Jeff Burroughs, a veteran record label executive, has been named president of GoodTalk, the music company launched by Jonny Shipes. The company confirmed the appointment on Thursday, Nov. 5.
Role and mandate#
Burroughs will widen the company’s scope across its label, content and branding partnerships. He will also support its artist development initiatives.
Shipes and GoodTalk#
Shipes is best known for Cinematic Music Group, an independent record label he founded in 2007. The label was behind the breakout success of artists including Joey Bada$$, Nipsey Hussle, Big K.R.I.T., Sean Kingston and Smoke DZA.
Shipes later sold the Cinematic catalog to Interscope in 2023 and launched GoodTalk. He describes it as a full-service entertainment company spanning music and brands.
Burroughs’ career#
Burroughs has held senior positions at several companies:
- Def Jam: served as chief marketing officer over a five-year period, working on projects by Justin Bieber and Ye (the artist formerly known as Kanye West)
- Syco: served as head of commercial relationships, working on brand partnerships for The X Factor and America’s Got Talent franchises
- RCA and Bad Boy: previously held executive roles
- THTWRKS: his own firm, where he has worked for the past five years on artist partnerships for brands including Nike, Disney and Meta
Statements from Shipes and Burroughs#
Shipes said in a statement:
“Bringing Jeff on board is a full-circle moment for me. I’ve known him for 30 years, going back to when I was 16 and used to bug him to listen to my beats at Bad Boy. I’ve always admired how he operates at the highest level while keeping things cool and having fun. Now, having him lead GoodTalk as we build its future together is a dream come true.”
Burroughs said in a statement:
“The best work of my career has happened next to a true creative visionary, and Shipes is that. He and his incredible team built something with a real cultural identity and you can’t microwave that. GoodTalk builds across music, content and brands as one business, not three. My job is to help artists build careers that matter and amplify commercial partnerships that grow without losing the sexy.”
