Hip-Hop Executive Tim Hinshaw Talks With INFINITI and Billboard About His Love for the Genre, The Rise of Free Lunch Agency and More

Hip-hop changed the course of Tim Hinshaw's life in more ways than one, as explained in a new profile of the music executive in collaboration with Billboard and INFINITI.

As a 2024 R&B/Hip-Hop Power Players list honoree and 2022 Executive of the Year, the Compton native opened up about his family, humble beginnings and his relationship with hip-hop. “One of my best memories as a child was my first road trip. My dad had the INFINITI Q45. He loved this car. Had gold BBSs. It was like my first introduction to a luxury vehicle.” Hinshaw admitted in his interview in front of the all-new 2025 INFINITI QX80.

“I grew up on the west side of Compton. I could find a CD and what they said in the songs were things that I went through in my everyday life. It was almost like a therapy session.” Hinshaw, the former head of Hip-Hop & R&B for Amazon Music, has had his share of professional obstacles. In fact, some of his earliest memories of the music industry involved multiple rejection reports. “I just don't take no for an answer, and I think that's just how I came about,” he recalls. “I've seen my mom go through so many different 'no' situations, so you can't say no to me. Fast forward to 2023 and Hinshaw has launched his own creative agency, Free Lunch. “I have always had a unique way of bridging culture and corporate. That's my superpower,” he admitted.

As a taster in the industry, the executive admitted that the car is his ideal setting to press play and turn up the volume. “The car test is the most important test, I think. I can't really give an opinion until I hear it in the car,” he said.

While the INFINITI QX80 has a number of features ideal for a road trip for eight, Hinshaw has his own relationship with the concept of luxury. “I am a simple person. Being able to wake up with my kids, take them to school and have premium audio while driving, that's a luxury,” he told us.

On his advice to people hoping to make a mark in the industry, Hinshaw said it all comes down to redefining yourself. “You have to deal with yourself every day from a personal point of view, from a professional development point of view, from a money management point of view. You really have to put in the time and effort to set yourself apart and put yourself back together,” she explained.

Click here for the latest announcements at Hinshaw's Free Lunch agency.

Photo: Rashida Zagon

Photo: Rashida Zagon