Record Labels
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In honor of #HipHop50, Mass Appeal and Sony Music Entertainment have agreed to partner to celebrate legendary SME artists and highlight Certified — their R&B and Hip-Hop digital catalog program.
According to a press release, “Sony Music and Mass Appeal will work together to showcase the creative excellence of SME’s dynamic talent and their contributions to music history through original content, experiences, merch and product collaborations in connection with Mass Appeal’s campaign leading up to this key milestone in Hip Hop culture.”
Second, Mass Appeal and SME will construct a new content series, Made By Hip-Hop. Set to debut later this year, Made By Hip-Hop will involve influential figures speaking on the genre’s impact and history. Last week, Mass Appeal and SME kicked off their partnership in NYC with the new photo exhibition Hip Hop: Conscious, Unconscious. The event showcased over 200 iconic hip-hop photos from 1972 to 2022 and had tremendous star power as Nas, New York City mayor Eric Adams, Raekwon, N.O.R.E., Styles P, Grandmaster Caz, Melle Mel, Havoc, Fabolous, Maino, Dave East, A-Trak and Ralph McDaniels all attended.
The photo exhibit will remain open to the public until May 21.
Last year, Mass Appeal teamed up with Live Nation Urban for several hip-hop-centric events, including festivals and park jams.
“We are thrilled to partner with the world’s leading live entertainment company to bring fans one-of-a-kind experiences in celebration of hip-hop’s 50th birthday, said Mass Appeal CEO Peter Bittenbender. “We are planning to celebrate all facets of the culture and globe via this dynamic partnership.”
Independent label +1 Records has signed a strategic global partnership with Exceleration Music, the companies announced Wednesday (Jan. 25).
Under the terms of the deal, Exceleration has made an investment in the +1 catalog and will provide support in distribution, marketing, operations, administrative services and more to power the label’s past and future releases. Jonny Kaps, +1 ‘s co-founder and CEO, will continue to lead the label while co-founder Nat Hays Boas is stepping down to pursue other opportunities.
The first new music under the partnership will include releases from Rejjie Snow, Nate Husser, Lo Village and Anna Shoemaker. Additional artists on the +1 roster include Anna of the North, Argonaut & Wasp, DavidTheTragic, Geordie Kieffer, is0kenny and Japan, Man. The label was established in 2008 by Kaps, Boas and Josh Swade; past releases include music by The Heavy and The Kooks.
Launched in January of 2021 by industry veterans Glen Barros, John Burk, Charles Caldas, Amy Dietz and Dave Hansen, Exceleration Music has made a number of big moves in the indie label space over the past two years. Among other deals, the company has invested in labels including Alligator Records, Mom + Pop and SideOneDummy and acquired Bloodshot Records, Kill Rock Stars, Heroic Music Group and jazz label Candid Records. Exceleration also has an agreement with the Ray Charles Foundation for special releases from the music legend’s vault.
Said Kaps in a statement, “+1 Records has always been different. We are an independent record label that comes from a management perspective, specializing in artist development. Our A&R prioritizes music and artists over data. I am so happy to partner with an independent company whose values, philosophies, strategies, and resourcefulness mirror our own. Together we will be an even great resource for independent artists.”
Added Dietz, “Jonny and the +1 team have built a vibrant and impactful label by focusing on artist development and being agile and innovative. From my first meeting with Jonny it was clear his passion, vision, and artist-first ethos, completely aligned with our mission at Exceleration Music. I know that by combining the talented +1 team, with the expertise and resources of the growing and talented Exceleration team, we will together take +1 and its artists into a bright future.”
“Our investment in +1 underscores one primary way in which Exceleration serves the independent music community,” said Barros. “Jonny has done a remarkable job of creating a cutting-edge label. We believe that, with our added human and financial resources, he will have the ability to take the label to the next level and beyond – way beyond! We can’t wait to see what the future holds for this partnership.”
BRISBANE, Australia — Mushroom Group, the Australian independent music juggernaut, has struck a partnership with Valve Sounds, the reactivated alternative-R&B, hip-hop and soul label.
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Co-founded by Sasha Chifura and Shelley Liu, Valve Sounds is “committed to the growth” of those genres within Australia, and “dedicates to carving a space for these artists to make an impact at an international stage,” reads a statement.
