Three months after it was first reported that former Spotify exec Tuma Basa had left the music streaming service in order to join YouTube, his role at his new company has been revealed. YouTube has named Basa as its Head of Urban Music, a role that will allow him to leverage his connections in the hip-hop community.
As Spotify’s global programming head of hip hop, Basa was in charge of the popular RapCaviar playlist, which provided listeners with a rotating lineup of fresh hip-hop tracks.
Basa’s skill as a curator will translate well to his role as YouTube. The video site recently launched a new version of its YouTube Music product, and among other features, one of the top selling points is the presence of well-constructed playlists.
“Tuma brings a deep knowledge of the Music Industry with many years of experience at BET, MTV, REVOLT and most recently, Spotify,” said YouTube Head of Music Lyor Cohen. “His experience will be invaluable to the music journey we are on at YouTube, connecting artists and fans across the globe, and I am thrilled to welcome his voice to our collective efforts.”
Basa’s stint at Spotify started in 2015. Before that he held music programming roles at Revolt, MTV, and BET.
