Welcome to The Manager’s Playbook, my personal newsletter where I share weekly insights for aspiring artists, emerging music managers and executives on how to navigate the music industry, by Ruiz.

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Ruiz Note:

The Answer is Cory Litwin. 

I sat down with my brother Cory Litwin to talk all things music business, Toronto scene of the late 2000’s/early 2010’s, managing a superstar producer and so much more. Below is an excerpt of our convo in today’s special section of KEY PLAYS. 

You can catch the full interview with Cory on ‘The Manager’s Playbook’ Podcast which is set to air NEXT TUESDAY. Lock the date in.

For those who are not familiar, please get familiar. Cory is a force!

Cory Litwin is a well-known music exec and talent manager, especially recognized for managing Murda Beatz, one of the top producers in hip-hop. He’s been instrumental in Murda’s rise, working with big names like Drake, Travis Scott, and Migos. On top of that, Cory also manages Busta Rhymes, Da Baby, Lay, Jason “Cheese” Goldberg and a plethora of other acts.

Cory’s got a sharp business mind, always finding ways to expand his artists’ brands beyond music into fashion and endorsements. He and I have worked on a couple of things over the years, so I’ve been able to see him work in action over the years and he's definitely got a keen sense for making big moves and creating moments for public consumption.

It was a fun one to go down memory lane with someone I consider to arguably be one of the best artist managers in the business.

-Ruiz

KEY PLAYS 
(FEAT. CORY LITWIN)

My Conversation with Cory Litwin

_{Note* This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.}

Ruiz: You're a natural at connecting the dots, but if you could think about it, what is it that makes you so good at networking?

Cory: Making real connections and relationships with the right people.

One thing I did when throwing parties is not thinking about just tonight. I’m thinking about the big picture. I never knew exactly what I wanted to do. When I'm doing these parties, I'm not thinking I'm going to be working in the music industry. I know I want to do more than this and I believe in my gut that this is going to lead to more and I should keep going.

Also I'm making good money. I'm making hundreds or thousands of dollars a week. So it's like, I'm driving my own car that I own. I have my own cash, not like an allowance, and my cash is not minimum wage. Like I'm going out tonight and I'm getting $1,000 in my pocket.

Ruiz: Yeah, 18, 19 year old kid getting real money.

Cory: The only other people I knew getting money like that are selling drugs, you know? I'm doing it selling fun, you know?

So if there's a big DJ, like DJ Drama comes in town or something like that, I don't need to do anything other than like help push the party and show up and host the party and make sure everything's good and all that, but I'm going and picking him up from the airport. There’s budget for a rider, but I’m picking him up from the airport and I’m bringing him to dinner.

Ruiz: Why are you picking him up from the airport?

Cory: I'm making that relationship. I'm staying with him after. When there's basketball players in town at the club, I'm coming over “Hey, it’s my party. Need anything?” I'm bringing the girls. Bringing them to a cool after party, having fun, getting their number. Make sure that they have a good time. Make sure they get to the airport. Anyone I'm with, it’s like I'm becoming their assistant and road manager. Now I can see it, in this conversation without even knowing back then, that I was doing that. But I was just seeing the value of taking care [of celebrities] without being starstruck. [However] I’ll get pictures with the celebrities I’m taking care of. I always still take pictures because it's my own brand to build.

Ruiz: Now you're managing a producer, you're managing Murda Beatz. What is it that the manager of a producer has to do to get a record cleared?

Cory: So we would have a song from doing a session and the label would reach out to me, either the label A&R or manager. First things first is having an entertainment lawyer.  Pretty much every deal I've ever done, I've looked to the lawyer to handle a contract.

Coming up, managing a hip hop producer in hip hop, it's pretty standard. The beat [Prducer] gets 50%, the [writing] artist gets 50%. And I knew that the standard was 3 or 4 points that I make sure we're getting on the master side. So what I would negotiate would be the fee. The main thing was usually the fee [for the master recording].

I remember [years ago] I called Boi1da and Sunny Digital. They were my two friends who were legit producers at the time to ask, “how much should I charge?” I think one of them said “$5K”, one said “$10K”, so I said “$7.5K” and they [the person Cory was negotiating with] said “yes” right away.

But every step of my career, and I feel like I still call people for advice... Like today I called Matt Graham who is the Head of Music at Range. I called Michael J Hagan, the Head of Unscripted. I called Peter Micelli, who's our CEO.

I’m constantly asking people with more experience than me or different experience for advice on things and to explain things to me. I feel like that's one of my strong qualities too - having the humility to know what I want, what I don't know, and be willing to say, “I don't know.”