With its resurrection, a string of artist signings and a release slate. The Melbourne-based label relaunches with a roster featuring Sydney R&B multi-hyphenate Maina Doe; Nigeria-born, Melbourne-based producer, vocalist, and performer IJALE; and Brisbane indie/R&B newcomer King Ivy.
To celebrate the return of Valve Sounds, the trio will release a special collaborative number, “WYA” (Where You At), next Thursday (Feb. 2).
Mushroom Group has “been looking for the right hip-hop/R&B partner for some time now to complement our other labels,” notes Mushroom Labels COO Chris Maund.
Valve and its co-founders “stood out because they are entrenched in that scene and have a clear vision to break fresh hip-hop/R&B artists globally. Valve are signing artists whose sound is both authentic and borderless, giving them real opportunity to cut-through and deliver internationally,” he tells Billboard.
Maund points to the success of the recent Maina Doe single “Primal Design.” Mushroom Group serviced the track, which went on to land “a load of global playlists,” he explains. “That, will be the start of many.”
Following its launch in 2015, Valve Sounds released recordings from UV Boi, Nasty Mars, ESESE, Villette and Maya Hirasedo, and earned a reputation for its events and parties in Melbourne, spotlighting international and local artists.
Among the highlights were events at Melbourne Music Week’s 2016 and 2017 flagship venues State Library of Victoria and St Paul’s Cathedral, and its team curated a stage at Falls Festival, featured in VICE.
“Some of my fondest memories have been at Valve Sounds parties that we threw back in the day,” recounts Liu. “Feeling grateful to be working with Maina Doe, IJALE and King Ivy – three artists who I truly believe represent the future of music coming out of Australia and beyond.”
Through the new arrangement, Valve Sounds will have access to Mushroom Labels’ full suite of services across marketing, promotion, audience building, social strategy, distribution and analytics as well as global promotion, marketing and audience label services via UMG’s Virgin Music Label & Artist Services, an alliance forged in 2022, in tandem with Mushroom’s existing U.S. and U.K. teams.
Previously, Valve Sounds had a label partnership with Sony Music.
Valve Sounds now operates among the 25-strong group of companies within Mushroom Group, established 50 years ago by the late Michael Gudinski.
Mushroom Group CEO Matt Gudinski, the son of Michael, heaped praised on his new partners. “Their clear vision for the label and expertise in the R&B and hip-hop scene excels them as key industry leaders of the future,” he comments. “It’s with great pleasure we welcome them to the family and look forward to a longstanding relationship.”
Mushroom Labels includes Liberation Records, Ivy League, I OH YOU, Soothsayer, Bloodlines, Liberator Music and 100s + 1000s.
Warner Music Group’s global catalog division has struck a deal to represent Yes’ complete Atlantic Records works, an era that spans 12 studio albums and includes the prog-rock legends’ Grammy Award-winning ‘80s classic 90125.
WMG announced today (Jan. 23) that it has acquired the recorded music rights and income streams to a raft of albums, from 1969’s Yes through the band’s final studio album of its Atlantic/Atco period, 1987’s Big Generator, along with various live recordings and compilations. (See a full list below)
Financial terms weren’t disclosed.
The Rock & Roll Hall of Famers “came together and worked enthusiastically with Warner Music Group to secure this historic deal,” reads a statement from the band, “ensuring that these iconic recordings will continue to be curated in the optimum manner to delight their fans across more than five decades, while also finding and developing new audiences for this timeless music.”
Covered by the acquisition is 90125, the multiplatinum album from 1983 that yielded “Owner of a Lonely Heart,” the biggest hit from Yes’ 50-year-plus career. The single peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, and at No. 28 on the Official U.K. Singles Chart; a 2005 remix, credited to Max Graham vs Yes, went to No. 9 in the U.K., one of the group’s two top 10 hits in their homeland.
Also, an instrumental track from the 90125 album, “Cinema,” went on to win the Grammy Award for best rock instrumental performance.
