IT'S OFFICIAL: ZEKE IS NEW EPIC EVP, A&R

It's official: Ezekiel Lewis has been tapped as EVP, A&R at Epic Records, reporting directly to President Sylvia Rhone, who made the announcement. Rhone also announced Rick Sackheim as label EVP; that story is here.

Rhone praised Lewis as “the type of rare talent who can write songs, engineer and drive the business behind them," adding, "I know he’ll be integral to the next era of Epic Records.”

For his part, Lewis hailed the "iconic" label and its team, noting, "Sylvia Rhone and Rob Stringer are world-class executives and I want to thank them for this amazing opportunity.”

The L.A.-based Lewis most recently served as SVP A&R at Motown, where he worked closely with chief Ethiopia Habtemariam. The exec got his start as a songwriter and producer, gaining buzz as a member of Atlanta-based collective The Clutch and working with the likes of Timbaland and Justin Bieber, for whom he co-wrote and co-produced 2010’s “One Less Lonely Girl.” Lewis is also up for a 2018 Grammy for his work on Kevin Hart’s What Now?—nominated in the Best Comedy Album category.