Fresh off a $360-million debt financing round backed by music rights, Influence Media Partners has announced a partnership with artist and producer DJ Khaled.
The deal involves the creation of two new joint ventures between Influence Media and Khaled, involving We The Best Music Group, the record label, publisher and production company founded by Khaled.
The JVs will focus on developing and producing content for film and TV, and “secur[ing] legacy-defining commercial ventures,” according to a press release on Tuesday (April 29).
Influence Media Partners has also acquired the recording and publishing rights to DJ Khaled’s catalog in partnership with We The Best.
Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. Citing a source, Variety reports that deal “is in the low nine-figure range”.
Influence Media said in an official press release that it will “expand commercial opportunities for DJ Khaled with name, image and likeness (NIL) rights.”
The company said its strategy to raise DJ Khaled’s profile and drive new fan engagement involves brand partnerships and film and TV content deals. It said there are several film projects already underway as part of the partnership.
“Influence Media was founded on the principle that music can move culture, and few entertainers embody this more than DJ Khaled,” Influence Media Founder and Co-Managing Partner Lylette Pizarro said.
“Our joint venture NIL deal and extended catalog partnership is an alliance that will create boundless opportunities for this creative genius, and will also further establish that DJ Khaled is a rare talent whose abilities extend far beyond the traditional confines of music. His enormous creativity, heart, and drive are matched only by his savvy business instincts and that is why the possibilities of what we can build together in this collaboration are immeasurable.”
“I’m proud that my legacy will continue to resonate and connect with audiences around the world with this partnership through Influence Media. These iconic recordings I’ve created will continue to be curated in the most optimum manner to impact culture with nearly two decades of music,” DJ Khaled said.
“In addition, I’m excited for the world to see and experience the film and television projects Influence and We The Best are developing and producing together. This next phase of my career will be filled with ground-breaking cultural impact, and I look forward to being at the forefront in all categories.”
“Our joint venture NIL deal and extended catalog partnership is an alliance that will create boundless opportunities for this creative genius.”
Lylette Pizarro, Influence Media
Over the course of a two-decade career, DJ Khaled – the stage name of Khaled Mohammed Khaled – has sold some 20 million singles and 6 million albums, and racked up more than 4 billion streams. As an artist and producer, he has seen more than 50 tracks on the US Billboard Hot 100, including the 9x Platinum No. 1 hit I’m The One ft. Justin Bieber, Quavo, Chance the Rapper, and Lil Wayne; Popstar feat. Drake and the double-Platinum No Brainer ft. Justin Bieber, Chance the Rapper, and Quavo, and many others.
DJ Khaled has collaborated with artists ranging from Jay-Z to Rihanna, and his 2017 album Grateful was certified double-Platinum in the US, while his 2019 album Father of Asahd garnered a Platinum certification and became DJ Khaled’s third consecutive top-two debut on the Billboard 200.
“DJ Khaled has had so many iconic eras in his career to date, and we couldn’t be more excited to build ‘another one’ through this first-of-its-kind partnership,” said Rene McLean, Influence Media Partner and CEO of SLANG, the frontline label that Influence launched last year.
“Much in the same way that all the top artists consider a DJ Khaled collab a major career milestone, we think of this as a huge step forward for SLANG.”
The partnership with DJ Khaled comes after Influence Media announced earlier this year it had secured $360 million in debt financing through the company’s first securitization of music rights.
Among the artists whose music rights Influence has invested in over the years are Enrique Iglesias, Blake Shelton, Logic, Future and others. The company has also invested in the rights of producers and songwriters such as Julia Michaels, Tyler Johnson, Ali Tamposi, 30 Roc, and Dre Moon. It also boasts distribution deals with Will Smith, Camper, Leaf, Underachievers, Isaia Huron and others.
The company says it has made over 30 investments in music rights, including NIL rights, go-forward publishing rights, and go-forward recorded music rights.Music Business Worldwide
