Publishing
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David Gray has been appointed U.K. managing director of Universal Music Publishing Group, succeeding Mike McCormack, who is stepping down from the role after almost nine years in charge to launch a new consultancy and joint venture with UMPG. In addition to taking the reins at the company’s U.K. arm, Gray will also take up the newly created post of head of global A&R at UMPG.
Gray’s promotion was announced Tuesday (Oct. 15) by UMPG chairman and CEO Jody Gerson, who called him “one of the best creative A&R executives I have ever known.”
Gray was most recently UMPG’s executive vice president and co-head of U.S. A&R, as well as head of the company’s Global Creative Group – a division which he and Gerson formed in 2022 to amplify opportunities for songwriters, producers, artists and executives on a worldwide scale.
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Successful projects that have spun out of the Global Creative Group include Colombian artist Feid and American hip-hop producer ATL Jacob‘s “Luna,” which topped the charts in multiple countries and Brazilian artist Luísa Sonza‘s album Escandalo Intimo, which became the third biggest debut of a female Latin album in the history of Spotify following its release last year.
Artists Gray has signed to UMPG include Sabrina Carpenter, Stephen Sanchez, Julia Michaels, Shawn Mendes, Nick Jonas, Joe Jonas and Demi Lovato.
In his new expanded role, Gray will be responsible for leading the management and creative direction of UMPG’s London office, overseeing the signing and development of songwriters, artists and producers, as well as supporting the company’s current roster. Gray will relocate to London from New York in January, said Universal Music Publishing Group.
Announcing the appointment, Gerson praised Gray’s “talent for identifying and building careers for songwriters, artists and producers,” as well as his “leadership and mentorship of the next generation of publishers.”
“I want to thank Jody for her constant belief in me and for shaping a company built upon A&R, creativity, and a belief in songwriters and artists that is at the heart of our ethos,” said Gray, who joined the company in 2013 having previously held A&R posts at Zomba, Sony Music International and Simon Cowell‘s Syco Music, where he developed artists signed to the label via TV shows X Factor and the Got Talent franchise.
Prior to becoming a music executive, Gray was signed to UMPG as lead singer of the band Idle Wilds.
Gerson also thanked McCormack for “his many contributions” to UMPG over his almost nine years as managing director of the U.K. division. “I value him greatly as a friend and colleague,” said Gerson in a statement. “I am delighted he will continue to be part of the UMPG family.”
In a memo sent to staff, which has been viewed by Billboard, McCormack said he would be stepping down from his role on Nov. 4 but would remain a partner of UMPG for the next few years via a new joint venture that is being set up. McCormack, who first joined UMPG’s U.K. business in 1999, said he would also continue to help manage some of the long-term relationships he has built over the years with the firm’s writers and catalogues.
“It’s been a real honour to lead the U.K. company for the past nine years,” said McCormack, paying tribute to what he described as an “exceptionally talented and wonderful” team of colleagues. “I’m very proud of our accomplishments, and the many awards we have won together, but my real fulfillment during the past 25 years at UMPG (as Deputy MD then MD) has come from working closely with artists, songwriters and producers when incredible music is being created,” he said.
Sony Music Publishing U.K. has signed folk singer-songwriter Myles Smith to an exclusive publishing deal on the heels of his breakthrough hit “Stargazing.” Even before “Stargazing” shot Smith to stardom, he was quickly amassing a fan base with other streaming successes like “Solo” and “My Home.” Iconoclast has acquired the publishing catalog, sound records and […]
As the music industry boomed in the 1980s and 1990s, the place to be for global business was MIDEM, the annual conference in Cannes. Over the past three years, though, an increasing amount of those deals have been made at the IMPF (Independent Music Publishers Forum) Global Music Summit in the fall in Palma de Mallorca, in Spain. I went for the first time this year, from Oct. 1 to 4, and it’s one of the best music business conferences I’ve ever attended. (I should point out that I got a press pass, but Billboard paid for my travel.) Now in its third year, the event drew 500 attendees, up from 320 last year. It’s the perfect size — small enough to see people you know, but big enough to meet people you should.
