WHEN IT COMES TO TOURS FOR RAP AND HIP-HOP MUSIC ARTISTS, THE BUCK STOPS WITH CARA LEWIS, THE NO-NONSENSE WILLIAM MORRIS AGENT IN NEW YORK

For nearly three decades, RAP music, and its less obtrusive Hip-Hop music counterpart, has been developed by aggressive and impressive record producers, record labels, and urban music industry entrepreneurs. In fact, many of these personalities are the bread and butter of the pop music industry today.

However, when it comes to touring these artists, and placing them in productive and reliable live performance situations, it has not been an easy road. This was particularly true in the early years of gaining acceptance for the genre. At the time, there were many skeptics. Today the skeptics have been quieted, as RAP and Hip-Hop touring has become one of the most viable commodities of the touring industry.

One agent, Cara Lewis, Senior VP of Talent at William Morris New York, is almost single-handedly responsible for this result.

Cara Lewis joined William Morris as an agent in 1989, and she has led the way in Hip-Hop touring ever since. Her aggressive, no-nonsense approach has set the standard for the development of RAP and Hip-Hop music as a viable live performance commodity, ever sense.

No other agent has close to the influence that Lewis has in RAP and Hip-Hop music touring. If you are talking Hip-Hop touring, you are talking Cara Lewis.

In fact, numerous important agents in the industry, representing many top Hip-Hop and RAP artists now, began their careers in Cara Lewis' William Morris NY office. This includes Peter Schwartz, VP of Talent at the Agency Group, and Eric Wilson, VP of Talent at the Evolution Agency.

Lewis' early success came with artists such as A Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul, Ice Cube, Snoop Dogg, and the new, lighter-sound of groups like the Fugees. Her roster quickly grew to become the toughest and the tightest in the evolving genre.

At the time, there were fewer opportunities and fewer promoters that were receptive to RAP and Hip-Hop music. Promoters listened to the music, and played it in their clubs, but they didn't want to promote the live shows. However, in time, the credibility and viability of touring these artists was established. And, it was Lewis' relentless approach that made this happen.

Now, Lewis' roster is the who's who of RAP and Hip-Hop music. Artists that she currently represents include 50 Cent, Eminem, Ludacris, Sean "Diddy" Combs, Erykah Badu, Gnarls Barkley, Snoop Dogg, Ice Cube, Wyclef Jean, Nas, and Nelly, just to name a few.

Lewis is a yearly nominee and award winner at the annual Pollstar music industry awards, and her roster only continues to grow. She now also tours some of the biggest names in Reggae music, representing Ziggy and Damian Marley, as well as dancehall superstar Sean Paul. Other genres are also mixed in to Lewis' William Morris roster. Alicia Keys is just one example.

Another accomplishment for Lewis is the Smoking Grooves Tour, which was the first multi-artist urban music tour to be placed in 20,000 seat amphitheaters around the country. Prior to Smoking Grooves, the "sheds" were not particularly receptive to the burgeoning Hip-Hop music culture. Now, Hip-Hop and RAP artists are regular faces in the community of top-level touring.