My First Job in Music: Hector Rosario
Every month, Queer Capita highlights LGBTQ+ Music Industry Leaders through our series, My First Job in Music. In September and October, we'll highlight members for Hispanic Heritage Month.
We continue the series with Hector Rosario (He/Him), Sr. Executive Assistant to Charles D. King, Founder & CEO of MACRO, and Founder & Artist Manager of Emissary33. Based in Los Angeles, CA, Hector's journey in music is a story of trusting your instincts and recognizing that the biggest moments often come from following a feeling before you fully understand where it's leading. Raised in the world of Puerto Rican salsa, where he started as a five-year-old roadie for his father's band, La Típica Boricua, Hector went on to spend nearly nine years at Epic Records alongside music icon Sylvia Rhone, before stepping into his current roles spanning executive strategy, artist management and development, marketing, live events, and Latin, Pop and Urban music. He opens up about why the creative always comes first, what it means to put the artist first while still making the deal work, and how a job he never expected to love became the best one he never wanted.
Read about other LGBTQ+ Music Industry Leaders and Allies in our community.
Quick Facts: Hector Rosario
| Current Roles | Sr. Executive Assistant to Charles D. King, Founder & CEO, MACRO; Founder & Artist Manager, Emissary33 |
| Expertise | Music and entertainment operations, artist management and development, executive strategy, marketing, live events, and Latin, Pop and Urban music. |
| Current City | Los Angeles, CA |
| Pronouns | He/Him |
| Connect | LinkedIn | Instagram |
What was your first job in music?
My first job in music was probably working for my dad, although “roadie” might be more accurate. I was literally five or six years old. My dad, Hector Luis Rosario, had a popular Puerto Rican salsa band in L.A. called La Típica Boricua, and I was basically his little roadie. I would organize the sheet music, repaint the bandstands, and help load and unload mic stands, amplifiers, speakers—whatever equipment I could manage at that age. At the time, I thought I was just helping my dad and getting to be around the band. Looking back, I realize that was my first experience in the music business.
What has working in music taught you?
Some say music is art. I say music is the art.
Music is one of the most personal and accessible mediums we have. It connects people across language, culture, geography and generations. Working in the business, it can be easy to get caught up in everything surrounding the music, but I’ve always tried to remember that the creative comes first. Everything we do ultimately starts with the music and with the artist.
Who has the greatest influence on your career?
Without question, Sylvia Rhone. I first heard of her as an icon, then she became my boss, and eventually, family.
Her instincts for music and talent are extraordinary. When you look at the range of artists she’s worked with—from En Vogue and Björk to Missy Elliott, Busta Rhymes, Tyla, Future, Travis Scott, Zara Larsson and so many others—you realize that when you truly understand artists, creativity and the formula for success, you can be effective across genres.
She taught me to put the artist first, respect the creative process and still make the deal work. She has this incredible ability to bring vision and business together so the artist wins. And as a woman of color who shattered glass ceilings long before people were talking about glass ceilings, she did it with toughness, tenacity and fearlessness.
Superpower lesson I learned: Never take no for an answer.
What advice would you give your younger self?
Trust yourself. You’re going to find your way.
Trust your gut, your instincts and your desire—even when the path doesn’t make sense yet. Looking back, so many of the biggest moments of my career came from following something I felt before I completely understood where it was taking me.
What’s something people would be completely surprised to know about you?
People think I’m out with celebrities and at parties all the time. The truth is, I’m probably at home watching Netflix.
Invite me out! I actually love going out. I love a quinceañera, a boda, a birthday party—whatever. And if there are leftovers, even better. I’m taking a plate home.
What career moment are you most proud of?
When Sylvia stepped away from Epic and I was packing up my office after nearly nine years, I had a moment to really look back at everything we had done.
Nine years of artists, records, hits, showcases, launches, crises, late nights, incredible highs and plenty of behind-the-scenes drama. I had come into Epic thinking it was going to be a stop along the way, and somehow it became the best job I never wanted.
Packing up that office made me realize how much I had grown, how much we had accomplished and how much that chapter had shaped me—not just professionally, but personally.
It wasn’t one artist, one hit or one particular achievement. It was the totality of the experience.
That experience was my proudest moment.
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