Atlantic Records has hired veteran executive Luis “Lu” Mota as evp of A&R, the label announced on Tuesday (May 7). Mota, who’ll work out of Atlantic’s NYC headquarters and report to co-president of Black Music Lanre Gaba, arrives from Columbia Records where since 2018 he was instrumental in the signing and developing of hip-hop stars including Lil Tjay, Polo G and Joey Bada$$, among others.
“Lu is one of the most promising A&R execs I’ve met in a long time,” said Gaba. “He has proven his ability to find and nurture talent while delivering hit records. Sharing Atlantic’s unwavering commitment to long-term artist development in black music, he’ll be key in helping us break new acts and deliver great music.”
Mota’s big wins while serving as svp of A&R at Sony Music’s Columbia imprint included A&Ring Lil Tjay’s “Calling My Phone,” which hit No. 3 on the Hot 100 in 2021, and two years earlier he pushed Polo G’s “Pop Out,” which reached No. 7 on Billboard’s Hi-Hop Songs chart. He is also credited with inking a deal between Columbia and Fivio Foreign whose 2022 debut album B.I.B.L.E. secured a Top 10 spot on the Billboard 200.
Earlier in his career, Mota worked in A&R at 300 Entertainment. He also made back-to-back appearances in 2021/2022 on Billboard’s R&B/Hip-Hop Power Players list.
“Atlantic has a rich history of getting in early and championing superstars from the ground up,” Mota said. “To now be a part of this dynamic and accomplished team is an honor. There’s so much undiscovered rising talent out there on the global music scene, and I’m looking forward to making my mark here.”