Spotify Snags Former Apple Music Hip-Hop Programming Head

[MacRumors]

Carl Chery, Apple Music's head of hip-hop programming, has left Apple to work for Spotify, reports Variety.

As head of hip-hop programming, Chery secured Apple exclusive releases from Chance the Rapper, including Grammy Award-winning album "Coloring Book," and he also helped discover artists like Cardi B, Bryson Tiller, Post Malone, Khalid, Daniel Caesar, 6LACK, and H.E.R.

Image via Variety​

Chery was behind several popular playlists on Apple Music, including A-List: Hip-Hop and A-List: R&B, and his absence will likely be felt at Apple Music, where hip-hop has become one of the genres the service is known for.

Chery first joined Apple in 2014 when Beats Music was acquired by the company, and prior to that date, he was a music journalist for SOHH.com, XXL, and BET. At Spotify, Chery will likely work with the service's popular RapCaviar playlist, which lost its curator last month.

The news of Chery's hiring comes as Spotify prepares to introduce changes to its mobile app, which will be announced next week. It's not entirely clear what new features are coming to the Spotify app, but the company has been testing voice control and new free subscription options designed to make the streaming service easier to use.

Article Link: Spotify Snags Former Apple Music Hip-Hop Programming Head

 

[justperry]

More $$ I guess.
Good for him.
Spotify (still) is much larger than Apple Music.

 

[H3LL5P4WN]

Does this mean that Apple Music will finally focus on something, anything, other than rap?

 

[SBlue1]

Wow now that was close. He was just about to extend his contract with apple.

 

[pat500000]

Upcoming news: microsoft snatch mac pro design team members.

 

[WestonHarvey1]

Does this mean that Apple Music will finally focus on something, anything, other than rap?

Does he have anything to do with Beats 1? That's mainly where hip hop is overrepresented. The music catalog itself seems about the same as everywhere else.

 

[H3LL5P4WN]

Does he have anything to do with Beats 1? That's mainly where hip hop is overrepresented. The music catalog itself seems about the same as everywhere else.

Catalogue-wise, yes. But any sort of promotion is always rap.

 

[lunarworks]

Spotify just got some money, so now they can go on a hiring spree I guess.

 

[jacjustjac]

I’m always rooting for Spotify. Besides loving their service, I’d hate to see it fold under the sheer size of Apple. They’ve built something amazing (and cross platform), whereas it feels like Apple spends more effort marketing Apple Music than improving/curating it.

 

[dannyyankou]

Does this mean that Apple Music will finally focus on something, anything, other than rap?

Not anytime soon, look at the charts on iTunes

 

[jgdeschamps]

Does this mean that Apple Music will finally focus on something, anything, other than rap?

You are in heaven. In Latin America we get extreme focus on reggaeton.

 

[FightTheFuture]

More $$ I guess.
Good for him.
Spotify (still) is much larger than Apple Music.

Larger in subscribers for sure, not so much in catalog if that's what you were referring to. That said, Apple Music's sub base is really nothing to sneeze at.

 

[Wide opeN]

For the first time ever I'm thinking about giving Spotify a shot.

I downloaded it, and was immediately impressed at the algorithm used to tailor music to my taste.

Not to mention the dark theme is easier on the eyes.

We'll see...

 

[jamisonbaines]

Does he have anything to do with Beats 1? That's mainly where hip hop is overrepresented. The music catalog itself seems about the same as everywhere else.

a number of the artists it says he helped discover are the same artists beats 1 was incessantly promo'ing. not a significant loss in my opinion.

 

[Regime2008]

For the first time ever I'm thinking about giving Spotify a shot.

I downloaded it, and was immediately impressed at the algorithm used to tailor music to my taste.

Not to mention the dark theme is easier on the eyes.

We'll see...

It's a much superior service in my opinion, and many others. Beautiful interface, much better algorithms for discovering music, etc. Give it a try!

 

[DaPizzaMan]

Larger in subscribers for sure, not so much in catalog if that's what you were referring to. That said, Apple Music's sub base is really nothing to sneeze at.

As if that catalog difference of X million songs compared to X.01 million songs really matters.

 

[shadowbird423]

Hip hop is the most popular music in the US so Apple promoting it is not a surprise. Just like rock & roll in its time, some don't get it.

The A list was a good new music playlist (it helped me weed out the trash from the good stuff), I hope they keep it around.

 

[jasonkratz]

Hip hop is the most popular music in the US so Apple promoting it is not a surprise. Just like rock & roll in its time, some don't get it.

The A list was a good new music playlist (it helped me weed out the trash from the good stuff), I hope they keep it around.

Some don't get it? Or more likely some just don't like it?

 

[oneMadRssn]

Some don't get it? Or more likely some just don't like it?

I believe, and there is research to back this up somewhat, that people tend to form their musical taste around whatever they were listening to between the ages of 12 and 18, give or take. You will find new music you like when you're older, but you will only like it if it is similar to what you were listening during that critical age.

When I was 12-18, I discovered my parents 70s-60s rock (Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, The Doors, The Beatles, etc.); I was also listening to a lot of Eminem and Dr. Dre; and I watched TRL during the peak of the Carson Daly era, and thus also listened to similar top pop stuff. Any new music that interests me I find shares many roots with some of the above. Anything else I just don't like that much.

