Craig Kallman
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Craig Kallman joined Atlantic Records in 1991, when his independent Big Beat Records label was acquired by the company. He advanced from Vice President to Executive Vice President in charge of Atlantic's entire A&R operation. In January 2002, he was named Atlantic Co-President. With the merger of Atlantic and Elektra Records in March 2004, Kallman was promoted to Co-Chairman/COO of the newly formed Atlantic Records Group. Last year, Kallman was promoted to Chairman and CEO of Atlantic Records.
Kallman began his music industry career in 1981, Deejay-ing at the Cat Club in New York, while working in Columbia Records' dance department. At Brown University, he was the CBS Records college representative, promoting such artists as the Beastie Boys, Sinéad O'Connor, the Bangles, LL Cool J, and Billy Idol. He was also program director of the urban and rock specialty shows on WBRU-FM. After graduating in 1987 with a B.A. in English, Kallman promoted New Order and Joy Division for Factory Records. He worked in the chart department at Billboard Magazine, while continuing to DJ at such classic nightspots as Danceteria, Area, The Palladium, The Tunnel, and Mars.
Happening upon a house music demo in a record shop, Kallman started up his independent Big Beat label and production career with the 1987 single, "Join Hands" by Taravhonty. His second release, "The Party" by Kraze, was an international club and pop smash, selling over 300,000 copies, and prompting calls for Kallman's remixes from such major artists as Soul II Soul. Through the 1990s, Big Beat remained a major imprint in the dance and rap underground, as well as in the crossover pop and R&B fields, with a multi-genre string of international hits by Robin S., Jomanda, Tara Kemp, Bucketheads, Artifacts, Double XX Posse, Dawn Penn, Inner Circle, Changing Faces, and Quad City DJ's.
When Big Beat was acquired by Atlantic in 1991, Kallman joined the company as Vice President/Assistant to then Co-Chairman Doug Morris. Later, as Executive Vice President, Kallman was assigned to oversee Atlantic's entire A&R operation by new Co-Chairman Val Azzoli. His roster of trailblazing artists grew to include Aaliyah, whose One in a Million album introduced producers Timbaland and Missy Elliott to the pop top 10; singer and actress Brandy, whose duet with Monica, "The Boy is Mine," was the biggest U.S. single of 1998; and Notorious B.I.G.'s rap clan Junior M.A.F.I.A., featuring the iconic Lil' Kim; and multi-platinum hard rock band P.O.D.
Kallman was named Co-President of Atlantic Records in January 2002. In the fall of that year, Kallman forged a worldwide alliance with the pioneering dancehall reggae label, VP Records. The first album released via VP/Atlantic, Sean Paul's groundbreaking "Dutty Rock," sold five million copies worldwide, and garnered Sean three Grammy nominations – including Best New Artist. The album yielded a string of hit singles, including the #1 pop smash, "Get Busy," the most successful U.S. crossover record in Jamaican recording history.
Kallman kicked off 2004 on a high note, when the first Atlantic album in nearly seven years from Chicago-based rap legend Twista, "Kamikaze," debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 album chart – becoming the music industry's first breakthrough artist of the New Year. That album's success primed the pump for Atlantic's explosive hip-hop activity during the year, culminating with the launch of the company's groundbreaking "Joint Chiefs" multi-artist campaign in the fall of 2004. That project yielded top-10 debuts from Miami superstar Trick Daddy, Brooklyn platinum rapper Fabolous, and Atlanta sensation T.I., with a new album on tap from the "Mayor of the Bronx," Fat Joe, in the spring of '05.
In 2004, Kallman oversaw such high-profile new Atlantic signings as hip-hop star Juvenile and acclaimed indie rockers Death Cab For Cutie. He has also been responsible for bringing to the company such notable artists as West Coast punk quartet The Donnas; British garage/R&B innovator Craig David; #1 UK rock sensation The Darkness; pop singer/songwriter Ryan Cabrera; Caribbean soca star Kevin Lyttle; Florida rock quartet Shindown; Southern rap collective Nappy Roots; and Michigan-based hard rockers TapRoot.
Over the years, Kallman has also spearheaded Atlantic's release of a number of film soundtracks and original cast albums, including Space Jam (featuring R. Kelly's "I Believe I Can Fly"), "Dr. Doolittle," "High School High," "Anastasia," "Great Expectations," "Jekyll & Hyde," and, most recently, "School of Rock."
Kallman's plans for 2006 and 2007 include putting the recently signed band called Antigone Rising on the musical map.
