Max Gousse

About Max Gousse
Max Gousse, (born Brooklyn, NY) is a multiple Grammy Award-winning American record executive, producer, and A&R. He currently serves as the Senior Vice President/A&R of Island Def Jam Music Group. Gousse has been an A&R executive for nearly 20 years. The Los Angeles-based Gousse works with artists in several genres, including Pop, R&B, and Hip-Hop. He is perhaps best known for (1) handling A&R/Production for two of Beyonce's biggest albums (I Am...Sasha Fierce and B'Day), (2) for discovering and developing the platinum R&B group B2K, and (3) for A&R-ing the multi-platinum Dreamgirls Soundtrack album. He is considered a music industry heavyweight.
Music Career
Recent Work With Beyonce
Gousse has served as A&R on the last two Beyonce Knowles studio albums. Most recently, Gousse served as A&R for Beyonce Knowles's third studio album, I Am... Sasha Fierce, in November 2008. The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 and sold 482,000 copies in its first week, giving Knowles her third consecutive number one album in the US. The album sold 2.9 million copies in the United States, and certified double platinum by the RIAA. To date, the album has sold more than 7 million copies worldwide. The Deluxe edition of the album was released simultaneously with the Standard edition.{3]. "If I Were a Boy" and "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" were released as the album's first and second lead singles, respectively. The first lead single peaked at number three on the Billboard Hot 100, while the second peaked at number one, becoming Knowles' fifth number-one single. "Single Ladies" spent four non-consecutive weeks at the top spot.
Gousse also served as A&R/Producer Knowles's second studio album, B'Day was released in September 2006; it debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, selling 541,000 copies in its first week. It gained Knowles her largest first week sales of her solo career and became her second consecutive number one album. The album sold 3.2 million copies in the United States, and has been certified three times Platinum by the RIAA. The album's lead single, "Déjà Vu" featuring Jay-Z, peaked at number four on the Billboard Hot 100 and topped the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. "Ring the Alarm" was released as the album's second US single, while "Irreplaceable" served as the second international single and later as the third US single. "Irreplaceable" spent ten consecutive weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming Knowles' fourth number-one single as solo artist. I am... Sasha Fierce earned Knowles and Gousse 4 Grammy Awards, including 2010 Song of the Year, Best R&B Song, ("Single Ladies") and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance ("Halo.").
Prior to this, B'Day won the Grammy for Best Contemporary R&B Album in 2007..
Discovering B2K
Gousse discovered the multi-platinum selling group B2K . The group's initial eponymous debut title was Certified Gold by the RIAA. . The group's fourth single, Bump, Bump, Bump which featured Bad Boy executive, P. Diddy, peaked at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, and became the group's first top ten and number one single. It was the first single off their second studio album, Pandemonium!. The album was released on December 10, 2002 and debuted at number ten on the Billboard 200 and at number three on Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums.
Contributions to Major Motion Pictures
In 2006, Gousse contributed his A&R efforts to the release of the Dreamgirls Soundtrack Album. The Dreamgirls soundtrack was nominated for the 2008 Grammy Award for Best Compilation Soundtrack Album for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media, losing to The Beatles' Love. However, "Love You I Do" won the Grammy that same year for Best Song Written for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media. The one-disc version of Dreamgirls: Music from the Motion Picture debuted at number 20 on the Billboard 200, with sales of 92,000 units. In its fifth week of release, the soundtrack reached the top of the Billboard 200 with a sales week of 68,000 units.
Prior to working on the Dreamgirls Soundtrack, Gousse served as Executive Producer to the motion picture, You Got Served in 2004. Gousse contributed to the motion pictures Barbershop and Barbershop 2: Back In Business, Cadillac Records and Sunset Park.
References
1. "Gold and Platinum". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 2011-06-12.
http://riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?resultpage1&tableSEARCH_RESULTS&artistBeyonce&startMonth1&endMonth1&startYear1958&endYear2008&sortArtist&perPage=25
2. "Beyonce turns to London producer Dave Taylor, aka Switch, to mastermind new album". The Sun (UK). March 31, 2011. Retrieved June 5, 2011.
3. Cohen, Jonathan. "New Beyoncé Album Arriving In November". Billboard. Retrieved 2011-06-08.
http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003847270#/bbcom/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003847270
4. Cohen, Jonathan. "New Beyoncé Album Arriving In November". Billboard. Retrieved 2011-06-08
http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003847270#/bbcom/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003847270
5. Beyonce Hot 100 Chart History". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved 2011-06-13.
http://www.billboard.com/#/artist/Beyonce/chart-history/317670?f379&gSingles
6. Caulfield, Keith (May 6, 2011). "Lady Gaga & Beyonce Singles Stall on the Charts: Cause for Alarm?". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
http://login.vnuemedia.com/bbbiz/search/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1005173792
7. Hasty, Katie (2006-09-13). "Beyonce's 'B-Day' Makes Big Bow At No. 1". Billboard (Nielsen Business Media). Retrieved 2011-06-05.
http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/search/google/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003121337#/bbcom/search/google/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003121337
8. Gold and Platinum". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 2011-06-12
http://riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?resultpage1&tableSEARCH_RESULTS&artistBeyonce&startMonth1&endMonth1&startYear1958&endYear2008&sortArtist&perPage=25
9. Beyoncé's Albums by the Numbers". Billboard (Nielsen Business Media) 121 (40): 46. 2009-10-10
http://books.google.com.au/books?idvetwOz3_OF4C&pgPA46&hlen&ei-N03TYPPFIvevQPlvMWbCg&saX&oibook_result&ctresult&resnum9&ved=0CEcQ6AEwCA#vonepage&q&ffalse
10. "Beyoncé's Billboard Singles Chart Performances". Macrovision Corporation. Retrieved 2011-06-07
http://www.allmusic.com/artist/p349078
11. "Beyoncé's Billboard Singles Chart Performances". Macrovision Corporation. Retrieved 2011-06-13
http://www.allmusic.com/artist/p349078
12. Hasty, Katie (2007-02-08). "Beyoncé Makes It Ten Weeks At No. 1 With 'Irreplaceable'". Billboard (Prometheus Global Media). Retrieved 2011-06-14.
http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003543450#/bbcom/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003543450
13. "List of Awards and Nominations Received by Beyonce Knowles". Retrieved 2011-06-13
http://en. .org/wiki/List_of_awards_and_nominations_received_by_Beyoncé_Knowles#Grammy_Awards.2C_USA
14. Taxi A&R Interview: Max Gousse
Retrieved 2011-06-13
http://www.taxi.com/music-business-faq/ar/gousse.html
15. "RIAA - Gold & Platinum - June 07, 2011: B2K certified albums". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 2011-06-07.
http://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?tableSEARCH_RESULTS&artistB2K&formatALBUM&goSearch&perPage=50

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