Darcus Beese – President, Darco Artist Partnerships D.A.P, Author, Rebel With a Cause: Roots, Records and Revolution

Darcus Beese OBE is a legendary music-industry executive, the first Black President of a UK major label, (Island Records UK),  and the only Black British CEO of one of the world’s biggest and most influential record companies, Island Records US. The son of Darcus Howe and Barbara Beese,  members of the Mangrove Nine and two of Britain’s most important and powerful political activists, Darcus’s personal journey is every bit as interesting as his work life, and the values he learned as a kid, have stood him in good stead throughout his life.  

Described by Music Week, as ‘one of the great A&R people of his or any generation’, Darcus began his incredible journey in the music business working as a teaboy at Island, under the label’s illustrious founder Chris Blackwell. Quickly rising through the ranks, Darcus went on to run Island, overseeing the musical output of Bob Marley, U2, Cat Stevens, Drake and the Weeknd to name but a few, while simultaneously signing and nurturing some of the greatest artists of the twenty-first century including Florence and the Machine, Mumford & Sons, Jessie J and most notably Amy Winehouse. Following the global success of Amy, Darcus headed to New York to become CEO of Island US where he ran the US giant who counted Sir Elton John, Bon Jovi, The Killers, Sabrina Carpenter, Remi Wolf, Shawn Mendes & Keshi among its enviable roster. Darcus has recently launched his own label, Darco Recordings, and continues to discover and nurture new talent.