Tuma Basa, who previously oversaw curation for the Spotify’s RapCaviar playlist and platform as head of global programming for hip-hop, has now been named as YouTube’s newest Director of Urban Music.
According to new reports, Basa will be putting to use his “deep industry connections and expertise” to generate engagement throughout the urban music landscape with both artists and consumers.
“Tuma brings a deep knowledge of the music Industry with many years of experience at BET, MTV, REVOLT and most recently, Spotify,” says Lyor Cohen, who serves as YouTube’s global head of music. “His experience will be invaluable to the music journey we are on at YouTube, connecting artists and fans across the globe, and I am thrilled to welcome his voice to our collective efforts.”
During his time with Spotify, Basa built a legacy surrounding the development of the RapCaviar playlist which is now the company’s most popular genre-specific playlist, earning close to 9 million followers as of May. The playlist quickly expanded into a channel of sorts, dabbling in original content through exclusive premiere, freestyle sessions, and even mini-doc series. RapCaviar has also developed into a live touring entity, putting on RapCaviar shows with some of hip-hop’s brightest stars.
“Tuma has been an incredible asset to the RapCaviar team, and we thank him for his contributions,” Spotify said of his departure. “The RapCaviar team, which is rapidly expanding with boots on the ground globally, is committed to building the brand and giving its users the best hip hop experience on the platform.”