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Metro Boomin

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Producer, songwriter and artist Metro Boomin – a.k.a. Leland Tyler Wayne – has sold a portion of his entire existing publishing catalog to Shamrock Capital for close to $70 million, sources close to the deal tell Billboard.

News of the sale arrives on the heels of his second album HEROES & VILLAINS, which was released on Dec. 2, 2022. The record was peppered with some of the biggest names in music, including features from Young Thug, Travis Scott, Future, Don Toliver, Chris Brown, A$AP Rocky, Gunna, and late Migos member Takeoff. The album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart, making it his second album in a row to hit No. 1 as an artist.

As one of rap and R&B’s most defining creatives, Metro Boomin has helped craft hits like “Bad and Boujee” by Migos, “Mask Off” by Future, “Congratulations” by Post Malone, “Bank Account” by 21 Savage, “Father Stretch My Hands, Pt. 1” by Kanye West, “Jumpman” by Drake and Future, “Heartless” by The Weeknd, “Waves” by Kanye West, “Child’s Play” by Drake, “Tuesday” by iLoveMakonnen, and many more.

The multi-hyphenate musician has had 99 total entries on the Hot 100 chart as a producer, including two No. 1s and 10 top 10s. As an artist, Metro Boomin has 46 total entries on the Hot 100. He has spent 18 weeks at No. 1 on the Rap Producers chart and three weeks at No. 1 on the Hot 100 Producers and Hot 100 Songwriters charts.

Representatives for Shamrock did not return Billboard’s requests for comment. A representative for Metro Boomin declined to comment.

Shamrock was founded in 1978 as Roy E. Disney’s family office and has since become an active, powerful buyer in the music catalog investment space. It’s most notable investment being that of Taylor Swift’s Big Machine catalog which the firm bought from Scooter Braun’s Ithaca Holdings in 2020. In 2021, Shamrock expanded into the lending space with a $196 million debt fund to loan money to IP owners in entertainment.

Last month, on Feb. 2, 2023, Shamrock Capital announced that it raised $600 million in a new fund (Shamrock Capital Content Fund III) aimed at acquiring film, TV, music video games, and sports rights.

Metro Boomin’s deal, along with other recent hip-hop acquisitions — like Juice WRLD’s sale to Opus Music Group for a nine figure sum, Dr. Dre’s Shamrock and UMG deal for an estimated over $200 million, and Future’s publishing catalog sale to Influence Media Partners between $65-75 million — have proved that the genre is fueling new investor interest.

Those who have been skeptical of rap catalog sales often point to the genre’s short history, which may indicate sharper — or still unknown — decay curves from other genres like rock and pop. Decay curves, which are based on past performance of other songs in the genre, refer to when the song levels out into a predictable state of income generation.

But the 50th anniversary of hip-hop special at the 2023 Grammy awards and its continued dominance on streaming platforms may reveal that rap is ready to become another sought-after genre for buyers.

“There are certain names that have been around for a long enough period that they are now of an evergreen standard,” City National entertainment banking leader Denise Colletta recently told Billboard. “Those household names in hip-hop will continue to resonate with audiences.”

It’s a one-two punch for Metro Boomin this week as the hitmaking producer takes over at No. 1 on both Billboard’s Hot R&B Songs and Hot Rap Songs charts. The former comes through the No. 1 arrival of “Creepin’,” with The Weeknd and 21 Savage, while the latter’s new champ is “Superhero (Heroes & Villains),” with Future and Chris Brown. Both tracks appear on Metro Boomin’s new album, Heroes & Villains, which likewise debuts at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart.

“Creepin’, by itself, scores another double play as the song also storms in at No. 1 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. It traces its entrance on the list, which factors streaming, radio airplay and sales into its rankings, mostly to 30.8 million official U.S. streams in the week ending Dec. 8, according to Luminate. The sum prompts a No. 1 arrival on the R&B/Hip-Hop Streaming Songs chart. It also begins at No. 4 on the R&B/Hip-Hop Digital Song Sales chart with 3,000 downloads sold in the same period and registered 2.3 million in radio airplay.

