Ezekiel “Zeke” Lewis has been named the new chairman/CEO of Epic Records, the company announced today (March 30). Lewis, who had previously served as president at the label since 2023, succeeds the legendary Sylvia Rhone in the role, who stepped down last September after an 11-year run.
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Lewis has been at Epic since 2018, when he joined as executive vp/head of A&R under Rhone and helped guide the careers of some of the label’s top stars, including Tyla, Travis Scott, Future, Giveon, 21 Savage, Madison Beer, Zara Larsson and more. Since Rhone stepped down six months ago, Lewis had been co-running Epic alongside general manager Rick Sackheim.
“Through his experience and knowledge in a senior creative capacity at Epic over the last eight years, Zeke is eminently qualified to take the label forward as its leader,” Sony Music Group chairman Rob Stringer said in a statement announcing Lewis’ new role. “Not only I am very pleased to make an appointment like this based on the executive growth of an internal candidate, but also because Zeke is highly respected and trusted by the artists and staff at Sony Music. I look forward to working together with him and his team on magnifying the musical vision of Epic Records.”
“I am truly humbled by the trust Rob has placed in me to lead this incredible label,” Lewis said in a statement. “Music has always been about the artist, their vision, their voice, their story. Everything we build here starts and ends with that belief. My focus, from day one, is to make this the best home for recording artists anywhere in the world. In a digital-first landscape full of noise and distraction, we have an opportunity to cut through and give creators something rare: a place where they are genuinely seen, supported and set up to thrive. That is the mission, and I do not take it lightly.”
Prior to Epic, Lewis had been senior vp of A&R at Motown, where he worked across that label’s partnership with Quality Control Music to support artists like Migos and Lil Baby, as well as the likes of Ciara, Erykah Badu and Lil Yachty, among others. He’s also the founder of music publisher The Bar Group and the co-founder of songwriter/producer collective The Clutch. As a writer, he’s worked on songs by Justin Bieber, Usher and Britney Spears, among others.
Epic finished 2025 with a 1.57% current market share, good for 11th among labels, and a 2.43% overall market share. That was down from a 2.59% current share and a 2.67% overall share at the end of 2024.
