Decades of dedication and determination propelled Benny Pough to the forefront of the music industry and made him one of today’s successful and innovative business leaders. Pough has helped shape the sound and culture of music worldwide, having been instrumental in delivering radio hits for superstar artists such as Jay-Z, Rihanna, Kanye West, Travis Scott, Future, DJ Khaled and 21 Savage.
Pough’s legacy continues as a master of promotions and marketing, coupled with an unmatched eye and ear for talent.
Having made significant contributions to the entertainment industry via executive positions at powerhouse labels from Motown Records and Def Jam to Epic Records and Roc Nation Music, Pough is now blazing his own trail as an entrepreneur.
“The time was right to step out and bet on myself,” says Pough of the formation of D.Verse Media, a full service global music distribution and publishing company, integrated with over 100 DSP’s, including Apple and Spotify. Prior to D.Verse, Pough was the President of Roc Nation Music and served as Executive Vice President of Epic Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment, where he oversaw day-to- day operations. Pough had previously overseen the label’s promotion and marketing strategies as Executive Vice President of Urban Music and is credited with leading Epic’s urban team to great success, including becoming the #1 Urban record label of the year in 2017.
Preceding that role, Pough was Senior Vice President of Promotion at Universal Music Group’s Island Def Jam, where he helped propel Rihanna and Kanye West to superstardom, among many others.
Pough was previously Vice President of Promotion at MCA Records for seven years and launched his career as Regional Promotions Manager for Motown Records. Having worked multiple jobs since the age of eleven, Pough always wanted to be an entrepreneur. While working in the music industry, he started investing his bonuses into real estate and eventually created Al J. Britt Enterprises, a real estate management company that has over 100 properties in its portfolio.
After a near fatal car accident in 2014, Pough had a desire to tell his story. ON IMPACT: Life, Leadership & Almost Losing It All, is a collection of stories, rich in reflection and vulnerability, that expose the experiences that have shaped his life and career. ON IMPACT will be the first book released under Benny Pough, LLC–a division of D.Verse Media.
The inaugural recipient of the Urban One Honors Record Executive of the Year Award, Pough was a featured speaker at the ITP Media Group’s international conference in Dubai and plans to grow his speaking profile in the near future. Beyond his illustrious music career, Pough has a strong interest in public speaking, real estate investment, and collecting art and wine. He currently resides in Bergen County, New Jersey.