The new champ also brings a former genre hit back into play. “Creepin’” heavily reworks Mario Winans’ “I Don’t Wanna Know,” featuring P. Diddy and Enya, which reached No. 2 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs in 2004.

“Creepin’” gives Metro Boomin his first No. 1 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. He previously reached a No. 5 best on another 21 Savage collaboration: The pair’s “Runnin” debuted and peaked there in October 2020.

21 Savage, for his part, picks up his fifth Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs leader and third of 2022, after a featured turn on Drake’s “Jimmy Cooks,” a one-week No. 1 in July and “Rich Flex,” with Drake, for the four prior weeks. Thus, as “Creepin’” replaces “Rich Flex,” 21 Savage is the first act to complete a self-replacement at No. 1 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs since Lizzo’s “Truth Hurts” ceded the throne to “Good as Hell” in November 2019.

The Weeknd, meanwhile, adds his seventh career No. 1 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. On Hot R&B Songs, though, The Weeknd achieves his 10th leader and extends his record as the artist with the most No. 1s on the list since it launched in 2012. Here’s an updated look at his chart-topping collection on Hot R&B Songs:

“Earned It (Fifty Shades of Grey),” 14 weeks at No. 1, beginning April 11, 2015“Can’t Feel My Face,” 11, July 18, 2015“The Hills,” 14, Oct. 3, 2015“Starboy,” featuring Daft Punk, 20, Oct. 15, 2016“Call Out My Name,” one, April 14, 2018“Heartless,” one, Dec. 14, 2019“Blinding Lights,” 48, March 7, 2020“You Right,” with Doja Cat, one, Sept. 4, 2021“Sacrifice,” one, Jan. 22, 2022“Creepin’,” with Metro Boomin & 21 Savage, one (to date), Dec. 17, 2022

Both Metro Boomin and 21 Savage each earns his first No. 1 on Hot R&B Songs.

Over on the Hot Rap Songs chart, “Superhero (Heroes & Villains)” begins with 27.4 million official U.S. streams, 1,000 in download sales and 149,000 in radio airplay in the week ending Dec. 8.

In line with the Hot R&B Songs achievements, Metro Boomin acquires his first Hot Rap Songs No. 1. “Runnin,” with 21 Savage, which peaked at No. 5, was his prior best showing.

Future gets his third Hot Rap Songs No. 1, after he and Young Thug’s guest spots on Drake’s “Way 2 Sexy” led for two weeks in 2021, and his own “Wait for U,” featuring Drake and Tems, a two-week champ earlier this year.

Chris Brown grabs his fifth champ on Hot Rap Songs and returns to the summit for the first time in almost exactly eight years. “Superhero” joins this crew as the latest of Brown’s chart-toppers:

“Shortie Like Mine,” Bow Wow featuring Chris Brown & Johnta Austin, seven weeks at No 1, beginning Dec. 2, 2006“Look at Me Now,” featuring Lil Wayne & Busta Rhymes, 10, April 23, 2011“My Last,” Big Sean featuring Chris Brown, two, July 2, 2011“Only,” Nicki Minaj featuring Drake, Lil Wayne & Chris Brown, one, Dec. 27, 2014“Superhero (Heroes & Villians),” with Metro Boomin & Future, one (to date), Dec. 17, 2022

Elsewhere, both songs start in the top 10 of the all-genre Billboard Hot 100, with “Creepin’” arriving at No. 5 and “Superhero” at No. 8. The pair lead all 15 songs from Heroes & Villians onto the chart.

Welcome to The Contenders, a midweek column that looks at artists aiming for the top of the Billboard charts, and the strategies behind their efforts. This week (for the upcoming Billboard 200 albums chart dated Dec. 17): As holiday titles and heavy hitters vie for the top of the December charts, new albums from a star hip-hop producer and a couple of K-pop hitmakers join in the merriment.  

