Tina Davis Named President of EMPIRE

Independent Bay Area-based label, publisher and distributor EMPIRE has promoted industry veteran Tina Davis to the role of president, the company announced today (June 21). Davis, who most recently worked as EMPIRE’s senior vp of A&R, will continue to lead the company’s vast and varied A&R efforts while also getting involved in day-to-day operations and strategic planning, according to a press release.

“As a Bay Area native, I am honored to continue to build out the culture of EMPIRE and shape the future talent that we partner with in years to come,” Davis said in a statement. “The EMPIRE team embodies what it means to champion artist development and advocate for artist control and creativity.”

Davis joined EMPIRE in 2018 as vp of A&R, and has gone on to lead the company’s efforts as it broadened its purview from its distribution roots into its current iteration as a full-blown, multi-faceted label group with offices and operations around the world. She’s been instrumental in continuing to grow EMPIRE’s hip-hop roots and its successful forays into Afrobeats, while continuing to develop its influence in other genres as well.

Prior to EMPIRE, she was the first woman to run the A&R department at Def Jam during its run of success in the 1990s and early 2000s, then discovered and worked with Chris Brown as he rose to global success. She’s also been a frequent honoree on Billboard’s Indie Power Players, R&B/Hip-Hop Power Players and Women in Music features.

“Tina has been instrumental in the overall growth of EMPIRE since joining the team in 2018,” EMPIRE founder/CEO Ghazi said in a statement. “With her experience, she has a unique understanding of the creative journey of our artists. Working closely with Tina and seeing the continued growth of our team makes this extremely rewarding and there couldn’t have been a better person for the role.”