In a business that’s ever changing, Eddie Blackmon is a multi-faceted music industry executive with knowledge, experience and an unwavering drive to win.
Growing up in Chicago, Blackmon’s formative years were steeped in the city’s rich legacy of 90’s R&B, shaping his home grown musical sensibilities. After graduating from Arizona State University with with a degree in Communications and Sociology, Eddie began as an intern at Interscope Records in New York City shadowing then-Head of Black Music, Ron Gillyard and later then-Sony Urban General Manager Lisa Ellis, gathering indispensable knowledge as he maneuvered from department to department, learning the macro-view of the music industry’s interconnectedness.
Eddie was hired by the late Dr. Donda West to join Kanye West’s G.O.O.D. Music imprint as an assistant to then-President John Monopoly where he quickly elevated to Director of Marketing and A&R Operations. There he oversaw projects from Fonzworth Bentley, SA-RA, GLC, Consequence and began his professional relationship with John Legend.
After stints in the marketing departments of Columbia Records and Def Jam, Blackmon became General Manager of Legend’s boutique label, Homeschool Records, where he helped navigate the careers of Estelle (Atlantic) and singer-songwriter Stacy Barthe (Motown). During this time, he began his talent management and consulting company, A Shade of Red Entertainment (ASORÉ), and found himself crafting two of Legend’s biggest records; “Tonight (Best You Ever Had)” from the Think Like A Man soundtrack and “All of Me” from the Love In The Future album, which Blackmon Co-Executive produced along with Legend and Kanye West.
Legend shuttered Homeschool Records and Blackmon focused on managing a collection of artists through his A Shade Of Red Entertainment brand, boasting Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Ro James, Grammy-winning producer Darhyl “DJ” Camper along with Barthe. In 2018, Eddie joined AWAL, Kobalt’s unique alternative to the traditional music label servicing independent artists and labels, as Vice President of A&R. In early 2020, he launched of The CAST of R&B podcast with his co-host, veteran journalist Hillary Crosley Coker as well as the informative panel program, THE WEBINA&R SESSIONS, a weekly industry discussion around the hottest topics and enduring lessons.
"I’ve never let me job title limit my contribution.”