While Yes did not have any No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200, the band did land seven in the all-genre chart’s top 10: 1971’s Fragile (No. 4), 1972’s Close to the Edge (No. 3), 1973’s Tales From the Topographic Ocean (No. 6), 1974’s Relayer (No. 5), 1977’s Going for the One (No. 8), 1978’s Tormato (No. 10) and 90125 (No. 5) — all of which are covered by the new deal.
Global album sales total 30 million units worldwide, according to WMG.
“My introduction to Yes came while working at a record store in Ohio in 1983,” comments Kevin Gore, Warner Music’s president of global catalog. “I loved the 90125 album and went to see the band live, where I was introduced to their catalog of incredible songs. I’ve been a fan ever since and we’re absolutely thrilled and deeply honored that the strong relationship between Yes and Warner Music will continue forever.”
The Yes lineup evolved much like the group’s music. The 90125 incarnation featured Trevor Rabin on guitar, alongside singer Jon Anderson, late bassist Chris Squire, late drummer Alan White, and original keyboardist Tony Kaye. In 2021, private equity firm Round Hill Music Royalty Fund acquired the music publishing catalogue from Rabin.
Yes entered the Rock Hall in April 2017 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY, on a night when folk icon and social justice activist Joan Baez, string-augmented rock hitmakers Electric Light Orchestra, arena rock titans Journey, grunge pioneers Pearl Jam and West Coast rap god Tupac were all elevated.
Rush bassist and fellow Hall of Famer Geddy Lee inducted the band and joined them onstage for a “crushingly loud” run-through of “Roundabout,” Billboard reported at the time.
Speaking backstage about it, Lee said, “I just wanted to make sure I didn’t f— it up. They are without question my favorite band.”
Yes studio albums, live recordings, and compilations included in the deal:
Yes (1969)Time and a Word (1970)The Yes Album (1971)Fragile (1971)Close to the Edge (1972)Yessongs (1973)Tales from Topographic Oceans (1973)Relayer (1974)Yesterdays (1975)Going for the One (1977)Tormato (1978)Drama (1980)Yesshows (1980)Classic Yes (1981)90125 (1983)9012Live: The Solos (1985)Big Generator (1987)Yesyears (1991)Yesstory (1992)Highlights: The Very Best of Yes (1993)In A Word: Yes (1969-) (2002)Yes Remixes (2003)The Ultimate Yes: 35th Anniversary Collection (2003)The Word Is Live (2005)High Vibration (2013)Progeny: Seven Shows from Seventy-Two (2015)The Steven Wilson Remixes (2018)Topographic Drama: Live Across America (2017)Yes 50 Live (2019)
The music industry was radically reshaped in the three years since Ari Herstand last updated his how-to instruction manual for independent musicians, How to Make it in the New Music Business: Practical Tips on Building a Loyal Following and Making a Living as a Musician, first published in 2016. The pandemic changed how musicians monetize live music, social media apps re-wrote the rules about promoting music and blockchain-based products went mainstream.
“A lot has changed,” says Herstand. “I would say more has changed in the last three years than probably the last 20 years.”
Now in its third edition, How to Make it in the New Music Business has joined Don Passman’s All You Need to Know About the Music Business as a go-to source for navigating the industry’s dire straits. Herstand augments the book with a podcast of the same name and his long-running blog, Ari’s Take, that are informed by his own music career. As a solo artist and the front man of the Los Angeles-based funk band Brassroots District, Herstand understands the tribulations of the working musician.
“It’s not a straight line anymore,” he says about becoming a successful musician in 2023. Marketing and promotion is fragmented. Some artists use TikTok while others reach fans through old-fashioned SMS marketing. Some artists take a traditional path of building a fan base through touring. They have multiple options for crowdfunding and merch sales. Independent artists can follow Herstand’s examples of getting their music used in television, films and advertisements. “There is no one way to create a successful music career.”
How to Make It in the New Music Business has sold well and become regarded as a must-read for musicians. Are you surprised by its success?
I’m grateful that so many people have taken to the book. You know, the reason that I felt I needed to write this was because I had felt there was a void in the industry for manuals and helpful guides for the working musician. There were no books out there helping musicians navigate this new music business. Most of the other music business books that were widely regarded as kind of the go-to music industry Bibles were written by lawyers decades ago, and started with the incorrect premise that the only way to succeed in the music industry is by getting a record contract and a record label.
