars Music Will Fund a More Equitable Music Business". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 14 February 2022.
  19. Sarah Jae Leiver (9 December 2020). "Sinéad Harnett & EARTHGANG Release 'Take Me Away' Video". Broadway World. Retrieved 14 February 2022.
  20. "Elaine (Columbia)". Hits Daily Double. 4 February 2021. Retrieved 15 February 2022.
  21. Collin Kelley (30 October 2019). "Nonprofit Right Hand Foundation aims to revitalize homes for families in need". Reporter Newspaper & Atlanta Intown. Retrieved 14 February 2022.
  22. CJ Johnson (11 October 2019). "Music Industry Vet Gives 'Right Hand' To Atlanta Single Moms". AtlantaFI. Retrieved 14 February 2022.
  23. Sean Richard Keenan (3 October 2019). "Atlanta music manager's nonprofit is linking single mothers with rent-free housing, education programs". Curbed. Retrieved 14 February 2022.
  24. "A Lil' Positivity: Right Hand Foundation Celebrates Launch Of First Haven For Single Mothers In Atlanta". Bossip. 25 October 2019. Retrieved 14 February 2022.
  25. Aaron Montes (14 September 2019). "Great Khalid Foundation opens office in El Paso with $500,000 donation for education". El Paso Times. Retrieved 14 February 2022.
  26. "National Museum of African American Music Announces the Appointment of Its Music Industry Relations Committee". Charleston Chronicle. 15 July 2020. Retrieved 14 February 2022.
  27. "SSMBC Partnership with Courtney Stewart Right Hand Foundation". YouTube. 21 December 2020. Retrieved 15 February 2022.
  28. "Billboard Change Agents: Leaders Stepping Up In A Year of Turmoil". Billboard. 28 January 2021. Retrieved 14 February 2022.
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