Make It Happen

Kevin Liles climbed from intern to president of Def Jam Records in only nine years. Today, at age thirty-seven, he is executive vice president of the Warner Music Group and has helped discover and direct the careers of stars such as Jay-Z and Ludacris. Liles' meteoric rise from humble beginnings to one of the most successful and influential executives in the music industry is far more than a rags-to-riches story. It is a tribute to his incredible work ethic, business acumen, and confidence in doing his thing his way, the hip-hop way. Every real success story in hip hop comes down to the same thing: someone who finds the will, focus, and drive to achieve. Liles writes in Make It Happen: The Hip-Hop Generation Guide to Success. It doesn't matter if you are male or female, white or black. It doesn't matter what religion you are or what hustle you choose. What matters is that you fight against the odds to realize a dream and be the best that you can be; that's real success?