Metro Boomin, Heroes & Villains (Boominati Worldwide/Republic): You might have thought the big album releases were starting to wind down for 2022, but Metro Boomin begs to differ. The Atlanta-via-St. Louis producer has been one of the biggest behind-the-scenes names in hip-hop for a decade, and new album Heroes & Villains shows off his Rolodex, with enough star collaborators — Future, Young Thug, Travis Scott, The Weeknd, 21 Savage, Gunna, even narrator Morgan Freeman — to justify an accompanying short film.  

After dominating streaming charts on Spotify and Apple Music over the weekend, the set appears due for a big debut on the Billboard 200 — perhaps even one to challenge the producer’s Republic label-mate Taylor Swift and her five-week No. 1 Midnights for the chart’s top spot. (He hit No. 1 in 2020, with 21 Savage full-length team up Savage Mode II .) Though its consumption is mostly digital, Metro did release a CD version of Heroes & Villains to select physical retailers — and also debuted a deluxe “Heroes Version” of the album to streamers and digital retail on Monday, adding instrumental versions of each track. 

RM, Indigo (Big Hit): Singer/songwriter/rapper RM released his solo debut, Indigo, on Friday, a varied album that features marquee R&B names Erykah Badu and Anderson .Paak, as well as veteran Korean hitmakers Tablo and Park Ji-yoon. BTS, the world-conquering group which RM previously achieved stardom with, scored five No. 1 albums over the past half-decade, from 2018’s Love Yourself: Tear  to this June’s Proof. 

His chart bow for Indigo this week will have to come without help from a physical release, as the set’s CD packages — which often move big numbers for Korea’s biggest pop acts — are not due until Dec. 16. Earlier this year, RM’s bandmate J-Hope entered the Billboard 200 at No. 17 with his own solo album debut Jack in the Box, also only from the support of a streaming and digital retail version of his album. (Jack has yet to be released on CD in the U.S.)

ITZY, Cheshire (JYP Entertainment/Dreamus/Republic): Korean pop quintet ITZY hit the Billboard 200’s top 10 for the first time in July with their sixth EP Checkmate. This week, they aim to return to the top tier with sixth EP, Cheshire, featuring advance English-language single “Boys Like You” — though technically it’s already in its second week of release, since the streaming and digital retail version of the set dropped last Wednesday (Nov. 30). 

Cheshire’s chart performance will depend mostly on sales of its physical editions, which went on sale Friday. Like many K-pop releases, the CD came out in collectible deluxe packages (13 total, including versions exclusive to Barnes & Noble, Target and the group’s official webstore), each with a standard set of items and randomized elements (such as photocards and a poster). 

IN THE MIX 

Backstreet Boys, A Very Backstreet Christmas (K-BAHN/BMG): The classic boy band’s first holiday set made its Billboard 200 debut back in October, but should surge on the chart this week following its Dec. 2 vinyl debut (and the approaching season). It’s only reached No. 17 so far, making this week its best chance of keeping alive Backstreet Boys‘ double-digit streak of consecutive top 10 albums.  

Arcangel, Sr. Santos (Rimas Entertainment): Veteran reggaetón and Latin trap hitmaker Arcangel made a splashy return last Wednesday alongside perhaps the biggest male pop star on the planet with the Bad Bunny collab “La Jumpa.” That song should give Sr. Santos, the single’s 18-track parent album released on Friday — which also features appearances from Myke Towers, De La Ghetto and Bizarrap — a nice head start in consumption for this week. 

Ivan Cornejo, Dañado (Manzana Records): Regional Mexican star Ivan Cornejo charted at No. 149 on the Billboard 200 in June with sophomore set Dañado, which has since climbed as high as No. 64 thanks to its stellar streaming performance. The seven-track mini-album received a deluxe reissue on Friday, with three new bonus tracks, which should give it a big boost from its current chart perch of No. 145.