Hip-hop executive Tim Hinshaw talks his love for the genre: Free Lunch

Hip-hop changed the course of Tim Hinshaw’s life in more ways than one, as the music executive explains in a new profile with Billboard and Infiniti.

An honoree on the 2024 R&B/Hip-Hop Power List and our 2022 Executive of the Year, the Compton native talks about his family, humble beginnings and relationship with hip-hop. “One of my fondest memories as a kid was my first road trip. My dad had an Infiniti Q45. He loved that car. It had gold BBS. It was like my first exposure to luxury cars.” Hinshaw on the all-new Admitted in an interview before the 2025 Infiniti QX80.

“I grew up on Compton’s West Side. I could find a CD and what they were saying in the songs were things I went through in my daily life. It was almost like therapy.” Hinshaw is the former head of hip-hop and R&B at Amazon Music , he’s also experienced some career obstacles. In fact, some of his earliest memories of the music industry involve the experience of being rejected multiple times. “I just didn’t take ‘no,’ and I guess that’s how I came to be,” he recalls. “I’ve seen my mom make a choice in a lot of different ‘no’ situations, so you can’t say ‘no’ to me.” Fast forward to 2023, and Hinshaw launched her own creative agency, Free Lunch. “I’ve always had a unique way of connecting culture and business. That’s my superpower,” he admits.

A trendsetter in the industry, the executive admits that cars are the ideal environment for him to press play and turn up the volume. “I think the car test is the most important test. I can’t really comment until I hear it in the car,” he said.

While the Infiniti QX80 has a host of features perfect for eight-passenger road trips, Hinshaw has its own connection to the concept of luxury. “I’m a simple guy. It’s a luxury to be able to get up with my kids, take them to school, and enjoy quality sound while driving,” he told us.

As for his advice to those looking to make a mark in the industry, Hinshaw said it all comes down to redefining yourself. “You have to patch yourself up every day from a personal standpoint, from a career development standpoint, from a money management standpoint. You really have to put in the time and effort to pull yourself apart and put yourself back together,” he explains.

Click here to view the latest announcement from Hinshaw Free Lunch.

Photo: Rashida Zagon

Photo: Rashida Zagon