The vibe is very different. MIDEM was like the throne room of the Imperial Music Business, where dealmakers held court at high-end hotels and the hamburgers cost 35 Euros. But most labels now control recording rights in most of the world, so the focus of dealmaking has shifted to publishing. The Global Music Summit is more relaxed. It takes place at two hotels in the Mallorca marina that are nice but not over the top, and you could walk around and see everyone easily. By day, you could take meetings on one of the hotel terraces or walk to the marina. At night, you could have cocktails at the Budde Music-sponsored Budde Bar.
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The IMPF itself only goes back to 2014, when a dozen or so independent publishers got together to form a trade association that would focus on their needs. The International Confederation of Music Publishers, which includes both majors and indies, has many of the same members and focuses on some of the same issues and the two organizations worth together frequently. Both are international but wield more power in Europe, where countries tend to have stronger copyright laws, and where the publishing business generates more revenue.
Much of the action took place in private meetings, but the panels were also smart — shortish and relevant, and held one at a time. The keynotes were also worthwhile. The first was from Reservoir Media founder and CEO Golnar Khosrowshahi, who spoke about how technology has helped music publishing expand. Reservoir’s first big investment was in Music Maestro, she recalled, and data tools helped the company grow. She predicted that artificial intelligence would create opportunities and efficiencies as well as challenges, a welcome message at a time when it seems like the wild elephant in the room.
The next day’s keynote came from BMI President and CEO Mike O’Neill, who gave an audience used to dealing with traditional, nonprofit collective management organizations a look at the alternative his company represents now that it’s owned by private equity investors. He pointed out that this might not be so different from the status quo, since SESAC has a similar ownership structure and GMR is said to have an “understanding” to sell some of the company to a private equity firm. “Why is that?” O’Neill asked. “I can only speak for BMI, and for us, it means a level of investment that we simply could not have achieved before.”
O’Neill also discussed BMI’s plan to distribute 85% of licensing revenue and retain 15% for overhead and investment and said that the company is on track to do so. “While we have not finished our audit for the last fiscal year, I’m extremely pleased with our results and how we’re tracking towards our goals,” he said. “We’ve had a series of record-breaking distributions this year and our final distribution growth will reflect that.”
NMPA (National Music Publishers’ Association) President and CEO David Israelite closed the event with a keynote about how the publishing business is both growing and at the same time closing the gap with revenue from recorded music, plus touched on “Spotify’s war against songwriters,” the MLC database, and how transparent collective management organizations should be. Israelite ended his speech — and, really, the entire conference, with advice for the publishing business. When Israelite started at the NMPA two decades ago, “we had a cultural problem” — the major publishers and the indies often pushed different agendas, which also differed from those of songwriters. One of Israelite’s key successes was to convince these groups to work out their disagreements in private and unite behind one agenda in public. In Europe, where collecting societies and songwriters groups have more power than they do in the U.S., this could be difficult. But it could also help the entire business get the influence it needs to make sure it can benefit from AI.
It’s never easy to get the various parts of the music business to unite behind anything, of course. But events like the IMPF summit, held in a cool place at a scale that makes sense, make it a lot easier.
Insomniac Music Group is expanding with the launch of a new publishing vertical, Insomniac Publishing. The current Insomniac Publishing roster includes 2Night Management (which represents the artists Matroda, San Pacho and Bruno Furlan), Aryay, Avi Snow, Benni Ola, Jasper, Joris Mur, Mattilo, Nuala, Omer Horovitz and Rami Jrade. Members of this group have writing credits […]
After building a prolific career as a songwriter — having penned more than 4,000 songs and received multiple awards, including both SESAC and ASCAP Latina Songwriter of the Year prizes — Claudia Brant has launched a new venture called Cha Cha Cha Publishing.
Teaming up with Warner Chappell Music, Brant’s agency aims to develop emerging songwriters and producers while also providing them with music publishing services, ranging from creative opportunities to administration support, to help accelerate their careers.
The idea was born after Brant taught a Latin songwriting course at Berklee College of Music in spring 2023 that focused on song formation and structure, lyrical concepts, melodic development and effective lyric translations.
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“The exercises I gave my students were very difficult. If they want to be a songwriter, they have to be a chameleon because that’s who I am,” Brant tells Billboard. “I can write salsa, a bolero, a pop song, an alternative song, and I wanted to develop my students in that direction with challenging exercises. At this stage of my career, where I’ve practically worked with almost every artist there is and won all of these awards and recognitions, it’s time to give back and help the new generation.”
