Empire Distribution

Last updated

EMPIRE Distribution
Genre
  • Hip-hop
  • Rap
  • Afrobeat
  • R&B
  • Dance
  • Reggaeton
  • Country
  • Pop
  • Latin Alternative
Founded2010 in San Francisco, CA
Founder Ghazi Shami
HeadquartersSan Francisco,
US
Area served
Worldwide
Key people
Ghazi Shami (CEO)
Nima Etminan (COO)
Tina Davis (President)
Number of employees
200 (2024)
Divisions EMPIRE Distribution
EMPIRE Publishing
EMPIRE (label)
  • EMPIRE
  • EMPIRE Africa
  • EMPIRE Latino
  • EMPIRE Nashville
Website empi.re

Empire Distribution, Records and Publishing Inc. (stylized as EMPIRE) is an independent American record label, distribution and publishing company founded in 2010 by Ghazi Shami. Based in San Francisco, EMPIRE has offices in New York, London, Lagos, and Johannesburg in addition to recording studios in San Francisco and New York.

Contents

Shami, a San Francisco native with a background in music and tech, founded Empire as a digital distribution company focused on hip-hop and rap. Developing proprietary software that allowed managers and artists to easily track airplay and sales, Empire paid monthly royalties to artists, many of whom had not previously earned digital revenue, and gained early support from the Bay Area's artist community.

In 2014, Shami, known as Ghazi, launched the Empire label. Empire Africa, Empire Latino, and Empire Nashville divisions were later established. Since its founding—in partnership with artists and artist labels—Empire has released music by artists including Kendrick Lamar, Anderson .Paak, Fat Joe, Tyga, Asake, Fireboy DML, XXXTentacion, Philthy Rich, Young Dolph, Key Glock, King Von, Tink, Black Sherif, Yung Bleu, D Smoke, T-Pain, Snoop Dogg, DRAM,Cardi B and Emtee, among others. Empire Publishing was founded in 2020.

History

2010-2014: Founding, early success

Empire was founded in by Ghazi Shami. Raised in San Francisco, he grew up listening to Bay Area artists such as Too Short, Spice 1, RBL Posse, Souls of Mischief, Luniz, JT the Bigga Figga, and Rappin' 4-Tay. Equally interested in music and technology, in college he worked at the tech companies Sun Microsystems, Eloquent Technologies and Audio Highway; he later worked at Hyde Street Studios, where he engineered and mixed music by artists including Messy Marv, Planet Asia and Too Short. [1]

In 2006, he was hired at INgrooves Music Group, an independent distribution and marketing company. While he had written code and built out streaming media sites since he was a teenager, at INgrooves, he learned about the intricacies of digital distribution, artist contracts, and royalties. Helping to build the company's rap division, he signed DIY artists representative of the Bay Area sound and culture, often introducing them to online revenue streams. [2]

Ghazi founded Empire from his home in the Potrero neighborhood of San Francisco in 2010. In a 2019 interview, he said: "This company wouldn't exist if I wasn’t born and bred in the Bay; in SF and Silicon Valley. This company is as much a software company as it is a music company. It’d be a disservice to the roots, to the origin, to everything that I stand for, if this company wasn't firmly planted or rooted here." [3]

Initially focused on rap, Empire's backend technology bypassed the existing digital distribution system and delivered music directly to streaming and retail platforms quickly to capitalize on the viral momentum of the genre's traditional rapid-fire releases. Contracts were non-exclusive and proprietary software allowed managers and artists to easily track royalties, which were paid monthly. [4] [5] The company's core practices, in addition to Ghazi's relationships, attracted artists, and as Empire gained traction, Ghazi hired Nima Etminan as his second-in-command. [3] Etminan later became the company's COO. [6]

2014-2020: Empire Records, Empire Latino, Empire Nashville

With its digital distribution platform successful, Empire established Empire Records. Among others, the label released Anderson .Paak’s album Malibu, which earned .Paak a Grammy nomination in the Best New Artist, category, as well as Fat Joe’s “All The Way Up” and DRAM’s “Broccoli.” Young Dolph turned down a $22 million major label deal to sign with Empire and remain independent. In an interview with Variety, Dolph said: "Empire is on deck with people who love to do this shit just as much as I do...whether you got money to deal with it or no money to deal with it, the best relationships are going to be the ones where you understand each other." [7]

