AEG Presents and Tim HinshawFree Lunch has entered into a strategic partnership, Advertising sign can report exclusively. Under the terms of the partnership, Hinshaw will be responsible for securing and marketing hip-hop, R&B and gospel tours for AEG's global touring division.
The alliance follows Kendrick Lamar's “The Pop Out — Ken & Friends.” The Juneteenth Concert at the Kia Forum in Inglewood, CA was presented by pgLang and Free Lunch. Streamed to fans around the world on Amazon Music – Hinshaw's current client – the event broke the record for the most watched minutes of any Amazon Music production.
Announcing the partnership, AEG presents the world tour chairman Rich Shaffer said, “Tim's connection to hip-hop and R&B — whether it's the music, the artists or the culture — is unparalleled. I'm excited to bring on someone of Tim's stature to help our team expand in an area where we've already had so much success. His spirit and energy will be a great addition to the tour team and we look forward to learning from him as we help build our business together.”
Free Lunch founder and CEO Hinshaw added, “I'm honored that this chapter began with Kendrick Lamar's 'The Pop Out — Ken & Friends,' an iconic moment for LA and hip-hop. Partnering with AEG is a natural next step for the free meal. I have been very fortunate in my career to have played a role in providing some of the most memorable live music experiences for culture, and I look forward to continuing that success with Rich and the entire AEG team moving forward.”
Formerly Amazon Music's head of hip-hop and R&B, Hinshaw launched Free Lunch in 2023. As noted in a release announcement, the multi-layered creative outlet is primarily focused on “authentically bridging the gap between culture and corporate America.” During Hinshaw's five-year tenure at Amazon, he oversaw the streaming service's industry strategy and partnerships across both genres, including global flagship brand Rotation. Among the various projects he brokered was the exclusive 2022 live stream The Big Steppers Tour: Live from Paris via Amazon Music and Prime Video. The event not only marked Kendrick Lamar's second show in Paris, but also celebrated his 10thu anniversary of his second studio album, good boy, big city.
Hinshaw also handled negotiations for the artist Amazon Music Livea live concert series on Twitch and Prime Video that aired below Thursday night football. Artists featured in the series included Lil Baby, A$AP Rocky and 21 Savage. Additional live streaming projects under Hinshaw while at Amazon Music included: Tyler, The Creator's Call Me If You Get Lost Live concert in his hometown of Los Angeles; Kanye “Ye” West's #FreeLarryHoover benefit concert in Los Angeles. J. Cole's Dreamville Festival from Raleigh and Summer Walker's return show in Atlanta for Black History Month.
Before joining Amazon Music, Hinshaw founded the urban music division at Fender Guitars. He also worked in music marketing for Vans. Honored as Executive of the Year 2022 for Advertising signAnnual R&B/Hip-Hop Power Players Issue, Hinshaw began his career in the music industry as the co-manager of his songwriter brother, Charles “Prince Charlez” Hinshaw. This effort led to a joint venture deal with Island Def Jam and a worldwide joint publishing deal with Rondor/Universal Music.