During the course, the Argentine-born hitmaker ultimately hand-picked three aspiring talents and signed them to Cha Cha Cha Publishing: Agua García, a Música Mexicana composer; Laura Prías, who focuses on Latin pop, urban, indie, regional Mexican and boleros; and Fco. Chandia, a young Chilean engineer and producer. The former two already wrote a song for Chiquis that will soon be released.
“I’m making them work really hard, and at the same time, they’re learning a lot,” says Brant. “The good thing — which I didn’t have at the beginning of my career — are all the strong connections I made throughout the years. I got them into the rooms with Mario Caceres, Joel Enrique, Luis Salazar, Rolo from Icon Music, and I want them to write in every genre, create new material, and fight for it.”
With a trajectory that spans over 25 years, Brant has written songs for Luis Fonsi, Ricky Martin, Camila Cabello, Alejandro Sanz, John Legend, Becky G, Calibre 50, Marc Anthony and many more. In 2008, “No Me Doy Por Vencido,” which she wrote with Luis Fonsi, topped the Billboard Hot Latin Songs chart for 19 weeks. She’s a nine-time Latin Grammy winner, including song of the year in 2009 for Fonsi’s “Aqui Estoy Yo.” In 2016, she was inducted into the Latin Songwriters Hall of Fame.
“Claudia is a legendary songwriter and artist with a talent unlike any other,” said Gustavo Menéndez, president of Latin America and U.S. Latin at Warner Chappell Music, in a statement. “I’ve known her for years, and what I admire and respect most about her is how relentless she is. She has consistently stayed ahead and fought for what she believes in, all while being recognized at the highest of levels. I’m very excited to be working with her in this next phase of her career as she turns her talents towards helping develop other writers and artists.”
Brant explains that although she’s writing way less now than she did earlier in her career, she wants to ensure her mentees develop the kind of writing skills she’s honed over the years.
“I’m nurturing them with what I know and what I’ve learned throughout the years with this beautiful craft,” she says. “I tell them that they’re gonna have to write a song a day for the next 10-15 years, and to try to write in as many different genres as possible. That craft only comes from exercising and interacting with the artists. Creating music every day makes you grow. If you have the talent, the drive, and are willing to work, you’ll make it.”
Billboard Latin Music Week is returning to Miami Beach on Oct. 14-18, with confirmed superstars including Feid, Gloria Estefan, Pepe Aguilar, Alejandro Sanz, Thalía, Maria Becerra, and Peso Pluma, among many others. For tickets and more details, visit Billboardlatinmusicweek.com.
Songwriters of North America (SONA) presented awards to songwriter activists RAYE, Ross Golan, Willie “Prophet” Stiggers, Thomas Scherer, and the late Andrea Martin at its SONA Warrior Awards ceremony on Sunday (Oct. 6) at the Skirball Center in Los Angeles.
Now in its fourth year, the SONA Warrior Awards has upgraded to a much larger room. This year, the event sat over 450 supporters from the worlds of songwriting, publishing, streaming and more — all of whom gathered together to honor the “often unsung, unsexy work of advocacy,” says SONA executive director and songwriter Michelle Lewis, who kicked off the program.
In her opening remarks, Lewis, touched on a number of key issues facing the writing community today. Pointing to recent cultural events like the Paris Olympics and the Democratic National Convention, she said: “Did you notice that each one of those shared experiences had an identifiable and memorable soundtracks?… the connection between those huge cultural moments were those huge fucking songs, right? Songs have never been more important and yet less valued.”
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“If you don’t pay the songwriters, who will write the song? And please don’t say AI. The nature of how people consume music through streaming and short form video clips puts songwriters last,” Lewis says.
The first award was presented to British artist/songwriter, RAYE, who has been a fierce advocate for songwriters since her song “Escapism.” broke her into the pop mainstream last year. Her award was presented by her co-writer and executive producer, Mike Sabath, and a tribute to her work was performed by Abby “Absolutely.” Kean, her younger sister and fellow artist. She accepted her Warrior award remotely from the U.K.
