Lyor Cohen

Lyor Cohen (born October 3, 1959) is an American music industry executive. He serves as global head of music at YouTube. Cohen began his career in the 1980s working with Russell Simmons at Rush Artist Management and later became president of Def Jam Recordings. He subsequently held senior leadership roles at The Island Def Jam Music Group and Warner Music Group, and later founded the music company 300 Entertainment.

Cohen was born in New York City in 1959 to Israeli immigrant parents who had moved to the United States in 1955.

He attended John Marshall High School in Los Feliz, Los Angeles.

In 1981, Cohen graduated from the Miami Herbert Business School at the University of Miami with a degree in global marketing and finance.

After graduating, he briefly worked in the Beverly Hills office of Bank Leumi.

In the early 1980s Cohen promoted concerts at The Mix Club in Hollywood, including shows featuring Run-DMC and Whodini. He later moved to New York and joined Russell Simmons' company Rush Productions, later known as Rush Artist Management. Beginning as road manager for Run-DMC, Cohen later worked with artists including Kurtis Blow, Whodini, Run-DMC, LL Cool J, the Beastie Boys, and Public Enemy.

Cohen was involved in the development and signing of artists including Slick Rick, DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince, Eric B. & Rakim, EPMD, Stetsasonic, De La Soul, and A Tribe Called Quest. He was mentored by Jam Master Jay.

In 1986 Cohen helped broker an endorsement deal between Run-DMC and Adidas, one of the earliest marketing partnerships between a hip-hop artist and an athletic company.