Breaking: JoeBoy leaves EMPAWA, Signs To Warner Music, Launches Young Legend label.
After years of career highs, Afrobeats superstar Joeboy is exiting Mr Eazi-owned EMPAWA, and seeking a step up by signing a dual deal with global music giant, Warner music (Home to superstars like Ed Sheeran, Cardi B, Burna Boy, Ckay etc).
The new deal sees Joeboy launch his self-owned entertainment company called Young Legend, as well as being Warner Music’s latest flagship artist out of Africa.
Joeboy exits EMPAWA after 5 successful years where he released two EPs (Love & Light and Body, Soul & Spirit) , two albums (Somewhere Between Beauty & Magic and Body & Soul) and a plethora of hit singles and features.
At his exit, he’s amassed over 2 billion cumulative streams across DSPs.
Under the new Young Legend label, Joeboy will act as the CEO while Deola Jaiyesimi will serve as the Head of Label, with the task of churning out the next set of Afrobeats superstars on a global stage.
Joeboy follows in the footsteps of Olamide, Don Jazzy and his former label boss, Mr.Eazi to create a pipeline to mint new artists.
JoeBoy’s deal with Warner Records is pretty much what he’s always needed. And what has sorely lacked in his career, especially in the last two years.
I had earlier figured he’ll access the majors via a partnership with his former home, EMPAWA. But that didn’t materialize. Even with the explosion of Afrobeats to the world.
You can draw a lack of major label connection to his last two years of stagnation, as Afrobeats to the world amplified and exported our art via contracts and pipelines servicing global markets.
JoeBoy has had 5 years since he hit it big, emerging in 2019 with ‘Baby,’ alongside Rema, Oxlade, and Fireboy. Together they formed the axis of the “new pop sound.”
Over time, we’ve seen how Fireboy accessed EMPIRE via YBNL, Rema and Mavins distributed via major partners across markets.
Warner Music offers JoeBoy the investment and a direct pathway to new markets. A long of history of hits, I’ll expect wider distribution, and a stronger marketing war chest.
For legacy, the partnership also includes his new outfit, Young Legend, where he’ll sign artists and seed them into the music industry. So for the next stage of his career, JoeBoy is both artist and exec at Warner.
Eager to see how he flips it from here.
