Rick Ross has chosen a new direction to go in for 2018 by naming his new manager yesterday (January 25th). That man: music publishing veteran Juan Madrid.
According to Billboard, this is Madrid's latest venture into management, teaming with the five-time Grammy Award nominee on a new TV show as well as his day-to-day music career. Ross is set to release his next album, Port of Miami 2: Born to Kill, later this year.
Madrid’s roster of clients also includes King Mez, who was signed to Aftermath Entertainment and participated in the writing and recording of Dr. Dre's Compton album. Mez is currently working on his own debut album, though no release date has been established for that as of yet.
Madrid and Ross have worked together since 2006, when the former was still VP of A&R at Sony/ATV Music Publishing. He signed the rapper to his first publishing deal and, three years later, Madrid bolted Sony to join Warner/Chappell Music, as senior VP of A&R. He decided to leave Warner in 2016, pursuing other ventures which also include a producer role on the VH1 show Signed, which also features Ross. You can check out a trailer for that below.
Madrid is calling his management pivot a “career rebirth of sorts,” adding: "After spending 15 years at some of the biggest music publishing companies, my new role is a natural one. The skills I’ve developed over the years, as well as the relationships I’ve nurtured, all come into play as a manager. Now I can roll up my sleeves and really be a part of the bigger picture.”