Throughout the night, honorees highlighted various issues that are top of mind for working songwriters today. When Golan accepted his award, presented by fellow songwriter Benny Blanco, he noted: “if an artist who doesn’t write sells their catalog for a couple hundred million dollars, why doesn’t the headline read, artists sells $200 million of extorted publishing from working songwriters? That is called coercion. That is not songwriting. If an artist has been showered with awards, even though they’ve stolen songwriting credit and publishing for decades, that is called vanity. That is not songwriting.”
Golan continued, “if you’re going to take credit for something you didn’t do, give some of your fee or [master] points [to songwriters], because we don’t owe you our publishing… It’s never too late to make it right.”
Advocating for non-performing, non-producing songwriters to receive master points was a common refrain throughout the night. It’s a growing movement in the music industry, which previously would not consider offering this to songwriters, unless the writer was an A-list hitmaker. In the last year, a number of independent labels, including Facet Records, The Other Songs, Nvak Collective and Good Boy Records, have made it a standard to offer this. With records released by major labels, however, this concession is still rare.
The award for Thomas Scherer, president of global catalog recorded and music publishing at BMG and lifelong drummer, was presented by Eurythmics member Dave Stewart. “As a drummer and a genuine lover of music, Thomas gives me hope,” said Stewart in his stirring introduction, “and I’m proud to present him with this son of Warrior award, because he is a genuine warrior, a soldier for good, and a friend I can trust and rely on forever.”
An award was also posthumously presented to writer Andrea Martin for her contributions to the genre of R&B through her songs recorded by Toni Braxton, Monica and Leona Lewis, among others. The award was accepted by her family, including her two surviving children.
Introduced by his teenage son, Willie “Prophet” Stiggers closed out the night for the SONA Warrior Awards. As the Black Music Artists Coalition (BMAC) co-founder, president and CEO, Stiggers gave a rousing acceptance speech, describing his journey from experiencing police brutality first hand to becoming a top advocate for Black songwriters, artists and executives in the music business. “Four years [after BMAC was created,] our commitment is steadfast,” Stiggers said.
During his speech, Stiggers also announced the new BMAC Executive Training Program, which in his words “will invite 10 executives annually to participate in executive training and coaching program for one of the industry job firms. This will be a one year program for black executives to move to the next phase of their careers.”
In its highest profile catalog acquisition yet, Jonas Group Publishing has purchased the publishing copyrights and recordings of pop hitmaker and songwriter Julia Michaels for an undisclosed price.
The portfolio acquisition includes Michaels’ RIAA four-time platinum certified hit “If The World Was Ending,” which she wrote and recorded with JP Saxe. The portfolio also includes the RIAA 3x platinum “Lose You to Love Me” (recorded by Selena Gomez), the gold-certified “Circles Around This Town” (recorded by Maren Morris), and the Dua Lipa-recorded “Pretty Please.” Other songs in the catalog include the platinum-certified “Heaven,” written and recorded for the Fifty Shades Freed soundtrack, and the gold-certified “I Miss You” with Clean Bandit. Her catalog also includes recordings by Lady Gaga, Shawn Mendes, Maroon 5, Diplo, Britney Spears, Nick Jonas, Noah Kahan, Justin Bieber, Jason Derulo, Keith Urban and Kelsea Ballerini.
“Julia Michaels is a known master of songwriting and is revered across multiple genres of music,” said JGP president Leslie T. DiPiero in a statement. “Julia, along with her manager Beka Tischker and their amazing team, have a choice on who they trust to represent her works. We here at Jonas Group Publishing are truly honored that they have chosen us. Listening to her catalog of songs makes us feel like kids in a candy store!”
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“Music is all about passion, and I’m so happy this music lives with Leslie, Kevin and their passionate team that values songwriters and creators,” Michaels added. “I look forward to working with them and growing the reach of these songs.”
“My family and I have been big fans of Julia Michaels for years,” JGE founder/chairman Kevin Jonas Sr. said in a statement. “Her music has been a part of our journey, and we’ve been fortunate enough to experience the magic of her songs firsthand. We’re excited to work with her and her team to continue sharing these incredible songs with the world and to build on the success they’ve already seen.
