J Erving, executive vice president creative development, The Orchard

Please respect that the discussions in this lecture series are off-the-record, with a no social media policy. If you are not registered for this class and would like to join, please email bwerde@syr.edu for the link.

Philly-raised J Erving has led many careers in the music business, all of them successful. In his early days, he managed artists like megastar rappers Nelly and Eve to the tops of the charts. More recently, he founded Human Re Sources, signing and developing artists such as YBN Nahmir, Pink Sweat$, Baby Rose, Bren Joy and more; Human Re-Sources’ signings have generated more than 2.5 billion streams. Erving sold Human Re Sources to Sony Music at the end of 2020, and currently reports to Sony Music Group Chairman Rob Stringer. At the heart of Erving’s continued success is a deep love for music, a drive to keep learning and a desire to listen to the young leaders in his life. In this spirit, a portion of this week’s lecture will be dedicated to student’s playing Erving their favorite unsigned songs, to get his assessment and feedback. We will also talk with Erving about his career origins and turning points, trends in the business, and the stories behind some of his successes.

Come prepared: Read “Spotlight: How Human Re Sources’ J. Erving Is Thriving Upstreaming Talent to the Majors”

J Erving, executive vice president creative development, The Orchard

Julius “J” Erving is the founder of Human Re Sources, an industry-leading digital distribution company whose clients include: Ant Clemons, Pink Sweat$, Baby Rose and YBN Nahmir. Founded in 2018, Human Re Sources has powered the rise of numerous critically acclaimed top artists crossing over one billion streams for projects released under its banner in less than 18 months. Since founding the company in 2017, Erving has made it his mission to seek quality over quantity, thereby establishing Human Re Sources as a formidable independent powerhouse of talent development.

In 2020, Sony Music Entertainment acquired Human Re Sources. Erving now serves as the executive VP of creative development for The Orchard, Sony’s global independent music distribution and artist and label services company. His overall goal is to carry on with the fostering and the development of great artists while delivering their music to a global audience.