I hear from musicians every day. I had my book signing last night and so I got to meet and talk to a lot of them. People have told me how much the book has really helped them. I’ve heard from Grammy winners, I’ve heard from other people who are navigating [the industry] as middle-class musicians.
Is the notion of a do-it-yourself musician kind of outdated in a complex music business or has the term DIY always undersold the amount of teamwork involved in an artist’s success?
There is no artist that is truly DIY. I think that the DIY term now refers to artists that aren’t working with a traditional team. But there are non-traditional teams, and I outline what the “new team” looks like in the new music business. It can be everyone from a graphic designer that you’re working with, or someone to help you run your social media ads, to a videographer, to someone that can help guide you with royalty collection. Everybody needs team members. It’s impossible to do all of this on your own. And so, it’s just about finding those people who believe in what you’re doing, want to be part of the journey with you in any capacity, and then use their strengths to fill in the blank where your weaknesses may lie, or maybe where you just don’t have the time, or knowhow or desire to do those things yourself.
It’s far too much to manage and handle for one person. I encourage artists to learn everything that they need to get done and then delegate. Some people will delegate with a traditional role like a manager. Other people will delegate to their friends who just want to come help out. They might not have the traditional title of manager, but they might be partners in various capacities.
At my book signings last night, I interviewed Theo Katman from the band Vulfpeck. I think he is a great example of a DIY icon. This is a band that has no manager, no record label, and they sold out Madison Square Garden, the Greek Theatre and Red Rock [Amphitheatre]. That’s something that was previously unheard of. Theo, as a solo artist, also does not have a manager. He told me he likes to maintain control. He doesn’t want to give up percentage of his career – 15-20% of gross – to anyone, and he’s playing to 3,000 capacity rooms all over the country right now and selling out these rooms.
About three years passed between editions of your book. What changed in the music business during that time that demanded inclusion in the new edition?
For one, the pandemic. You know, the industry looks quite different post-pandemic. There were over 100,000 livestream concerts that happened just in 2020 and 2021. TikTok came into prominence over the last three years. In the previous edition, I have one mention of TikTok. And now, I have an entire rewritten chapter on social media telling a lot of the stories of how TikTok has really enabled musicians to find an audience – some in a massive way and others in just a sustainable way. I talked about what’s happening with NFTs in the metaverse. And with the MLC [Music Licensing Collective] now in place I updated how royalty collection works, and how artists can structure their royalty collection and the parties that they need to work with if they’re remaining independent and aren’t working with a traditional publisher to collect their royalties or publishing royalties like mechanicals and performance.
And I talked about how record label record deals are structured. I interviewed a lot of artists that were offered 50-50 licensing deals from major record labels. This is something that was completely unheard of. I’ve never really seen a 50-50 licensing deal with a big advance –usually a six- or seven-figure advance – to completely independent artists with very little track record other than a TikTok song going viral.
I think the major labels are looking at these bands and they need to be far more competitive with the label services companies out there. Independent artists are realizing they don’t really need the record labels like they once did.
Independent artists tend to be quick to adopt new technologies. Let’s talk real quickly about a few of them. You mentioned TikTok. What’s the opportunity there for the independent artist?
I have never seen a social media platform be as effective as quickly. There’s never been on platforms to launch songs as quickly and as powerfully as Tiktok has been able to. I’m less interested in superstar stories – there’s always some people and money behind the scenes pulling the strings. But what is is more interesting to me are some of these artists that are completely independent where sure some of them go viral and then get offered major record deals, but more so it’s the ones that are using it on an ongoing basis to build a sustainable fan base and interact with their audience, tell stories about themselves.
And where TikTok is now moving in 2023, which I think is actually very exciting for the independent artists, is the “For You” page has become so niche and fragmented that artists can find their community and not have any songs go viral. The algorithm now has become so honed that it is now connecting artists with fans in a way that feels natural and is under the radar from most of the industry and the labels. It’s really helpful for these artists.
Web3: for the independent musician, is it a mirage, or a good place to put resources and time?
