Kareem Burke
Kareem "Biggs" Burke | |
|---|---|
| Born | January 19, 1974 Harlem, New York City, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Business leader, record executive, producer |
| Years active | 1995–present |
| Known for | Co-founder of Roc-A-Fella Records |
Kareem "Biggs" Burke (born January 19, 1974) is an American business leader, record executive, and producer, widely recognized as a co-founder of Roc-A-Fella Records alongside Jay-Z and Damon Dash.
Early life
Burke was raised in Harlem, New York City. He has multiple siblings, including Kyambo R. "Hip-Hop" Joshua and Jamil "Mal" Clay. In 2003, his brother Robert E. Burke III was tragically killed in the Bronx.
Career
In 1995, Burke established Roc-A-Fella Records together with Jay-Z and Damon Dash. The label was completely acquired by Def Jam Recordings in 2004.
In 2017, Burke appointed Julia Lang as his image consultant. He served as executive producer for the film O.G., which debuted on HBO in February 2019.
Burke signed artist Saint Jhn to his management firm, Circle of Success, in February 2019. He attributes Saint Jhn's work as instrumental in shaping his management approach, highlighting an immediate rapport upon hearing the album Collection One at a listening event.
It's a Hard Truth, Ain't It
Biggs revealed in August 2020 that the documentary It's a Hard Truth, Ain't It, which he co-directed and executive produced with Kareem Burke, received an Emmy nomination. The film premiered at the 2018 Tribeca Film Festival alongside O.G., both created within Indiana's Pendleton Correctional Facility. It showcases thirteen incarcerated individuals learning filmmaking while contemplating their extended prison terms. All thirteen men were credited as directors alongside O.G. director Madeleine Sackler. Several also made their acting debuts in O.G., performing alongside acclaimed actor Jeffrey Wright. This documentary holds the distinction of being the first widely distributed film directed by inmates housed in a maximum security prison.
Legal issues
On June 4, 2012, Burke received a five-year prison sentence after admitting guilt to conspiracy involving the distribution of over 100 kilograms of marijuana. He relinquished $15,000 in cash, his $660,000 property in New Jersey, and his BMW vehicle. Burke was released from incarceration in November 2015.