In 2017, XXXTentacion's debut album, 17, was released on Empire. It charted at #2 on the Billboard Top 200. His sophomore album was released on Capitol. He returned to re-sign with Empire a month before his death; The New York Times reported that the deal was worth $10 million. [8] XXXTentacion's posthumous album, Skins, debuted at #1 on the Billboard album chart. [9] [10]

In 2018, Tina Davis, previously an artist manager and a head of A&R at Def Jam, was named SVP of A&R, [11] and a partnership with L.A. Reid's Hitco was announced. [12] King Von's Empire-distributed song "Crazy Story" was a 3x platinum viral hit. [13] He subsequently signed with Empire, releasing the mixtape, Grandson, which became one of the label's most successful releases. [14] Empire also worked with Tyga in 2018; the track "Taste", was 9x platinum as of 2023. [15]

Empire began working with Latino artists including Tego Calderón and Luis Enrique in 2012, and in 2018 established Empire Latino. [16] In 2019, Empire Latino had its first hit with Puerto Rican reggaeton artist Jay Wheeler; as of 2023, his song La Curiosidad was 8x platinum. [17]

A country music division, Empire Nashville, was founded in 2019. [18]

2020 - present: Empire Publishing, Empire Africa, Blackground

In 2020, after developing proprietary software specific to music publishing that provided transparency similar to Empire's royalty software, Empire established a publishing division. Initial signings included Illmind, Nebu Kiniza, Dr Zeus and Empire artists Young Dolph, Key Glock, Mozzy, Fireboy DML,Yung Bleu and RJMrLA. [19]

In partnership with Olamide and his label, YBNL Nation, [20] Empire Africa's first signing was Nigerian Afrobeats artist Fireboy DML. [6] His 2021 single "Peru", remixed by Ed Sheeran, was a global hit. With subsequent signings including Asake, Burna Boy, BNXN and Kizz Daniels, Empire Africa became a preeminent Afrobeats label; on Nigeria's year-end TurnTable Charts, Empire had the top three artists, the top two songs, and the top album. Empire releases held the #1 position on the Nigerian charts for 35 weeks over the course of the year. [6]

Empire began investing in the Detroit hip-hop scene not long after the company was founded. In a 2022 interview with Billboard, Ghazi said he felt a strong connection between San Francisco and Detroit. The label signed Babyface Ray in 2017, and by 2022 had signed 10 artists, including Peezy, Babytron, Payroll Giovanni, and Rio Da Yung OG. [21] Peezy’s "2 Million Up" went viral on TikTok and hit seven Billboard charts, including the Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay, Rap Airplay and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. [22]

In October 2022, Empire acquired the Bay area-founded dance label, Dirtybird. [23] In January 2023, a partnership with the Web3 investment platform, Nebula, was announced. It was also announced that Money Man, who was paid in Bitcoin when he signed with Empire in 2021, [24] would release his EP on the Nebula platform. [25]

In June 2023, Davis was named president of the company. [26]

Awards and nominations

Grammy Awards

YearNominee / workAwardResult
2015 "Out of Many, One Music" (Shaggy) Best Reggae Album Nominated
2016 "Strictly Roots" (Morgan Heritage)Best Reggae AlbumWon
2017 "Malibu" (Anderson .Paak) Best New Artist Nominated
"Malibu" (Anderson .Paak) Best Urban Contemporary Album Nominated
"All The Way Up" (Fat Joe & Remy Ma) Best Rap Performance Nominated
"All The Way Up" (Fat Joe & Remy Ma) Best Rap Song Nominated
"Broccoli" (DRAM) Best Rap/Sung Performance Nominated
"Rose Petals EP" (J Boog)Best Reggae AlbumNominated

