Hip-Hop Power Booking Agents Zach Iser, Caroline Yim Join CAA

Photo by Misha Vladimirskiy / WireImage –
Eearz, Caroline Yim, Mike Will Made It and Zach Iser pose on the red carpet at the New Era All Star Event on Feb. 18, 2018 in Los Angeles.

Zach Iser and Caroline Yim, who at ICM Partners represented major artists including Future, Sza, Rae Sremmurd and many others, often as a duo, have joined CAA, the agency confirmed. 

Multiple sources close to the situation told Pollstar the pair’s last day at the agency was Friday, after they were unable to come to contract extension agreements with ICM Partners. 

While at ICM, the duo represented SZA, Anderson.Paak, Future, Daniel Caesar, Migos, Rae Sremmurd, ScHoolboy Q, and Kehlani, plus many others. A source close to the situation said competition was heated to land the pair, as would be expected for any agents with major clients.  It is unclear if any assistants or support staff are also making the move. 

“Caroline and Zach have had incredible success in identifying and developing some of the greatest voices in the urban music scene,” Darryl Eaton, Co-Head of Contemporary Music at CAA, stated.   “They are a terrific complement to our team and we are thrilled to welcome them.” It is unclear which clients will be joining Iser and Yim at CAA.  Future in particular is a huge draw and last year was No. 75 on Pollstar‘s Year End Top 100 Worldwide Tours chart with $28.2 million grossed. 

Iser, who just spoke to Pollstar recently about South by Southwest, will be based in New York while Yim will be in the LA office, as they were at ICM.  

CAA has notable hip-hop and urban clients including Kanye West, A Tribe Called Quest, Cardi B, NF, and ASAP Rocky, as the genre has become the most-listened to according to Nielsen reports, with eight out of 10 of most popular artists in 2017 being in the hip-hop and R&B genres. 

ICM Partners recently named six new partners, including Scott Mantell, who as Head of International Touring for the Concerts Department represents high-profile clients ranging from Nicki Minaj, Lil Wayne, D’Angelo and Jon Bellion to Cyndi Lauper, Jill Scott, and Postmodern Jukebox, and Adam Ginisivian who became the youngest partner at ICM and who represents comedy clients including Jay Pharoah, Rob Schneider, Aisha Tyler, Desus & Mero, Anthony Atamanuik, Mikey Day, Southern Momma, Roseanne Barr, Chris Redd, Michael Kosta, Fortune Feimster & Orny Adams.

Other partners at the agency include co-heads of the West Coast Urban Division Dennis Ashley and Robert Gibbs, who represents arena headliner J Cole among others.

The agency also just teamed with Howie Mandel to buy the Just For Laughs comedy festival. 

ICM transitioned to a partner-owned structure after completing a buyout from private equity firm Rizvi Traverse and former CEO and chairman Jeffrey Berg in 2012.