Who’s Your A & R?: A Guide to Artist Discovery, Creative Development, and Career Building for Aspiring Musicians and Industry Professionals

Behind every superstar—from Rihanna to Justin Bieber, SZA to Post Malone—there’s an A&R executive shaping their sound, vision, and career. This is the definitive inside story of the people behind the music.

The greatest music artists of the past century—those who’ve shaped the industry and moved millions, from the Motown era to the digital streaming age—may never have been heard without one crucial figure: the A&R.

These are the people who discovered Whitney Houston in a nightclub, persuaded Sabrina Carpenter to record some of her biggest hits, and brought together 46 of the world’s top artists to create “We Are the World.” Their stories have often gone untold—until now.

22-year music industry veteran and former Roc Nation co-president Omar Grant has helped shape albums from Rihanna, Mustard, Big Sean, Kylie Minogue, and more. In Who Is Your A&R?, he pulls back the curtain on the unsung heroes of the business. Through firsthand accounts from the A&Rs and executives behind Post Malone, Justin Bieber, SZA, Rihanna, and dozens more, this book explores the essential role of the A&R in shaping sound, stardom, and success—offering a guidebook for how to future-proof the music-making process by applying the lessons of the past while navigating the fast-changing industry of today.

From high-stakes contract negotiations and competitive A&R meetings to late-night studio therapy sessions and personal sacrifices, Grant captures the raw, real, and rarely seen side of the music business. As the industry leans further into a data-driven model and away from hands-on artist development, Who Is Your A&R? offers both fans and future executives a powerful reminder of the human touch behind the hits.