Notable artists

Selected discography

YearCatTitleArtist(s)DetailsCertifications
2010ERE Authenticity The Foreign Exchange Oct 12, 2010#145 on the Billboard 200
#23 US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
2011ERE Setbacks ScHoolboy Q Jan 11, 2011#100 on the US Billboard 200
ERE Longterm Mentality Ab-Soul April 5, 2011#32 on the US Top Heatseekers
#73 on the US Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums
ERE Section.80 Kendrick Lamar July 2, 2011#113 on the US Billboard 200
#1 on the US Top Heatseekers Albums
ERE Charity Starts At Home Phonte Sep 27, 2011
EREIn None We Trust Crooked I Nov 17, 2011
EREGift Of Gab 2 Rocko Nov 24, 2011
2012EREDirty Slums Slum Village Mar 27, 2012
ERE Stoner's EP Snoop Dogg April 17, 2012#31 on the US Independent Albums
#33 on the US Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums
ERE Don't Be S.A.F.E. Trinidad James Sep 18, 2012#103 on the US Billboard 200
#8 on the US Top Heatseekers Albums
ERE Baby Face Killa Freddie Gibbs Sep 25, 2012
2013EREStill Goin In (Reloaded) Rich Homie Quan Feb 8, 2013Named tenth best mixtape of 2013 by Rolling Stone .
ERE The Year of the Underdogz Young Noble & Gage GullyMay 7, 2013
ERE West Coast Gangsta Shit Daz Dillinger and WC June 19, 2013
ERE ESGN (Evil Seeds Grow Naturally) Freddie Gibbs June 20, 2013#8 on US Top Heatseekers Albums [27]
#24 on US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
ERECold Turkey Starlito July 2, 2013
ERE108 Apex Predator Crooked I July 30, 2013#33 on US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums [28]
ERE110 3ChordFold Terrace Martin Aug 13, 2013#43 on US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
#9 on US Top Heatseekers Albums
ERETravis Garland Travis Garland Sep 10, 2013
EREGas Pedal EP Sage The Gemini Sep 10, 2013
ERE O.K.E. (Deluxe Edition) The Game Oct 8, 2013#89 on the US Billboard 200
#19 on the US Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums
ERE Knock Madness Hopsin Nov 24, 2013#1 on US Top Heatseekers Albums
#7 on US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
#6 on US Independent Albums
2014ERE135Tortoise and the Crow CDGrouch, Eligh Mar 04, 2014
ERE139 Phantom and the Ghost Styles P Apr 29, 2014#74 on US Billboard 200
#14 on US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
#18 on US Independent Albums
ERE Barrel Brothers Skyzoo and Torae May 27, 2014
ERE141 Venice Anderson .Paak Oct 28, 2014
2015ERE Strictly Roots Morgan Heritage June 8, 2015Grammy Award Winning : Best Reggae Album
ERE141 Fuk Wat They Talkin Bout Tyga Aug 24, 2015
ERE141 Shadow of a Doubt Freddie Gibbs Nov 20, 2015#76 on US Billboard 200
2016ERE141 Malibu Anderson .Paak Jan 15, 2016#79 on US Billboard 200
ERE141 King of Memphis Young Dolph Feb 19, 2016#49 on US Billboard 200
2017ERE310 Plata O Plomo Fat Joe and Remy Ma Feb 17, 2017#44 on US Billboard 200
ERE344 Neva Left Snoop DoggMay 19, 2017#54 on US Billboard 200
EREFor Your Girl Too Selfish May 23, 2017
ERE BitchImTheShit2 TygaJul 21, 2017
ERE 17 XXXTentacion Aug 25, 2017#2 on US Billboard 200
2018ERE381 Kyoto TygaFeb 16, 2018
ERE453 Tru LP Lloyd Aug 31, 2018
ERE Dancing Shadows Mario Oct 5, 2018
ERE Skins XXXTentacionDec 7, 2018#1 on US Billboard 200
2019ERE Walk with Me Rotimi May 24, 2019
ERE Legendary TygaJun 7, 2019#17 on US Billboard 200
ERE In My Defense Iggy Azalea Jul 19, 2019#50 on US Billboard 200
ERE524 I Wanna Thank Me Snoop DoggAug 16, 2019#76 on US Billboard 200
ERE Wicked Lips Iggy AzaleaDec 2, 2019
ERE537 Bad Vibes Forever XXXTentacionDec 6, 2019#5 on US Billboard 200