I think Web3 is going to continue to find its footing. And I don’t think it’s a fad. I know that it got a lot of hype a year or two ago when NFTs were all the rage. There’s a lot of utility that I’m seeing happen. There is the company Royal. There’s another company Labelcoin. [Herstand is on Labelcoin’s advisory board.] Fans are able to invest in artists’ songs that they might believe in participate in the share of royalties. Web3 technologies give a very streamlined ability to do this. It’s kind of like crowdfunding. I call it crowdfunding 3.0 Crowdfunding 1.0 was Kickstarter and Indiegogo. Crowdfunding 2.0 was Patreon, that ongoing support. Now crowdfunding 3.0 is a fan investing model. So that’s where some of the utility of Web3 is moving.
I see Web3 as something that is constantly evolving and starting to find its footing. I don’t see it going anywhere. It’s like, the internet wasn’t a fad. Social media wasn’t a fad, but it evolved and it isn’t what it was when it first came out. So that’s, that’s what we went through. It’s still very early stages. But it is a very exciting frontier.
There are a lot of platforms and services these days for funding, whether it’s crowd funding or advances or loans. What do you think of these opportunities for independent artists? Are they on artists’ radars?
Yeah, there are distributors out there that have built right into their platform. TuneCore does this. Because they have all of your streaming data, they can get through their own internal algorithms crunch the numbers offer their artists advances. There’s standalone companies out there as well that that artists can apply to to get royalties and get advances from. I don’t think enough artists know about these platforms, and they’re more popping up every day. But it is very exciting that they can say, “All right, well, let’s look at the previous three years of your streaming data. Okay, this song earned about $10,000 a year. So we anticipate this is probably going to earn $10,000 a year for the next five years. So, we can write you a $50,000 check today. And then we’re going to kind of take the first $60,000 that comes in from the song over the five-six years, and we’ll make a little profit, and you get $50,000 today.” That’s happening. That’s kind of what the TuneCore model is and what a lot of these other companies’ models are. That’s available for artists that have pretty good streaming numbers. It’s modest but that advance could help them with the marketing of their new music and help them go on tour or help them buy inventory.
It’s been a little over a year since the Dec. 15, 2021 plane crash that killed Puerto Rican producer Flow La Movie along with his partner Debbie Von Marie Jimenez García and their children, aged 21, 18 and four.
Born José Angel Hernández, Flow La Movie was 38 at the time of the crash and is survived by a daughter, Keigelyan Hernandez.
He also left behind a catalog of hit recordings released under his indie label, AH Entertainment, including the star-studded “Te Boté,” which topped Hot Latin Songs for 14 weeks, and the entire catalog of rapper Nio García, including “AM” and viral hit “La Jeepeta.”
Those songs, along with García’s recording contract, have been ensnarled in a complex legal battle that has prevented García –at the cusp of his career– from releasing any further material.
Until today, with the release of “Yeska”, his first single in more than a year.
The track is out on Glad Empire, the Orlando-based indie entertainment company that used to distribute AH Entertainment, and also works with artists like Anuel. Glad is now in the process of negotiating a new distribution deal Garcia.
“For a while, I thought this moment would never come,” García said in a press release. “I was crazy to release new music for my fans.”
But García could not release music because his recording contract was tied to AH and Flow La Movie, aka Hernandez.
According to García’s lawsuit, filed last year, the problems started when Hernández’s mother, Ilianes Ruiz, claimed to be the sole heir to Hernández’s estate, via a will allegedly signed by Hernández. Because she controlled the estate, Ruiz did not allow García to release new music, as his recording contract was part of Hernández’s estate.
However, the signature on Hernández’s will was determined to be suspect. As a result, Hernández’s only living child, Keigelyan Hernandez, claimed the inheritance as hers, and joined the lawsuit that García had already filed against Ruiz.
Hernández’s estate went into probate, and all contracts and music tied to it came to a screeching halt until Dec. 13, 2021, when all parties signed a global settlement agreement that names Hernández the personal representative of her father’s estate. The agreement, shared exclusively with Billboard, also released García from any obligation with AH, allowing him to enter a new recording agreement with Glad Empire.
“The only thing we wanted to do was continue to release music and carry out Flow La Movie’s wishes and legacy,” says Camille Soto, CEO of GLAD Empire, who late last year, after the agreement was signed, released a compilation of Flow La Movie’s top hits, titled Flow Movie Remixes.
