Sylvia Rhone: Create the Luck

With over forty years of experience under her belt, Epic Records CEO Sylvia Rhone has experienced the gamut of knowledge, emotions, and lessons that come with being a leader in the music business.

What she has shown me is how a boss doesn’t have to be “bossy.” She fits the code of being a lady who can govern a private enterprise with the distinction and clarity of a monarch. But she earned her crown to be more than just a queen. From Metallica to Missy Elliot and from Natalie Merchant to Travis Scott, she has been a tireless luminary in the field of recorded sound.

By opening so many doors to the people beneath her and allowing her artists to create spaces all their own, Miss Rhone has the wherewithal to carve out as many futures for her clients, artists, and other executives.

She defines the C-suite. Her power in making careers and developing talent has purchased her a ticket to the top seat at Epic. Her smart work and dedication are like the salt and pepper that bring out the flavor and add taste to her own life, respectively. Though she may have experienced the trials and travails that inevitably come with her position, she has marched forth with the resolve to affect change.

Miss Rhone knows the CD is all but dead. So she encourages her artists to take advantage of streaming and gaming services. Ironically, vinyl has made a resurgence and she knows that. She is compelled to say using this medium is just as beneficial to the bottom line as it gets bottoms on the dance line.

Tik Tok is a point of focus she finds that may be fickle but also financially viable for upcoming artists as well as veterans. She sees the patterns of what works and what needs to be improved. Quick to adjust to changes in the business, Miss Rhone has traded with the best of them and dealt with the worst of them only to find her place atop all of it.

As CEO, she is tasked with ensuring her other executives and artists know and can perform their roles. She expects nothing of anyone else that she wouldn’t do or hasn’t done. It is within her purview to bring together the business and the music in a harmonious whole.

Miss Rhone can crack the whip and bring her subordinates aside for a therapeutic lecture without ever stepping outside the line. What she pushes, however, is for her staff and artists to color outside of the lines. She wants to direct them on a path of excellence, just like she has achieved.

With all the fuss about what genre is greater or what era of music was best, Sylvia looks past all of the chatter and brings into focus the idea that “old school, new school, no school rules.” She is happy with the growth of the younger generation who have embodied the notion of seizing and shaping their own image, like Scott.

She says that “the culture change” is what is most significant. What she wants to do is build upon the upcoming acts while nourishing and sustaining the seasoned artists. Miss Rhone harbours a keen comprehension of what is going to turn a dollar in a world where cash is usually seen as a burden rather than a blessing. Artists may want all the trinkets and trimmings of the label but they must know that they must put in the work.

Miss Rhone knows about the twists and turns and how to properly navigate through the industry with grace and elegance.