Notable singles

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aftermath Entertainment</span> American record label

Aftermath Entertainment is an American record label founded by hip hop producer and rapper Dr. Dre in 1996. It operates as a subsidiary of Universal Music Group, and is distributed through Interscope Records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yung Joc</span> American rapper

Jasiel Amon Robinson, better known by his stage name Yung Joc, is an American rapper from Atlanta, Georgia. He is best known for his 2006 single "It's Goin' Down", which peaked at number three on the Billboard Hot 100. Prior to its release, he signed with Puff Daddy's Bad Boy South, an imprint of Atlantic Records in a joint venture with Block Entertainment; the song served as the lead single for his debut studio album, New Joc City (2006). The album and its sequel, Hustlenomics (2007) both peaked at number three on the Billboard 200 despite mixed critical responses. He is also known for his guest appearance on T-Pain's 2007 single "Buy U a Drank ", which peaked atop the Billboard Hot 100.

Young Money Entertainment is an American record label founded by rapper Lil Wayne in 2005. It was launched as an imprint of Cash Money Records — a joint venture colloquially branded as Young Money Cash Money Billionaires — and Republic Records until 2018, after which the label operated severally as an imprint of latter. Wayne's longtime affiliate, rapper Mack Maine was appointed the company's president in 2009.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Young Dolph</span> American rapper (1985–2021)

Adolph Robert Thornton Jr., better known by his stage name Young Dolph, was an American rapper from Memphis, Tennessee. He first garnered mainstream attention for his guest appearance on O.T. Genasis' 2015 single "Cut It", which peaked within the top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100. The following year, he released his debut studio album King of Memphis (2016), which peaked at number 49 on the Billboard 200. His fifth album, Rich Slave (2020), peaked at number four on the chart.

<i>Rich Gang</i> (album) 2013 studio album by Rich Gang

Rich Gang is the debut studio album by American record labels Young Money and Cash Money as the supergroup Rich Gang. The album was released July 23, 2013, by Young Money Entertainment, Cash Money Records and Republic Records. The album contains contributions from several YMCMB members, including Birdman, Lil Wayne, Nicki Minaj, Tyga, Mack Maine, Limp Bizkit, Bow Wow, Ace Hood, Jae Millz, Cory Gunz, Gudda Gudda, Caskey, Detail, Busta Rhymes and Mystikal. The compilation also features guest appearances from artists outside the labels, including Future, Meek Mill, French Montana, T.I., Yo Gotti, Flo Rida, Chris Brown, Rick Ross, the Game, Kendrick Lamar, and R. Kelly. Rich Gang was supported by the three singles: "Tapout", which peaked at number 45 on the Billboard Hot 100, along with "We Been On" and "50 Plates".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Olamide</span> Nigerian rapper and singer (born 1989)

Olamide Gbenga Adedeji is a Nigerian rapper, singer, songwriter, and record executive. He is regarded as one of the most influential artists in Africa, he has been pivotal to the creative and commercial success of several Afrobeats music stars, and is consistently praised for his role in elevating street pop to mainstream recognition as a distinct music genre. He records in Yoruba and English. In 2011, he released his debut studio album Rapsodi while signed to Coded Tunes. YBNL, his follow-up album, was released under his label imprint "Yahoo Boy No Laptop", aka YBNL Nation. The album was supported by the singles "First of All", "Voice of the Street", "Stupid Love", and "Ilefo Illuminati". On 7 November 2013, he released his third studio album Baddest Guy Ever Liveth. The album's singles include "Durosoke" and "Yemi My Lover". On 17 July 2013, Olamide became the first Nigerian to sign an endorsement deal with Cîroc.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gudda Gudda</span> American rapper from Louisiana