“I am so happy his music can live on.”
Music curator Ari Elkins and Avex USA have joined forces to form the new label co-venture Blue Suede Records. Seeking to sign undiscovered talent, Blue Suede will provide its signees with hands-on development and a non-traditional approach to the changing music business.
Elkins is possibly TikTok’s most popular music curator and has helped his nearly 2 million followers find new music and undiscovered artists to add to their playlists for the last few years. The 22-year-old’s presence on the short-form video app has led him to become host to Spotify Live’s Soundtrack Your Day and Simon Cowell’s newest show, Stem Drop. But through the creation Blue Suede, Elkins will now be able to not only recommend new artists, but build with them as well.
Avex USA, the American operation of leading Japanese music/entertainment company, is also new to the record label sector of music. Just over a year ago, the company launched its label SELENE, and since then, has signed artists like Sadie Jean, Austin George, Sophie Holohan, Billianne and Zach Hood, many of which have gone viral on TikTok.
Together, Elkins and Avex bring a fresh approach to the label business and a penchant for digital marketing.
“Ari has built a dedicated audience of millions through his love of discovering new music,” said Lucas Thomashow, svp of Avex USA and head of SELENE. “His passion for finding and championing new artists is infectious, and something we share at Avex USA. Ari has found new ways to connect audiences and music and to help songs cut through, we felt he was perfect to partner with and launch a disruptive new label venture.”
“I’m so excited to take my love for finding new artists and sharing them with the world to the next level with Avex and the launch of Blue Suede. What we are building is a unique opportunity for emerging artists to get best-in-class traditional label services but also truly tangible and contemporary marketing power. I’ve been following AVEX and SELENE’s work since inception and have always admired their swift mobility and unconventional approach to the music industry, which in 2023 is so crucial,” adds Elkins.
YouTube executive Tim Matusch has joined Warner Music Group (WMG) as executive vp of strategy & operations. The news was announced in a company memo sent last week by CEO Robert Kyncl, who worked alongside Matusch at YouTube before stepping down as chief business officer at the company to join WMG.
Matusch most recently served as managing director of strategy and business operations at YouTube, a role he held for more than two years. Prior to that, he served in senior consulting roles at Boston Consulting Group and Oliver Wyman, where he spent more than 12 years and eventually rose to partner. He also worked in senior operating roles at AOL, including general manager at AOL.com and AOL Products. He graduated from Eton College in 1996 and earned his master’s at the University of Oxford in 2001.
In the memo sent to WMG staff and obtained by Billboard, Kyncl noted that Matusch will be working closely with the greater WMG leadership team “to help define, facilitate, and execute our 5–10 year vision” while also playing a key part in “evolving” the label’s “cross-company plans, including deploying business intelligence to strengthen our decision-making, developing and tracking a set of critical KPIs, and ensuring everyone is on the same page as we build our future together.”
Acknowledging that strategy & operations is “a new function” at WMG, Kyncl continued that he’s “a firm believer in tapping into, growing, and unleashing the expertise within the company itself. That way, we’re more directly investing in ourselves, and compounding our knowledge and skills over time. It results in well organized, better informed, more realistic plans.”
Kyncl added that he worked with Matusch “across a wide variety of projects” at YouTube and has “been consistently impressed by what his team has delivered and how they did it – in a very collaborative fashion – which is particularly important to me.”
Kyncl officially assumed the role of CEO at WMG on Jan. 1, though he’ll share CEO duties with outgoing chief executive Stephen Cooper for the remainder of the month. Matusch is the first major hire announced under Kyncl’s tenure.
Warner Music Nashville (WMN) leaders Cris Lacy and Ben Kline have been elevated to co-chair/co-president titles, following their promotion to co-presidents of the label in June 2022. Kline and Lacy launched the new year with a company-wide, off-site day of culture building and programming last week.
“I’m honored to lead WMN with Cris in what is an exciting time of change and opportunity for this business,” Kline said in a statement. “We are committed to continuing our leadership position within that change by being laser focused on our incredible artists, their powerful music and their creative visions.”
