September 9, 2025
The Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE) executive is responsible for the careers of Kendrick Lamar, SZA, Ab-Soul, Ray Vaughn, Doechi, and others
Anthony “Top Dawg” Tiffith, who is the founder and CEO of Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE), has been recently named Billboard’s 2025 R&B/Hip-Hop Power Players Executive of the Year.
The executive who has helped guide the careers of Kendrick Lamar, SZA, Ab-Soul, Ray Vaughn, Doechi, and others was given the honor at a New York City ceremony. Top Dawg was surrounded by his family, who help run the entertainment company with him, his cousin and TDE executive Terrence “Punch” Henderson, and his son, TDE president Anthony “Moosa” Tiffith Jr.
Although he was happy to win the award, he felt that it was long overdue.
“I like to stay behind the scenes. Billboard pulled me out tonight. I got a couple words for y’all. I want to thank Billboard for honoring me with this award, Executive of the Year. I feel like I should’ve won this three, four, five times.”
“I am low-key, not promoting myself and letting my artists shine, they don’t recognize that. But tonight is that night, this is the MVP trophy of the music industry.”
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Although the artist who arguably contributed to the label’s success, Lamar, is no longer with the company, he remains TDE adjacent, as evidenced by his recent tour with SZA. The duo’s national tour not only impressed audiences across the U.S. but also became the highest-grossing co-headlining tour ever by bringing in $256.4 million while stopping in various cities from April to June.
His latest big artist is rapper Doechii, who won a GRAMMY Award earlier this year for her project Alligator Bites Never Heal.
Rolling Stone reported earlier this summer that there may be another superstar coming out of the TDE ranks after RCA signed Ray Vaughn. After inking the deal, Top Dawg stated, “He’s got that DNA we look for in a TDE artist. His project, The Good The Bad The Dollar Menu says it all — his storytelling, delivery, and bars are krazy. We’re also happy to announce that we’re partnering with RCA again. We’ve been successful before, and I know, with Ray, we will continue to win.”