Carl Eugene Lilly Jr., better known by his stage name Gudda Gudda, is an American rapper from New Orleans. He was originally a member of Sqad Up with Kidd Kidd and Lil Wayne. After forging a long-time friendship with Wayne, he signed to Young Money Entertainment, and later Republic Records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">YBNL Nation</span> Record label in Lagos, Nigeria

Yahoo Boy No Laptop Nation, popularly known as YBNL Nation or simply YBNL, is an independent record label founded by Olamide in 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">XXXTentacion discography</span>

XXXTentacion was an American rapper who released four studio albums, one compilation album, two mixtapes, four collaborative mixtapes, ten extended plays and 29 singles. As of June 2018, he sold more than 25 million album-equivalent units in the United States. XXXTentacion was awarded for sales of over 20 million records by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). As of October 2020, he has sold more than 75 million records in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Taste (song)</span> 2018 single by Tyga featuring Offset

"Taste" is a single by American rapper Tyga featuring fellow American rapper Offset. It was released on May 16, 2018, for streaming and digital download by Last Kings Music and Empire Distribution as the lead single for his seventh album Legendary (2019). The song was produced by D.A. Got That Dope. The single peaked at number eight on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming his first chart entry in three years. The song marked a career comeback for Tyga as a solo artist, and it is the second highest-charting single of his career behind "Rack City" from 2011.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ski Mask the Slump God</span> American rapper (born 1996)

Stokeley Clevon Goulbourne, known professionally as Ski Mask the Slump God, is an American rapper. He is best known for his association with XXXTentacion, with whom he formed the hip hop collective Members Only in 2014. He is notable for his nostalgic-themed musical production and public image, often clad with multi-colored durags. He signed with Victor Victor Worldwide, an imprint of Republic Records to release his debut commercial mixtape You Will Regret (2017), which entered the Billboard 200 and spawned the platinum-certified singles "BabyWipe", "Take a Step Back", and "Catch Me Outside".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dip (song)</span> 2018 song by Tyga and Nicki Minaj

"Dip" is a song recorded by American rapper Tyga for his seventh studio album Legendary (2019). It was released on September 19, 2018, by Last Kings Records and Empire Distribution as the third single from the album. An alternate version of the song featuring rapper Nicki Minaj was released on October 29, 2018, along with an accompanying music video.

Craig J. Gordwin, known professionally as Craig Xen, is an American rapper. He is best known for his collaborations with XXXTentacion and hip hop collective Members Only. He retired from the music industry in 2020. He returned in 2024 with the release of the singles "lost without u" and "Back For You".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Key Glock</span> American rapper (born 1997)

Markeyvius LaShun Cathey, known professionally as Key Glock, is an American rapper from Memphis, Tennessee. The cousin of late fellow Memphis-based rapper Young Dolph, Cathey signed with his record label, Paper Route Empire, to release his commercial mixtape, Glock Season (2017). His debut studio album, Yellow Tape (2020), peaked at number 14 on the Billboard 200 and received gold certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). His second album, Yellow Tape 2 (2021), peaked at number seven on the chart and spawned the platinum-certified single "Ambition for Cash", as well as "Proud", which was released in the wake of Dolph's death and marked his first entry on the Billboard Hot 100. His third album, Glockoma 2 (2023), spawned the sleeper hit single "Let's Go"—his second entry on the chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fireboy DML</span> Nigerian singer

Adedamola Oyinlola Adefolahan, who is known professionally as Fireboy DML, is a Nigerian singer and songwriter. He is signed to YBNL Nation, a record label founded by rapper Olamide. His debut studio album, Laughter, Tears and Goosebumps, was released in 2019. He won Listener's Choice and was nominated for Song of the Year for "Jealous" at the 2020 Soundcity MVP Awards Festival.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">You're Mines Still</span> 2020 song by Yung Bleu

