Teddy Riley Took Him Viral, But Breyon Prescott Was Already a Big Deal
The songwriter and storied music executive speaks on his extensive career
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When technical difficulties torpedoed Teddy Riley and Babyface’s anticipated Verzuz battle last month, Black Twitter responded in perfect Black Twitter fashion: memeing the debacle into oblivion. Meme Zero came courtesy of the husky, bearded man dancing behind Riley to “The Show.” A weed carrier, people figured. An Instagram hype man. But folks familiar with the music industry knew exactly who the cat in the hat was: Breyon Prescott, a songwriter and executive in the third decade of a long career.
The South Carolina–born, D.C.-bred exec started his career running a label for former NFL wide receiver Andre Rison and bringing Gillie Da Kid to Tony Draper’s revered Suave House Records. Prescott later managed soul singer Angie Stone as she embarked on a successful solo career, then added Jamie Foxx to his client roster, turning the then-aspiring musician into a Billboard-charting, Grammy-winning artist. In 2015, he joined Epic Records as head of A&R, where he signed and A&Red artists like Rick Ross, Diddy, Yo Gotti, French Montana, and DJ Khaled…