 

[shadowbird423]

Some don't get it? Or more likely some just don't like it?

No, there is a difference.

I don't *like* country, but I recognize it as a valid form of music. Those that don't *get* hip hop don't seem to think it is music and complain about it whenever possible.

 

[shadowbird423]

I believe, and there is research to back this up somewhat, that people tend to form their musical taste around whatever they were listening to between the ages of 12 and 18, give or take. You will find new music you like when you're older, but you will only like it if it is similar to what you were listening during that critical age.

When I was 12-18, I discovered my parents 70s-60s rock (Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, The Doors, The Beatles, etc.); I was also listening to a lot of Eminem and Dr. Dre; and I watched TRL during the peak of the Carson Daly era, and thus also listened to similar top pop stuff. Any new music that interests me I find shares many roots with some of the above. Anything else I just don't like that much.

I believe it. I listened to very little pop, some R&B, plenty of jazz, a decent amount of rap, and a ton of electronic music (mostly drum & bass). I don't listen to much that hasn't been influenced by one of those genres.

 

[jasonkratz]

I believe, and there is research to back this up somewhat, that people tend to form their musical taste around whatever they were listening to between the ages of 12 and 18, give or take. You will find new music you like when you're older, but you will only like it if it is similar to what you were listening during that critical age.

When I was 12-18, I discovered my parents 70s-60s rock (Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, The Doors, The Beatles, etc.); I was also listening to a lot of Eminem and Dr. Dre; and I watched TRL during the peak of the Carson Daly era, and thus also listened to similar top pop stuff. Any new music that interests me I find shares many roots with some of the above. Anything else I just don't like that much.

I believe, and there is research to back this up somewhat, that people tend to form their musical taste around whatever they were listening to between the ages of 12 and 18, give or take. You will find new music you like when you're older, but you will only like it if it is similar to what you were listening during that critical age.

When I was 12-18, I discovered my parents 70s-60s rock (Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, The Doors, The Beatles, etc.); I was also listening to a lot of Eminem and Dr. Dre; and I watched TRL during the peak of the Carson Daly era, and thus also listened to similar top pop stuff. Any new music that interests me I find shares many roots with some of the above. Anything else I just don't like that much.

Yeah I guess I'm the exact opposite of that My tastes in music have expanded a lot to either include stuff that I didn't listen to at all as a kid (classical music of all styles for instance) or stuff that I actually hated when I was a kid.

I do know people my age though who basically only listen to the stuff they listened to when they were 12-18 though which I find terribly limiting. Can't imagine only listening to the same music 30 years later. Yuck.
[doublepost=1524073521][/doublepost]

No, there is a difference.

I don't *like* country, but I recognize it as a valid form of music. Those that don't *get* hip hop don't seem to think it is music and complain about it whenever possible.

Not to change the subject but if they don't think that hip hop isn't music then they don't "get" what music is, period. Music is pretty easy to define.

Back to the original statement...I can't stand hip hop. I don't "get" it at all. I don't understand why someone would want to listen to it but I do realize it's music. I also realize that my tastes are different than everyone else's I expect (or at least hope) most people get that it's music but, like me, don't get why anyone would want to listen to it (same as with rock music in your previous example...or big band jazz before it).

 

[oneMadRssn]

Yeah I guess I'm the exact opposite of that My tastes in music have expanded a lot to either include stuff that I didn't listen to at all as a kid (classical music of all styles for instance) or stuff that I actually hated when I was a kid.

I do know people my age though who basically only listen to the stuff they listened to when they were 12-18 though which I find terribly limiting. Can't imagine only listening to the same music 30 years later. Yuck.

I don't think it's so limiting. It's more about the general sound, and not the specific bands. For example, when I was 15, I didn't know that Pink Floyd was heavily influenced by blues jazz. Heck I wouldn't have even known it today if I didn't go reading about blues jazz to find out why it sounded so good to me. I do think the reason I like it is because I listened to a lot of Pink Floyd back then.

A ton of twangy modern rock bands are influenced by Zeppelin and the likes, and I certainly find new bands with sounds that I find both familiar and new.

Recently I discovered a whole genre I didn't know about before (lo-fi hip-hop). Totally new to me, sounds awesome to me. Upon careful inspection, a lot of similarities to late 90s hip-hop beats.

So I would say my tastes have expanded to include new stuff, but it is all connected to what I was listening to when I was 12-18.

 

[jasonkratz]

I don't think it's so limiting. It's more about the general sound, and not the specific bands. For example, when I was 15, I didn't know that Pink Floyd was heavily influenced by blues jazz. Heck I wouldn't have even known it today if I didn't go reading about blues jazz to find out why it sounded so good to me. I do think the reason I like it is because I listened to a lot of Pink Floyd back then.

A ton of twangy modern rock bands are influenced by Zeppelin and the likes, and I certainly find new bands with sounds that I find both familiar and new.

Recently I discovered a whole genre I didn't know about before (lo-fi hip-hop). Totally new to me, sounds awesome to me. Upon careful inspection, a lot of similarities to late 90s hip-hop beats.

So I would say my tastes have expanded to include new stuff, but it is all connected to what I was listening to when I was 12-18.

Well, I said they only listen to stuff they listened to then. Not that they've expanded their horizons based on those groups.