Avex USA, a division of Japanese music and entertainment company Avex Group, announced Thursday (March 28) the appointment of Brennen Bryant as the new Director of A&R, Publishing.
In his new role, Bryant will oversee the publishing division, working closely with the A&R team and Lou Al-Chamaa, who was appointed as Avex USA’s SVP, Head of A&R Publishing, last year. Bryant will be instrumental in implementing strategy across all deals and signings.
“Entering the role of Director of A&R at Avex USA is a very exciting transition in my career. The company is absolutely incredible, and I am very fortunate to be joining such a great team and to be working across a talented roster,” Bryant said.
Bryant’s career in the music industry started by working on the Drake & G-Eazy tour as an assistant to Jamil Davis, G-Eazy’s manager, and later holding positions at 2wenty 2wenty Music Group, Hallwood Media, and Range Music, with clients including Jack Harlow’s engineer Nickie Jon Pabon and Italian superstar producer Finesse.
DJ Smallz 732 & Brennen Bryant. Credit Caris Yeoman.
“Entering the role of Director of A&R at Avex USA is a very exciting transition in my career. The company is absolutely incredible, and I am very fortunate to be joining such a great team and to be working across a talented roster.”
Brennen Bryant, Avex USA
“We are thrilled to welcome our new A&R Director, Brennen Bryant, to the Avex family to help us discover and develop the next generation of talented artists, writers and producers,” said Al-Chamaa.
“With his expertise and passion for music, we are confident that he will bring a fresh perspective to our A&R team,” he added.
Avex USA also announced the signing of hip-hop/Jersey club producer DJ Smallz 732.Bryant played a crucial role in the signing, Avex USA said.
DJ Smallz 732 is a rising star in the music industry, most notably for his work on Nicki Minaj‘s hit record Everybody featuring Lil Uzi Vert from Minaj’s 2023 album Pink Friday 2.
The song was a massive success, amassing 118 million total streams. On Spotify alone, it has generated more than 92 million streams. It also topped the viral TikTok charts and reached #1 on both Urban and Rhythmic Radio and 27th on Top 40 Radio. It also peaked at #17 on Billboard’s US Mainstream Top 40 Radio Chart.
With [Brennen Bryant’s] expertise and passion for music, we are confident that he will bring a fresh perspective to our A&R team.”
Lou Al-Chamaa, Avex USA
DJ Smallz 732 has been a prominent figure in the Jersey club scene since 2014, with his viral remix of We Are Young propelling him to recognition. He has played a key role in blending Jersey club with hip-hop, collaborating with artists like Coi Leray, Lil Durk, and Kaliii. He has also performed live guest radio takeovers on platforms such as Hot 97, TikTok Radio, and Hits 1.
DJ Smallz 732 said: “It’s been crazy watching Jersey club grow over the past few years… Excited to bring the genre to new heights with Avex as a partner.”
Neil Jacobson, who manages DJ Smallz alongside Daniel Jacobson, said: “Among the many things I see in great producers is rhythmic dexterity… Beyond his taste, touch, and style, Smallz has crazy chops, mechanically speaking, when it comes to production. That combination is rare and will make Smallz great.”
Daniel Jacobson added: “It’s truly incredible to have watched Smallz’s journey over the last two years… I’m super stoked to continue building the DJ Smallz 732 brand with Lou, Brennen, and the rest of the Avex team.”
““Among the many things I see in great producers is rhythmic dexterity… Beyond his taste, touch, and style, [DJ Smallz 732] has crazy chops, mechanically speaking, when it comes to production. That combination is rare and will make Smallz great.”
Neil Jacobson, DJ Smallz 732’s Manager
Lou Al-Chamaa, Avex USA’s SVP, Head of A&R Publishing, said: “Having DJ Smallz (the Jersey Legend) join our roster is a huge win for us. His track record of success with Nicki Minaj’s hit Everybody and his own artist project speaks for itself. We are excited to support him in his journey to becoming a global producer.”
Avex USA Publishing boasts a roster of talented writers and producers, including J. Que (Joji), WillJay (Royal & the Serpent), Xansei (XG), and, through its joint venture with Brandon Silverstein Publishing, Grammy-nominated producer HARV (Justin Bieber), Jasper Harris (Tate McRae), GENT! (Doja Cat), Jamaica’s global star Shenseea, Cxdy from Internet Money (The Kid LAROI) and David Arkwright (Bella Poarch).
Avex USA, launched as the US arm of Avex Group in April 2021, operates the record label SELENE, Avex USA Publishing, and music investment fund Future of Music from its Los Angeles headquarters, Avex House.
Less than a year after it was launched, Avex USA landed a global administration deal with Sony Music Publishing, which saw the latter providing worldwide administration services (ex. Japan) to Avex USA’s catalog and roster of songwriters and producers.