“This catalog is truly special for Jonas Catalog Holdings and Jonas Group Publishing. It’s not just about the hits she’s created; it’s about the heart and soul in each track. We could not have acquired this catalog without the support and expertise of our financial partner, Corrum Capital Management, who we thank and look forward to many more acquisitions together. We must also thank our trusted partners, Access Media Advisory and Teresa Miles Walsh, as well as Moghan Music for providing valuable assistance throughout the purchase of the catalog.”
The company has previously acquired the catalogs of songwriters including Justin Ebach and Amy Stroup. Jonas Group Publishing, a division of Jonas Group Entertainment, was established in 2020, and is home to songwriters including Terri Jo Box, Franklin Jonas, David Kalmusky and Bailee Madison.
Livelihood Music Company has brought on three-time Grammy-nominated hitmaker Ali Tamposi as a principal. In this role, she will join fellow songwriters JKash and Michael Pollack at the helm of the new independent music publisher. Tamposi has penned some of the biggest pop hits of the 21st century, including “Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You)” by Kelly Clarkson, “Havana” by Camila Cabello, “Senorita” by Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello, “Let Me Love You” by Justin Bieber and DJ Snake, “It Ain’t Me” by Selena Gomez and Kygo, “Youngblood” by 5 Seconds of Summer and “Break My Heart” by Dua Lipa. “I’m thrilled to be joining Livelihood Music Company, and expanding my sphere into the role of publisher,” says Tamposi. “Stepping into this new role creates a perfect blend of my two greatest passions – songwriting and motherhood – both requiring continuous nurturing and selfless devotion.”
Iconoclast, an artist and brand development company founded by Olivier Chastan, has acquired the catalog of rapper, singer and actress Eve. This includes her shares of hit singles like “Gangsta Lovin’,” “Love Is Blind” and “Who’s That Girl” among others. More recently, her work inspired a new generation of talent when she was sampled in Central Cee’s 2022 track “Doja.” Henry Root of Smith Entertainment Law represented Iconoclast, with Michael Poster of Michaelman & Robinson, LLP serving as advisor. Wayne Russell and Pippa Wealthall of Massive Management represented Eve in the transaction. Talya Shalsom and Tim Smith of Statham Gill Davies Law, with Benjamin Vermeil of Jab Music also facilitated the deal.
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Prescription Songs has signed Grammy-winning producer/writer Tobias Wincorn to a global publishing deal. Among Wincorn’s many credits are works released by Fred again.., Missy Elliott, Lizzo, Swedish House Mafia, Fridayy, Jack Harlow, Shenseea, Megan Thee Stallion, and more. Most frequently, he works with Fred again.., Timbaland and Murda Beatz. In addition to his work in the studio, he has also previously worked as an a&r consultant for Crush Music, Seeker Music, and Hipgnosis Songs Group.
Killphonic Rights, an LA-based rights management company, has partnered with Stilwell Creative Capital. Stilwell is investing $3 million of working capital for a proportional stake of equity in Killphonic. The money will be put towards expanding services for the company’s growing roster of artists, writers, labels and publishers.
Warner Chappell Music UK has signed Will Manning to a global publishing deal. An award-winning broadcaster, producer and songwriter, Manning was a DJ for stations like KISS FM, BBC 1xtra, The Hits, Capital FM before signing a record deal with RCA last year. Now, he releases his own music and writes with others. This includes his work on the dance banger “Kisses” by BI3ss.
Low Profile, a music licensing company established by Jen Pearce in 2017, has launched a music publishing division. Its first signees are Thandii, Steady Holiday, Lani Rose, Petite Noir, Kassa Overall and Camp Saint Helene. As the company’s press release states, this new division is “dedicated to providing songwriters with transparent, fair deals and essential resources to help them navigate the intricacies of music publishing.” Among its services, Low Profile offers its clients access to its proprietary Advance Calculator tool to demystify how publishing deals are put together.
AllTrack, the latest U.S. performing rights organization (PRO), has launched a suite of APIs now-available to platforms like streaming services, UGC platforms, distributor and publishing administrators. The APIs will include a direct single-click PRO registration capability for unaffiliated creators from within a platforms, authentification of songwriters profiles and account details, access to detailed song-level metadata, the ability to display songwriter credits to end users and immediate clearance of performing rights.
Sony Music Publishing Latin announced on Thursday (Sept. 26) the renewal of its global publishing deal with songwriter, producer, recording engineer and musician Edgar Barrera. According to the publisher, the agreement extends the company’s partnership with the Mexican-American hitmaker, which began in 2014.