"You're Mines Still" is a song by American rapper Yung Bleu. It was released on October 2, 2020, as the third track from his EP Love Scars: The 5 Stages of Emotions. A remix featuring Canadian rapper Drake was released on October 16, 2020, as part of the deluxe version of the EP and was later included on his debut studio album Moon Boy (2021). The remix came about after basketball player DeMarcus Cousins reached out to both artists, urging them to collaborate. The soft, melodic song finds the two harmonizing about their ex-lovers who they still hold on to. An unofficial remix called "You're Not Mines Still" was made by Chloe Bailey, one half of the duo Chloe x Halle.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yung Bleu</span> American rapper and singer

Jeremy Biddle, known professionally as Yung Bleu or Bleu, is an American rapper and singer. He is best known for his 2020 single "You're Mines Still", which peaked at number 18 on the Billboard Hot 100 after it was remixed by Canadian rapper Drake.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blxst</span> American rapper (born 1992)

Matthew Dean Burdette, known professionally as Blxst, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer from Los Angeles, California. He signed with Red Bull Records to release his debut extended play (EP), No Love Lost (2020). It spawned the single "Chosen", which peaked at number 51 on the Billboard Hot 100 and received platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). His 2022 single, "Die Hard" peaked at number five on the chart and remains his highest-charting song. His debut mixtape, Before You Go (2022), was released in April of that year and meekly entered the Billboard 200, while his debut studio album, I'll Always Come Find You (2024), failed to chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peru (song)</span> 2021 single by Fireboy DML

"Peru" is a song by Nigerian singer Fireboy DML. It was released on 20 July 2021, through YBNL Nation, and distributed by Empire. "Peru" was written by Fireboy DML, Ivory Scott, & Kolten Perine and produced by Shizzi & Perine. On 23 December 2021, a reworked version of "Peru" was released, in collaboration with English singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran. The music video for the version with Sheeran was released on 24 December 2021. An additional remix, featuring rappers 21 Savage and Blxst was also later released. The song was nominated at the 7th annual African Entertainment Awards USA for Song of the Year. The song is not about the country of Peru, but rather a reference to Nigerian singer Peruzzi; the government of Peru nonetheless reacted positively to the song on Twitter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ghazi Shami</span> Palestinian-American music technologist, record producer, audio engineer and entrepreneur

Ghazi Shami is a Palestinian-American music technologist, record producer, audio engineer, entrepreneur, CEO and founder of Empire Distribution. Empire Distribution was founded in 2010 in San Francisco, California. Empire Distribution has offices in New York, Nashville, the UK and the Middle East.

