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The internet reshaped every industry, but few more dramatically than music. Today’s producers, many of whom once burned CDs and downloaded tracks off LimeWire, have lived through seismic shifts with the rise of streaming platforms like Spotify and Apple Music.
“I don’t think any other generation has seen changes like this in the music industry,” says Justice Baiden, cofounder of Atlanta-based record label LVRN. “Those shifts definitely influenced how I approach discovering talent.”
As the head of A&R at LVRN, Baiden is constantly shepherding the company through transitions, learning not just to adapt to trends but to anticipate them. In the ’90s and 2000s, he recalls, media channels were far more unified.
“If you had a song and an artist everyone believed in, you could get people to see it — because back then, with radio and TV, everyone got their information at the same time,” he explains.
Those days are long gone. Today, the outside world might as well be in the recording booth, watching artists develop in real time and weighing in at every step.
“The luxury of just putting out a record and hoping people find it doesn’t really exist anymore,” Baiden says. “It’s about building a world — an ethos and atmosphere around the artist — and a lot of that comes down to growing the fan base.”
That level of visibility can create pressure for emerging artists, turning Baiden into part producer, part therapist.
“The veil has been removed,” he says. “The whole idea of saying, ‘This is my special project I’ve been working on for six years, and now you finally get to see it,’ doesn’t really exist anymore, because now the consumer plays a big role in deciding what takes off.”
Image Credit: LVRN
Analytics vs. instinct
Playing an equally large role — much to Baiden’s chagrin — are analytics. Stats like monthly listeners, playlist reach and follower counts can often do more to shape an artist’s future than their musical talent.
“Transparently, I think that’s the biggest flaw in the music industry,” Baiden says. “Analytics have always been part of the business — whether it was radio spins back then or streaming data now — but when it comes to building a generational artist, instinct still matters most.”
He believes too many executives use data as a crutch for their fears.
“To me, music is sacred,” Baiden explains. “But I think the powers that be don’t love music as much as they should.”
While he acknowledges there’s a fine line between belief and delusion, Baiden doesn’t view “failure” as black and white.
“If you believe in a record but the audience gravitates toward something else, that doesn’t mean the song isn’t strong — it might just not be the right time for it,” he says. “As an executive, your job is to recognize that and find ways to keep the song’s influence alive.”
He points to R&B singer Summer Walker’s debut album as an example. One of its standout tracks, Body, was universally loved within LVRN but initially underperformed — until years later, when it went viral on TikTok. The same happened with Walker’s earlier song Karma, which went double platinum long after its release.
“At the end of the day, it always comes back to a great record,” Baiden says. “You have to trust your instincts, fight for it and know how to navigate the process.”
“Since the beginning, Justice has always gotten me to step outside of my comfort zone,” adds Walker. “He encourages me to go harder and push myself because he has genuine faith in me and my capabilities. He opened my eyes to a lot of the creative risks we took on some of my early work.”
Label built with love
Artists like Summer Walker trust Baiden because he doesn’t see them as business assets, but as part of the LVRN family — and that starts with being true to himself.
“Justice is more than just my A&R,” Walker says. “He’s always gone above and beyond for me. He’s built a real emotional connection and cares about me as a person and an artist first. The business is secondary. Justice and the LVRN team are transparent—they show up when it matters most and make a real effort. It just feels comfortable.”
“For many Black entrepreneurs, the music business has long been rooted in a street mentality—that’s the foundation of so many iconic labels, from Death Row to Roc-A-Fella. But that’s not our story,” Baiden adds. “For us, it’s about showing there are different paths to success — making it cool to be smart, to lead with love, and to stay true to that principle. That energy shines through in the artists we work with and how we move as a company.”
Baiden doesn’t consider himself a natural businessman — but that hasn’t stopped him from thriving in business. He draws a parallel to Steph Curry, noting that while Curry excels at every aspect of the game, fans ultimately come for his jump shot.
“For me, that’s curating music and bringing people together,” Baiden says. “I learned that running a business is a completely different challenge.”
It’s a challenge he’s clearly risen to. The same executive who once lied about interning at Def Jam to build credibility now leads music for one of the industry’s fastest-growing independent labels.
Since its founding, LVRN has expanded from five employees to more than two dozen worldwide, adding breakout artists like Afropop star Odeal and country newcomer Tanner Adell to a roster that already includes Summer Walker.
“It’s all about timing,” Baiden says. “When I was 17 or 18, I thought the artists I worked with deserved record deals — but looking back, if we’d actually gotten one then, it wouldn’t have worked out.”
The internet reshaped every industry, but few more dramatically than music. Today’s producers, many of whom once burned CDs and downloaded tracks off LimeWire, have lived through seismic shifts with the rise of streaming platforms like Spotify and Apple Music.
“I don’t think any other generation has seen changes like this in the music industry,” says Justice Baiden, cofounder of Atlanta-based record label LVRN. “Those shifts definitely influenced how I approach discovering talent.”
As the head of A&R at LVRN, Baiden is constantly shepherding the company through transitions, learning not just to adapt to trends but to anticipate them. In the ’90s and 2000s, he recalls, media channels were far more unified.
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