Courtney Stewart is the founder of Right Hand Music Group and Right Hand Foundation and co-founder of Keep Cool Records. He is an artist manager known for his work with multi-platinum global superstar Khalid, and is a record label executive, tech investor, real estate developer, and humanitarian.
Stewart attended North Atlanta High School and Alabama State University. [1]
An early friendship with fellow musician Bobby V led Stewart to become his manager when his musical career took off. [2] Later he ran Ludacris’ publishing company and managed hip-hop producers. [3]
Stewart discovered Khalid [4] in 2015-16 when the artist was still a teenager, [3] and went on to mentor and manage him beginning in 2016. [5] Following Khalid's breakout success, Stewart was included in Billboard's "40 Under 40: Music's Top Young Power Players" in 2017. [6]
In 2018, with Tunji Balogun (the future CEO of Def Jam Recordings) [7] and two others, Stewart co-founded Keep Cool Records, [8] a joint venture with RCA Records. [9] Keep Cool's first signing was Normani of Fifth Harmony. [10] Its roster also includes Lucky Daye, VanJess, Freddie Gibbs & Madlib, UMI, and Marzz.
In October 2018 Billboard included Stewart in its "21 Under 21" list. [11] Variety named him a Hitmaker in both 2018 [12] and 2019. [13] Stewart and Khalid delivered the keynote Q&A at the 2019 Pollstar Live! conference. [14]
Stewart was a founding member and serves on the executive committee [2] of the Black Music Action Coalition, a nonprofit formed in 2020 to combat systemic racism in the music industry. [15] In 2020 Billboard included him on both its 2020 Power List [16] and its R&B/Hip-Hop Power Players list, recognizing him for activism. [17]
Also in 2020, his Right Hand Music Group partnered with Techstars Music, an accelerator program for music-related startups. Right Hand became Techstars' first member company owned by a person of color. [18]
His management clients include Sinéad Harnett, [19] Wynne, Marzz, and South African R&B artist Elaine [20] in addition to Khalid.
Stewart began supporting local Atlanta shelters in 2015, [21] buying and delivering Christmas gifts to local homeless shelters housed in hotels. [22] Inspired by this experience, in 2019 he founded the Right Hand Foundation, which provides free housing and educational programs to single mothers and their children in Atlanta. [23] The nonprofit launched its first "Right Hand Haven" housing in October 2019. [24]
Stewart also assisted Khalid in setting up the Great Khalid Foundation. He worked with Great Khalid when it donated $500,000 to the El Paso Community Foundation in El Paso, Texas in 2019 [25] to aid children and grandchildren of victims of the 3 August 2019 mass murder at Walmart.
In 2020 the National Museum of African American Music appointed Stewart to its board of directors' first Music Industry Relations Committee, [26] and his Right Hand Foundation partnered with St. Stephen Missionary Baptist Church-East Point to help support struggling families during the holiday season. [27]
In 2021 Billboard honored him as a Change Agent for helping the music community survive the COVID-19 pandemic and confront racial inequality. [28]
He is also committed to the advancement of HBCUs and was honored in October 2021 with an Alabama State University (ASU) 50 Under 50 alumni award. In October 2022 he announced a $100,000 donation to ASU to create scholarships for communication students and enhance the university's communication department. [29]
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Courtney Stewart is the founder of Right Hand Music Group and Right Hand Foundation and co-founder of Keep Cool Records. He is an artist manager known for his work with multi-platinum global superstar Khalid, and is a record label executive, tech investor, real estate developer, and humanitarian.
Stewart attended North Atlanta High School and Alabama State University. [1]
An early friendship with fellow musician Bobby V led Stewart to become his manager when his musical career took off. [2] Later he ran Ludacris’ publishing company and managed hip-hop producers. [3]
Stewart discovered Khalid [4] in 2015-16 when the artist was still a teenager, [3] and went on to mentor and manage him beginning in 2016. [5] Following Khalid's breakout success, Stewart was included in Billboard's "40 Under 40: Music's Top Young Power Players" in 2017. [6]
In 2018, with Tunji Balogun (the future CEO of Def Jam Recordings) [7] and two others, Stewart co-founded Keep Cool Records, [8] a joint venture with RCA Records. [9] Keep Cool's first signing was Normani of Fifth Harmony. [10] Its roster also includes Lucky Daye, VanJess, Freddie Gibbs & Madlib, UMI, and Marzz.
In October 2018 Billboard included Stewart in its "21 Under 21" list. [11] Variety named him a Hitmaker in both 2018 [12] and 2019. [13] Stewart and Khalid delivered the keynote Q&A at the 2019 Pollstar Live! conference. [14]
Stewart was a founding member and serves on the executive committee [2] of the Black Music Action Coalition, a nonprofit formed in 2020 to combat systemic racism in the music industry. [15] In 2020 Billboard included him on both its 2020 Power List [16] and its R&B/Hip-Hop Power Players list, recognizing him for activism. [17]
Also in 2020, his Right Hand Music Group partnered with Techstars Music, an accelerator program for music-related startups. Right Hand became Techstars' first member company owned by a person of color. [18]
His management clients include Sinéad Harnett, [19] Wynne, Marzz, and South African R&B artist Elaine [20] in addition to Khalid.
Stewart began supporting local Atlanta shelters in 2015, [21] buying and delivering Christmas gifts to local homeless shelters housed in hotels. [22] Inspired by this experience, in 2019 he founded the Right Hand Foundation, which provides free housing and educational programs to single mothers and their children in Atlanta. [23] The nonprofit launched its first "Right Hand Haven" housing in October 2019. [24]
Stewart also assisted Khalid in setting up the Great Khalid Foundation. He worked with Great Khalid when it donated $500,000 to the El Paso Community Foundation in El Paso, Texas in 2019 [25] to aid children and grandchildren of victims of the 3 August 2019 mass murder at Walmart.
In 2020 the National Museum of African American Music appointed Stewart to its board of directors' first Music Industry Relations Committee, [26] and his Right Hand Foundation partnered with St. Stephen Missionary Baptist Church-East Point to help support struggling families during the holiday season. [27]
In 2021 Billboard honored him as a Change Agent for helping the music community survive the COVID-19 pandemic and confront racial inequality. [28]
He is also committed to the advancement of HBCUs and was honored in October 2021 with an Alabama State University (ASU) 50 Under 50 alumni award. In October 2022 he announced a $100,000 donation to ASU to create scholarships for communication students and enhance the university's communication department. [29]
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