Xavier “X” Jernigan

Xavier “X” Jernigan is In-House Talent at Spotify and co-hosts Spotify’s new hit flagship daily morning show The Get Up. He also hosts The Window and The Input and serves as host for internal, external, and virtual Spotify events around the world.

Jernigan has had quite the ride at Spotify over the last four plus years. He previously served as Head of Cultural Partnerships, a role and team he created to further solidify Spotify as a culture brand by forging partnerships across TV and movie studios (HBO’s Insecure, Disney, and more), sports, and gaming, as well as leading curation around holidays and other cultural moments. Prior to creating the Cultural Partnerships team, Jernigan was Head of North America for Music Editorial overseeing playlisting for the U.S. and Canada.

Jernigan is a Founding Member of The Kennedy Center Hip Hop Culture Council where he works to bring hip hop-focused events and programming to our nation’s performing arts center. Additionally, Jernigan serves on Burberry’s Cultural Advisory Council advising Burberry on culture, diversity, and inclusion strategy.

Jernigan started in the entertainment industry when Sean “Diddy” Combs asked him to be his protégé and learn the business firsthand as his Personal Assistant at Bad Boy Records. He has worked across Def Jam Recordings, Epic Records, Motown, and Republic Records, launching the careers of Future, Logic, Amy Winehouse, and Alessia Cara—to name a few.

Jernigan, a native Floridian from Daytona Beach, is a Valedictorian graduate of NYU where he earned a Master of Arts in Music Business. He also holds an MBA and B.S. from his beloved Florida A&M University, who awarded him the Distinguished Alumni Award. Jernigan is most proud to serve as a Deacon at Emmanuel Baptist Church in Brooklyn, NY.