*Atlanta has increasingly solidified its reputation over the years as the hub for some of the nation’s hottest talent as it relates to rap music – and one man has emerged as the go-to guy for recording artists thirsty to make the leap from obscurity to stardom.
Enter the life of Brian Richardson, also known by his industry peers as “B Rich” and the CEO of No Genre. For nearly two decades he has managed and catapulted numerous rap artists into the limelight, such as B.O.B, Boosie Badazz, Kevin Gates, Boosie Badazz, Young Dro, Playboy Tre, Tokyo Jetz, London Jay, Lil Keed and numerous others who have tapped the executive for his expertise, guidance and industry relationships. Among his roles have been serving as A&R for T.I’s Grand Hustle imprint, where he helped “The King of the South” to finish his Trouble Man: Heavy is the Head and Paper Trail albums, in addition to signing and developing acts such as Iggy Azalea, Travis Scott, Shun Hendrix, D.O.P.E. and others. One look at his social media profiles will demonstrate why he is the man to call for people who desire national and international fame.
His journey into the music realm, however, began in a way most would not expect.
“I started off in pharmaceutical sales,” B Rich said. “So it was a big change coming from the corporate world over to the music side. But, I used to do tailgates at the Georgia Dome during the football games and we had one of the livest tailgates with 2 Live Stews. One day people approached me after a tailgate and asked if I wanted to do an open mic. My first night, I worked a club that held like 350 people and we had 450 people show up. That night began my career in the music industry.”
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Additionally, B Rich’s mom was close with the mother of a young aspiring rapper now widely known as B.O.B, who was in high school at the time and struggling with his grades. The parents of B.O.B asked B Rich to help their son.
“At his school, they had something like spend a day with a professional,” he said. “With me being a pharmacy rep, I had a company car and went from city to city, so [B.O.B] hung out with me. I asked him what he wanted to do and he said he wanted to rap. Initially, I was like, oh boy, everyone wants to be a rapper. So I told him, if you start getting better grades in school, I have contacts that will let you perform on stage and get your name out there.”
B.O.B became B Rich’s first major success, selling more than 15 million records and receiving six Grammy nominations. Now, B Rich has traveled with his artists to every state except Alaska, as well as cities all over the world. He has partnered with T.I, Eminem, Atlantic Records, had a #1 hit (“Nothing On You” – B.O.B 2010) and landed endorsements deals with the likes of Adidas, Coke, and more. Currently, B Rich working with B.O.B to gear up for his upcoming project, an old school Hip-Hop sample album. The song, “Ol’ Dirty Bastard” from the project was just released.
The main component to his successful career has been hard work, staying level headed, keeping his ego in check and always delivering on his responsibilities. He has developed an extraordinary ability to connect with people, create opportunities for his artists, and most of all, bring significant value to everyone he works with.
“Persistence is the key to success. It beats brains, and it can even beat wealth. There is no substitute for persistence and hard work,” he said. That mindset has enabled him to blossom into an unstoppable force that will be around for many years to come.
Keep up with B Rich by following him on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter at @brich404.
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