No matter what anyone says Damon Dash has already written off Lyor Cohen as a “culture vulture.” However, given Cohen’s 37 years of experience in Hip Hop, we wonder which animal is he? Is he a goat (greatest of all time)? Or is he nothing more than a scavenging vulture?
Dame, we’re gonna let you finish but… Lyor Cohen may be one of the greatest minds of all time. “When you’ve been in [Hip Hop] 37 years and continuously inventing yourself, and winning, there’s a small subset of people who don’t like those people,” he said during a recent appearance on The Breakfast Club.
In addition, he makes it clear that in this business, talent triumphs issues for him. Some would argue his stance is opportunistic.
Yet when you consider the fact that he came up watching Rick Ruben methodically map out the Def Jam logo, how can he not be invested in the culture? His talent-driven approach helped build a potent roster which set the tone for mainstream Hip-Hop.
Now as the president of YouTube Music, he is once again on the cusp of greatness as he aims to bring Google and YouTube to the table where they can sit equally against current giants Apple Music and Spotify.
People will call you a vulture or opportunistic when you see an opportunity which they failed to capitalize on. All things considered, if you feel like someone is taking advantage of the culture, you should put yourself in position to change that. Lastly, never act on impulse, always make moves from a calm and calculated perspective.
Furthermore, Cohen says he prefers to focus on economic and structural changes in Hip Hop, opposed to musical trends. For this, we have to consider him as a G.O.A.T. Or a high-flying eagle.