References

  1. Ruskin, Zack (February 6, 2019). "How Empire founder Ghazi Shami built San Francisco a new musical kingdom". Datebook | San Francisco Arts & Entertainment Guide. Retrieved March 10, 2024.
  2. Hunte, Justin (January 14, 2016). "EMPIRE: The Music Industry's Quiet Giant". HipHopDX. Retrieved March 10, 2024.
  3. 1 2 "How EMPIRE Became A Music Industry Giant In An Unlikely City | GRAMMY.com". grammy.com. Retrieved March 10, 2024.
  4. Hissong, Samantha (October 29, 2020). "Empire's Founder Ghazi Shami -- Future 25". Rolling Stone. Retrieved March 10, 2024.
  5. Rys, Dan (October 20, 2016). "Hip-Hop's Other EMPIRE: How Indie Distributor Is Quietly Owning the Rap Game". Billboard. Retrieved March 10, 2024.
  6. 1 2 3 Rys, Dan (May 12, 2023). "From the Bay Area to Africa, How EMPIRE Became A Global Force". Billboard. Retrieved March 10, 2024.
  7. Ju, Shirley (October 21, 2019). "How Rappers Young Dolph and Key Glock Turned Street Smarts Into Business Savvy". Variety. Retrieved March 11, 2024.
  8. Sisario, Ben; Coscarelli, Joe (July 8, 2018). "XXXTentacion Signed $10 Million Album Deal Before His Death". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved March 11, 2024.
  9. Caulfield, Keith (December 17, 2018). "XXXTentacion's 'Skins' Album Debuts at No. 1 on Billboard 200 Chart". Billboard. Retrieved March 11, 2024.
  10. "Gold & Platinum certifications, Tyga". RIAA. Retrieved March 11, 2024.
  11. "Needle on the Record". East Bay Express | Oakland, Berkeley & Alameda. October 31, 2023. Retrieved March 11, 2024.
  12. Karp, Hannah (March 26, 2018). "L.A. Reid's Hitco Ramps Up With 25 Hires and Handful Of New Acts". Billboard. Retrieved March 11, 2024.
  13. ""Crazy Story" certifications". RIAA. Retrieved February 13, 2024.
  14. Gage, Dewayne (March 4, 2022). "King Von Was One of Rap's Most Promising Stars. His Friends Want to Make Sure He Isn't Forgotten". Rolling Stone. Retrieved March 11, 2024.
  15. "Tyga, Gold & Platinum certifications, "Taste"". RIAA. Retrieved March 11, 2024.
  16. Suarez, Gary (January 30, 2019). "After A Breakthrough Year, What's Next For Música Urbana?". VIBE.com. Retrieved March 11, 2024.
  17. ""La Curiosidad" Gold & Platinum certification". RIAA. Retrieved March 11, 2024.
  18. Cantrell, L. B. (March 1, 2021). "EMPIRE Nashville's Eric Hurt And Heather Vassar Talk Early Success [Interview]". MusicRow.com. Retrieved February 14, 2024.
  19. Aswad, Jem (September 10, 2020). "Empire Launches Publishing Division". Variety. Retrieved March 11, 2024.
  20. Rys, Dan (March 2, 2022). "EMPIRE's Ghazi On Expansion Into Africa, Nashville and Crypto: 'We're The King Of The Multisector'". Billboard. Retrieved March 11, 2024.
  21. Rouhani, Neena (October 12, 2022). "The Promise & Perseverance of Detroit Rap's Rising Stars". Billboard. Retrieved March 11, 2024.
  22. Rouhani, Neena (May 1, 2023). "How Peezy Went 'Against the Grain' & Achieved a Top 10 Rap Hit". Billboard. Retrieved March 11, 2024.
  23. Bain, Katie (October 20, 2022). "Claude VonStroke's Dirtybird Label Acquired By EMPIRE". Billboard. Retrieved March 10, 2024.
  24. "Empire pays rapper Money Man's million-dollar advance in Bitcoin". www.musicweek.com. Retrieved March 11, 2024.
  25. "EMPIRE partners with Web3 music investment platform Nebula". Music Business Worldwide. January 23, 2023. Retrieved March 11, 2024.
  26. "Tina Davis promoted to President at EMPIRE". Music Business Worldwide. June 27, 2023. Retrieved March 11, 2024.
  27. "Heatseekers Albums : Jul 06, 2013 | Billboard Chart Archive". Billboard. July 6, 2013. Archived from the original on August 7, 2013. Retrieved August 27, 2013.
  28. "Crooked I – Chart history". Billboard. Archived from the original on December 17, 2018. Retrieved October 15, 2013.
  29. Cantor, Paul (October 30, 2015). "Singer-Rapper D.R.A.M. Explains Why He Feels Drake 'Jacked' His Record". Billboard. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
  30. Weiner, Natalie (May 21, 2015). "Jermaine Dupri & Bow Wow Are Just Wondering 'WYA (Where You At?)': Exclusive Premiere". Billboard. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
  31. "Nef the Pharaoh: "Big Tymin'"". Pitchfork. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
  32. "Popcaan Is Gloriously Inebriated On "Never Sober"". The FADER. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
  33. Legaspi, Althea (February 22, 2019). "Hear Adam Lambert's Achingly Yearning New Song 'Feel Something'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
  34. Black, Adrienne. "Free Nationals Drop Vivid "Beauty & Essex" Video f/ Daniel Caesar & Unknown Mortal Orchestra". Complex. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
  35. "Busta Rhymes And Anderson .Paak's 'Yuuuu' Portrays Them As Enemies". UPROXX. September 18, 2020. Retrieved January 26, 2024.