LOS ANGELES (CelebrityAccess) – Joe Hadley is leaving his position as one of the most powerful agents in hip-hop to join Spotify as Global Head of Artist and Audience Partnerships, as confirmed to Billboard.
Hadley joined Creative Artists Agency (CAA) in 2016 after five years at Windish Agency and is credited with leading the agency’s efforts regarding diversity, equity and inclusion. He was promoted to co-head of Hip-Hop/R&B touring alongside Mark Cheatham in February 2021. Among the artists on his roster were Kanye West (Ye), Q-Tip, Doja Cat, Lil Wayne, Wu-Tang Clan, Playboi Carti, Cardi B, Lil Baby, H.E.R., Logic, Miguel, A$AP Rocky, and Beyoncé.
Haley, a graduate of California Lutheran University, got his start in the industry by promoting concerts in Germany before landing in Chicago. While there, he worked at select venues and began an internship at Windish. He was later recruited by Rob Light to work at CAA.
Referencing Spotify’s job posting, Hadley will be responsible for “Global and North American partnership functions, including defining Spotify’s partnerships with the music industry and our strategy towards targeting audiences and genres with the playlist ecosystem.” In his new position, he will “improve and define value exchange with artists and labels” and finally, “manage a large team across artist, label, songwriter, and publisher relationships.”
