Draft:Rell Lafargue

Lafargue received his BA from the University of Louisiana. Lafargue earned a Master's degree in Music Business and Entertainment Industries at the University of Miami’s Frost School of Music.{{Cite web |last=University of Miami |date=2022 |title=Frost School of Music - SCORE |url=https://news.miami.edu/frost/_assets/pdf/the-score/2022-score.pdf }}

Lafargue was recognized by The Yamaha Young Performing Artists Program (YYPA) before beginning his his professional career as a classical orchestral timpanist.{{Cite web |title=PROFILE Rell Lafargue: on music publishing, his road to Reservoir and building a complete music company {{!}} CMRRA |url=https://www.cmrra.ca/profile-rell-lafargue-on-music-publishing-his-road-to-reservoir-and-building-a-complete-music-company/ |access-date=2025-01-22 |website=www.cmrra.ca}}{{Cite web |title=Yamaha Young Performing Artists - Yamaha USA |url=https://usa.yamaha.com/education/yypa/winners/index.html |access-date=2025-01-22 |website=usa.yamaha.com |language=en}} Lafargue then transitioned to the business side of the music industry.

In 2000, Lafargue joined TVT Records and was later promoted to Vice President, overseeing TVT’s music publishing division, where he worked with artists such as Lil Jon, Scott Storch, and more.

In 2008, Lafargue joined Reservoir Media as Chief Operating Officer, and in 2018 he was promoted to President.{{Cite web |date=2018-01-11 |title=Reservoir promotes Rell Lafargue to President and Chief Operating Officer |url=https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/reservoir-promotes-rell-lafargue-president-chief-operating-officer/ |access-date=2025-01-22 |website=Music Business Worldwide |language=en-US}}

In 2021, Reservoir became a publicly traded company, listed on the Nasdaq stock exchange under the ticker RSVR.{{Cite web |date=2021-07-29 |title=Reservoir is now a public company on Nasdaq via SPAC merger |url=https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/reservoir-is-now-a-public-company-as-it-successfully-floats-on-nasdaq-via-spac-merger/ |access-date=2025-01-22 |website=Music Business Worldwide |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Aswad |first=Jem |date=2021-07-29 |title=Reservoir Media Begins Trading on NASDAQ |url=https://variety.com/2021/music/news/reservoir-begins-nasdaq-1235030526/ |access-date=2025-01-22 |website=Variety |language=en-US}} In recent years, the company has expanded via acquisition, including acquiring TVT Music Enterprises in 2010, Reverb Music in 2012, P&P Songs in 2013, Chrysalis Records in 2019 and Shapiro Bernstein in 2020.{{Cite web |date=2017-01-12 |title='If the livelihood of songwriters is threatened, the music industry as a whole is threatened' |url=https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/if-the-livelihood-of-songwriters-is-threatened-the-music-industry-as-a-whole-is-threatened/ |access-date=2025-01-22 |website=Music Business Worldwide |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |date=2019-10-14 |title=What will a music company look like in 2025? |url=https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/what-will-a-music-company-look-like-in-2025/ |access-date=2025-01-22 |website=Music Business Worldwide |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |date=2020-05-15 |title=Reservoir acquires 16,000 copyrights by bringing Shapiro Bernstein into its portfolio |url=https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/reservoir-acquires-16000-copyrights-by-bringing-shapiro-bernstein-into-its-portfolio/ |access-date=2025-01-22 |website=Music Business Worldwide |language=en-US}} In 2021, Reservoir Media also acquired Tommy Boy Records for a reported $100 million dollars.{{Cite web |last=Aswad |first=Jem |date=2021-06-04 |title=Reservoir Acquires Iconic Tommy Boy Music, Groundbreaking Hip-Hop Label, for $100 Million |url=https://variety.com/2021/music/news/reservoir-acquires-tommy-boy-1234988666/ |access-date=2025-01-22 |website=Variety |language=en-US}}

Rell was named a 2024 Billboard Power Player, as well as a 2023 Billboard Indie Power Player and a 2024 and 2023 Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Power Player.{{Cite magazine |last=Karp |first=Hannah |date=2024-01-31 |title=Multi-Sector on Billboard's 2024 Power 100 List |url=https://www.billboard.com/h/multi-sector-billboard-power-list-2024/ |access-date=2025-01-22 |magazine=Billboard |language=en-US}}{{Cite magazine |last=Rys |first=Dan |date=2023-06-12 |title=Billboard's 2023 Indie Power Players Revealed |url=https://www.billboard.com/pro/billboard-indie-power-players-list-2023-executives/ |access-date=2025-01-22 |magazine=Billboard |language=en-US}}{{Cite magazine |last=Karp |first=Hannah |date=2024-09-04 |title=R&B/Hip-Hop Power Players: Billboard's 2024 List Revealed |url=https://www.billboard.com/p/rb-hip-hop-power-players-2024-list/ |access-date=2025-01-22 |magazine=Billboard |language=en-US}}{{Cite magazine |last=Mitchell |first=Gail |date=2023-08-08 |title=R&B/Hip-Hop Power Players: Billboard's 2023 List of Executives Revealed |url=https://www.billboard.com/h/billboard-rb-hip-hop-power-players-list-2023-executives/ |access-date=2025-01-22 |magazine=Billboard |language=en-US}}