Lacy added, “Let’s be honest, this is a time of great change in the world at large too. When culture shifts, music ignites, it bridges, it covers, it uncovers. We are here for all of that, and proud to be the Nashville contingent that amplifies those stories to all parts of the globe.”
Lacy and Kline were promoted following the announcement of John Esposito‘s transition to chairman emeritus at the beginning of the year. Billboard broke the news of the pending leadership transition in April 2022. Lacy has been with WMN since 2005, while Kline joined in 2014.
During an interview with Billboard back in 2019, Esposito noted that Kline and Lacy were already being prepped to take over greater leadership roles: “I’m putting all sorts of weight on their shoulders. And the great news is since we did that promotion, they both have risen to an even higher level,” he said. “I’m happy knowing I can give them so much to do so they can become as much the face of the label as me. And that has taken a weight off of me. If I walk in the room, [people] assume I can make the final decision. Now they know that either of them can make a decision [too].”
Amid a wave of Afrobeats artists making inroads on the U.S. charts and American radio in the past few years — headlined by the likes of Wizkid, Burna Boy and Tems, among others — came Rema, the young Nigerian singer signed to Jonzing World and Mavin Records based out of Lagos. Having built a following locally, Rema — who refers to his music as Afrowave — began putting out a series of EPs in 2019 and 2020, landed a spot on the FIFA ’21 soundtrack and nabbed some fashion and branding partnerships as well as higher-profile collaborations with some of Nigeria’s up and coming artists.
But when he finally released his debut album, Rave & Roses, in March 2022, Rema’s star began exploding not just in Africa but around the globe. His album, which was critically well-received, became the launching pad for a tour that stretched into Europe and North America, while his single “Calm Down” began making inroads at DSPs and across the internet. But in August 2022, that buzz erupted after Selena Gomez hopped on the remix to “Calm Down.” Rema’s star then began an inexorable rise: The song debuted at No. 91 on the Hot 100 after its release and it has continued growing ever since, topping the Billboard U.S. Afrobeats Songs chart for 19 straight weeks, reaching a current high of No. 46 on the Hot 100 and, most impressively, reaching No. 1 on the Global Ex-U.S. chart this week. That success helps Mavin Records COO Tega Oghenejobo earn the title of Billboard’s Executive of the Week.
Here, Oghenejobo breaks down how he and Mavin helped Rema grow from local Nigerian singer into one of the most in-demand Afrobeats artists around, how the Gomez collaboration came together and how his team has helped the song continue building, nearly a full year since its initial release — particularly impressive at a time when songs move so quickly in the modern music industry. “We stayed focused, paid attention to the details, got down and did the hard things needed to give the song a more viable shelf-life,” he says. “We connected with the music industry in every city we’ve been to, and religiously attended to the media rounds. It’s a lot of effort and hard work from everyone involved. We are proud, we are happy for the fans who are having a good time with the song, and we keep going.“
This week, Rema’s “Calm Down” remix feat. Selena Gomez topped Billboard’s U.S. Afrobeats Chart for the 19th straight week, and just reached No. 1 on the Global Ex. U.S. chart. What key decisions did you make to help make that happen?
As a label, one of our most important ideals is critical artist development with long-term success in mind. This is the foundation of our earliest work with Rema. After the first year together with him, the world saw his potential just as we did, and his debut project was one of last year’s most anticipated Afrobeats projects. The remix came at the perfect time. We wanted to consolidate on the earlier traction the song had in territories like France and the Netherlands and give the song more life globally. Some of the key decisions that enhanced that success is our aggressive response to the early rollout efforts, and in how we worked with our amazing distribution partners at Virgin Music. They rolled out innovative campaigns in a timely manner and simultaneously with our own marketing efforts as well. The process was made even more seamless by Selena Gomez and her brilliant team at Interscope. Also, it is one thing to have a great song, it is another thing to be able to make it connect with a live audience. Rema’s Rave and Roses Tour of Europe and North America was a great success. Our agency partners WME and CAA were phenomenal in aiding the smart routing of Rema’s performances. The artist’s connection with the creator community on social media, engaging with UGCs, were also key to the song’s success.
The song was originally from Rema’s album Rave & Roses, out last March. How did the remix come together, and what kind of effect has it had?
