{"id":888688,"date":"2026-09-11T23:12:15","date_gmt":"2026-09-11T23:12:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/888688\/"},"modified":"2026-09-11T23:12:15","modified_gmt":"2026-09-11T23:12:15","slug":"david-ali-accepts-billboard-rb-hip-hop-executive-of-the-year-award","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/888688\/","title":{"rendered":"David Ali Accepts Billboard R&B\/Hip-Hop Executive of the Year Award"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n\tDavid Ali, CEO of Above Ground Entertainment, was named Billboard R&B\/Hip-Hop Power Players\u2019 Executive of the Year. His award was\u00a0\u00a0presented (Sept. 9) by Gail Mitchell, Billboard\u2019s Editor at Large, R&B\/Hip-Hop. In her remarks, Mitchell drew from Ali\u2019s profile featured in Billboard\u2019s 2026 R&B\/Hip-Hop Power Players issue, underscoring his \u201cinvesting in people\u201d philosophy. \u201cWith this job,\u201d Ali notes in the profile<\/a>, \u201cyou\u2019re signing up to be the person who\u2019s got to be there for your artist through thick and thin. And I love it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\tRelated\t\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\"David<\/p>\n

\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n

\n\tIn addition to two-time Grammy Award winner Kehlani<\/a>, Above Ground Entertainment\u2019s management clients include Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Destin Conrad<\/a> and independent rapper-entrepreneur Larry June<\/a>. Ali initially founded Above Ground as an events promotion company in San Francisco in 2008. Moving bases to Los Angeles in 2013, Ali expanded Above Ground into a full-service management and entertainment company.<\/p>\n

\n\tAfter giving shout outs to Kehlani, whom he\u2019s managed for nearly 13 years; Conrad, who was presented with Billboard\u2019s Rising R&B Star of the Year the same evening, and June, Ali noted that the honor really belongs to his whole Above Ground Entertainment team: \u201cWithout them, there ain\u2019t no me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tHe continued in part, \u201cShout out to Atlantic Records. We\u2019ve had an incredible 18 months, though it\u2019s been about 10 years. But these last 18 months have been incredible. I\u2019ve got to shout out EMPIRE; we have a great business together. And also to Live Nation \u2026 Together we\u2019ve been able to take our people around the world. It\u2019s a blessing.\u201d<\/p>\n


\"Billboard
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