The renewal comes just a week after Barrera, for the second year in a row, tops the Latin Grammys nominations with nine nods in total, including songwriter of the year and producer of the year.
“I am very grateful and excited to extend my relationship with Sony Music Publishing, to start a new chapter on a journey that started 10 years ago,” Barrera said in a statement. “Jorge and Jon have always supported all of my crazy ideas and given me a safe space to continue growing as a writer and music executive.”
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Billboard‘s 2023 Latin Groundbreaker honoree, the Texas-born artist has become one of Latin music’s most in demand producers and songwriters, penning songs for Karol G, Maluma, Shakira, Peso Pluma, Grupo Frontera and Selena Gomez, to name a few. In January 2021, he topped four genre charts — pop, rhythm, tropical and regional Mexican airplay — with four different songs, something no other Latin songwriter had done before.
“Edgar is one of the most hardworking, versatile, talented, and smart songwriters I’ve had the pleasure to work with, period,” added Jorge Mejia, Sony Music Publishing president & CEO, Latin America and U.S. Latin. “Most importantly, over the years I’ve learned that for Edgar it’s not about the accolades or the records or barriers that he breaks time and again – it is about the music. With that mindset, I know Edgar is possibly just getting started. We are beyond honored to be part of his team and can’t wait to see what’s next.”
Edgar Barrera was represented in this negotiation by his long-time counsel Brian Alvarez.
The 35th anniversary of Billboard Latin Music Week, which will feature exclusive panels, conversations and performances by Latin music’s biggest stars, will take place Oct. 14-18 in Miami. Tickets are available now at BillboardLatinMusicWeek.com.
Snoop Dogg and the label that pays him have signed new deals with Reservoir Media, covering the legendary rapper and entrepreneur’s domestic publishing for his entire catalog and future works, as well as the publishing catalog of Death Row Records, which Snoop scooped up in 2022.
Born Calvin Broadus Jr. in the LBC, Snoop glided into fame in 1992 after featuring on Dr. Dre’s debut single, “Deep Cover,” before making several star-affirming turns on Dre’s game-changing album The Chronic (“Nuthin’ but a ‘G’ Thang,” “Let Me Ride”). A year later, he released his own multi-platinum album, Doggystyle, via Death Row, featuring West Coast hip-hop classics like “Gin and Juice” and “What’s My Name?” He has released 19 solo albums, with his 20th, Missionary, currently in production with Dre. His lengthy list of hits over the years includes “Drop It Like It’s Hot” and “Beautiful” plus collabs like “The Next Episode” with Dre, “California Gurls” with Katy Perry and “Young, Wild & Free” with Wiz Khalifa, to name a few.
In addition to 16 Grammy nominations and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Snoop has built a broad business portfolio, acted in dozens of films, including Soul Plane and this year’s The Garfield Movie, and is a prolific signer of product endorsement deals. Recently, his commentary and enthusiasm charmed NBC viewers at the Paris 2024 Olympics, and last night (Sept. 23) he made his debut as a coach on NBC’s The Voice.
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After acquiring Death Row Records, the label that released his debut album along with early works by Dr. Dre and 2Pac, Snoop established a publishing arm for the label. The Reservoir deal includes hits like “Hail Mary” and “I Ain’t Mad At Cha” by 2Pac, ensuring that Death Row’s legacy continues under Snoop’s leadership.
Financial details of the arrangement were not disclosed.
Reservoir executives expressed excitement about working with Snoop and supporting his legacy. Golnar Khosrowshahi, Reservoir’s CEO, highlighted the significance of the partnership in preserving Death Row’s influence, adding “Snoop has come full circle with Death Row, showcasing his ongoing dedication to upholding its rich history – something Reservoir has proven as a core value and area of expertise across our business.”
Donna Caseine, Reservoir’s executive vp and global creative director, lauded Snoop’s impact on hip-hop and popular culture over the past three decades: “Legendary artists only need one name. Snoop is part of that echelon. From music, to brands, television, and film, his acumen represents excellence,” she said. “For the last three decades he has been a pillar of hip-hop music and popular culture. He helped write Death Row Records into music’s history books.”