Let me start by saying, incredible album by the way. So many gems in that project, and we are really excited about people discovering them. On the remix, shout out to our team, to Rema, the good people at Virgin Music, and of course, Selena Gomez and Interscope. The process of creating the song was seamless — as it often is when both artists love the song. Shooting the video and putting it out was our collective work and I am very proud we could make it work despite the complexity in the teams’ schedules. Strategically, Selena Gomez is one of music’s biggest stars and a collaboration with her is sure to expand the song’s reach even more. As expected the song has added new feats for both artists. It’s the No. 1 song on the Billboard Global Ex. U.S. chart — first time for both artists. Same with its place as the No. 1 song on Billboard’s U.S. Afrobeats Chart. This is stunning for us, for Rema and for the culture.
How have you kept the song not just relevant, but continuing to grow for so long, particularly in an era when songs move so quickly?
Honestly, It took a village to keep the momentum going. There is the critical role Rema played with his tour of Europe, North America and Africa. Taking the music across new territories, connecting with new cultures. There is also the creator community — influencers and dancers using the song on TikTok, Reels and on Snapchat. The DJs who keep spinning it, radio, TV and the DSPs who love the song and just keep showing support. All the teams involved — Mavin Records, Jonzing World, Virgin Music and Interscope — have been amazing too. We stayed focused, paid attention to the details, got down and did the hard things needed to give the song a more viable shelf-life. We connected with the music industry in every city we’ve been to, and religiously attended to the media rounds. It’s a lot of effort and hard work from everyone involved. We are proud, we are happy for the fans who are having a good time with the song, and we keep going.
Rave & Roses was technically Rema’s debut, but he’s been building steadily over the years, including with some collaborations and inclusion on a FIFA soundtrack. How have you helped guide his growth to the point where the album was critically embraced when it was released, and the song has become a massive global hit?
Developing and activating new artists is always an exciting challenge for us at Mavin. There was no doubt about Rema’s talent from the start. But as they say, talent without hard work is nothing. There were a lot of things we still had to get right. His branding was important, his sound, his stage presence and a host of other things that needed attention. Rema is an interesting act to work with because he has a vision of how he sees himself. We at Mavin consider ourselves architects who can collaborate and execute this shared vision, and we were able to properly position him and his brand leading up to the project.
In his first year, we established his sonic versatility. We let the world understand that this is an artist with the ability to create new sounds and penetrate new markets. We had a phenomenal first year. We had three EPs in his debut year, and we kept working, recording and creating music. Brands like FIFA saw the potential and we had a great partnership. Rave & Roses was one of the most anticipated debut albums on the continent. We were patient in our approach and so was Rema. When the time came to put it out, we came on strong. “Calm Down” was the project’s lead single — and what a lead single that is!
How have you helped build Rema’s profile globally? And what deals have you made to help facilitate that?
From the onset, we were working on making a global superstar. His branding was made to be relatable with global audiences while retaining the fundamentals of what made him African. His sound is the same. He juxtaposes elements of western music with Afrobeats, interpolates languages and creates an experience that is enjoyable for both local and global fans. Everyone can enjoy a bit of Rema — and that is the charm. As we mentioned earlier, the collaboration with FIFA was great. We also had Beats on board, then Meta, Snapchat, Pepsi, HP. In fashion, we worked with Bohooman, Places+Faces, Jumpman and many others. These are brands that appeal to a young global audience and to Rema himself. They were a perfect fit for his profile and his trajectory.
With Wizkid, Burna Boy and now Rema breaking into the Hot 100, why do you think African artists are starting to see significant levels of success in the U.S.? And where do you see this going moving forward?
It takes tenacity, hard work and innovation. The sound has always been good, and we got even better. The industry is bigger. More competition, more investment, more collaboration, more access. It was only a matter of time and I am glad we are here. The U.S. audience is perhaps the most dynamic and experimental in the world. We can see how big K-pop and Latino music is here. The ambition is to have that level of success. To make more people fall in love with African music. The potential is immense. We will grow even bigger. As I often say, we are just scratching the surface. We used to dream of this, but now it’s time to put in work to properly represent the culture and connect with more listeners in the U.S.