Sony‘s Epic Records has scored a coup in the hip-hop world by inking an exclusive partnership with Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs and his label operation Bad Boy Entertainment.
The deal represents something of a reunion for Combs, aka Puff Daddy, and Doug Morris, Chairman & CEO of Sony Music Entertainment.
It was Morris who in 2003, as Universal Music Group Chairman, signed a worldwide distribution deal with Combs for Bad Boy Entertainment at UMG.
Bad Boy subsequently switched to Warner‘s Atlantic, before moving back to UMG with Interscope – a deal which now comes to a close.
The new partnership also brings Combs together with his long-term friend and peer LA Reid, CEO and Chairman of Epic.
Bad Boy’s agreement with Sony’s Epic includes distribution of two new albums from the Grammy award-winning Puff Daddy.
Epic will provide label services for the duo of albums including promotion, marketing, sales and distribution.
“To collaborate with LA Reid is to collaborate with the very best.”
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs
The Epic agreement also includes an ‘exclusive label partnership’ with Bad Boy which include several new music projects, new artist signings and upcoming releases.
“Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs aka Puff Daddy and I have been musical collaborators since the 1990s,” said Epic Records CEO and Chairman LA Reid, “when we both ran independent record labels, myself with LaFace and soon after, Puffy with Bad Boy.
“Over the years, we not only enjoyed incredible success together, but we also became lifelong friends.
“Today, of course, Puffy is truly in a league all his own, continuing to influence culture and ignite musical revolutions time and time again. He’s a true innovator and I could not be more excited to join forces once again.”
Added Combs: “I have known LA Reid since the very beginning and together we have enjoyed countless successes over our long friendship. To now work with LA in this capacity feels more like a homecoming than a new beginning.
“Not only is he a fearless and smart businessman, he believes in artists and understands music better than anyone.
“He embodies hard work and true success, evident in all of his endeavors. To collaborate with LA Reid is to collaborate with the very best.”
“It’s a pleasure being in business with three major music labels as we approach our third decade of making music for our peers and fans,” states Harve Pierre, President of Bad Boy Entertainment, who has been with the company since inception.Music ComeOn