PAY ATTENTION

There Has To Be A Better Way.

Sometimes people assume the pace at which the music business is operating at is a race to the bottom. I couldn’t disagree more. Maybe it’s because I’m a glass half full type of man.

I’m constantly in pursuit of solution vs complaining at the problems. That’s why when I came across this substack I thought it be a good read for the readers of TMP to help overcome some intitial problems like bottlenecks and information overload.

It’s a good read. Have a look.

Shaboozey is Not-So-Quietly Dominating

Shaboozey is Not-So-Quietly Dominating the charts with his hit "A Bar Song (Tipsy)," which has claimed the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 for an impressive 12 weeks—the longest reign of 2024.

The track has also topped the Hot Country Songs chart for 16 weeks, further solidifying Shaboozey’s breakout success.

With 78.2 million radio impressions and 27.8 million streams, "Tipsy" isn’t just a quiet hit—it’s become a force, tying for the third-longest No. 1 run of the decade and joining the elite ranks of chart-toppers that have dominated for 12 or more weeks.

Meet the Executive Helping Peso Pluma Take Música Mexicana ‘To The International Highway’

George Prajin is a name you need to know.

George Prajin, co-founder of Double P Records, has been instrumental in helping Peso Pluma rise to international fame and elevate música mexicana to new heights. Prajin, Billboard’s 2024 Latin Power Players Executive of the Year, has deep roots in the music industry, growing up in a family-owned music distribution business. After a successful career as a sports and entertainment attorney, he returned to the music industry, eventually signing Peso Pluma and guiding him to major Billboard chart success. Prajin's collaborative approach and commitment to building a supportive, artist-centered community have been key to his success, with Double P Records poised for global expansion in the coming years.

Note: This article may be behind a paywall. If so, copy the URL and paste it into this paywall ladder to read the article without any issues.

INDUSTRY NEWS

TikTok Music is over. But elsewhere, TikTok is making some interesting music-related moves…

TikTok Music will officially shut down on November 28, 2024, in regions where it operates, marking the end of its short-lived attempt to compete with platforms like Spotify.

Instead, TikTok will focus on its "Add To Music App" feature, which pushes users to third-party streaming services. Despite the closure, TikTok is making intriguing moves in the music industry, including hiring executives with investment and private equity experience, aiming to become a key player in music content acquisition and management.

Additionally, TikTok has been developing AI-driven tools like the 'Music Factory,' which can generate music for video content, further signaling its broader ambitions in music innovation.

YouTube strikes deal with SESAC, begins reinstating music videos by Adele, Kendrick Lamar and more following licensing dispute

YouTube and SESAC have reached a new licensing agreement, resolving the recent dispute that led to the removal of music videos from artists like Adele, Kendrick Lamar, and Bob Dylan in the US.

After YouTube had blocked the content due to an expired deal, SESAC confirmed that a new agreement was in place to fairly compensate its songwriters and publishers.

YouTube will begin restoring the blocked music videos within the next two days.

Musixster Launches New Music Competition Network For Emerging Artists 

Musixster has launched a new music competition network aimed at empowering emerging artists and helping them gain visibility in the industry.

The platform allows artists to engage in head-to-head song battles, with registered fans voting on the winners.

Artists can earn or lose points in an ongoing championship format, and those who win five battles can receive $200 cash prizes.

Musixster offers a streamlined way for artists to be discovered by record labels, focusing on musical merit rather than broader social media metrics, making it a valuable tool for both artists and A&R divisions.

The Manager’s Playbook Podcast is Growing!

The Manager’s Playbook podcast has been one of the most exciting ventures to date. We’re incredibly grateful to have been given the opportunity to sit down with the best of the best in the industry and provide the gems that I wish I had starting out in my career.

The feedback has been great, and we want to thank all of you for tuning in and supporting the mission.

A lot more to come. For now, check out the most recent episodes and clips below.

You can also listen to the podcast on other platforms like Spotify.

CHECK THIS OUT..

Music Industry Job Openings

Have a look at ROSTR’s job board for paid work in the industry.

Stay hungry. Stay open.

Bio

I’m Mauricio Ruiz, the Founder/CEO of 8 Til Faint, an Artist Management company with over 5 billion audio streams worldwide. Our past and current clients include Grammy nominated, Juno Award winning multi-instrumentalist and singer/songwriter Jessie Reyez, Marley Bleu, Skratch Bastid and more. I am also the Co-Founder of Mad Ruk Entertainment, a content agency with over 3 billion long form video streams worldwide. Our client list includes The Weeknd, Eminem, and Celine Dion, along with renowned brands like Nike, Pernod Ricard, Canon, and the NBA.

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