NEW YORK, NY (Warner
Music Group) - Asylum Records, one of Warner
Music Group Corp.'s (NYSE: WMG) newest labels designed to provide a variety of services to urban and independent music labels and artists, today announced a multi-faceted agreement with Atlanta-based Aphilliates
Music Group.
Asylum Records is a division of WMG's Independent Label Group (ILG), which also includes East West Records and Cordless Recordings.
Aphilliates Music Group was founded in 2003 by acclaimed DJs and music producers DJ Drama, DJ Sense, and Don Cannon with Lason Jackson serving as President. As part of the agreement, Asylum Records will provide marketing, distribution and sales services to Aphilliates Music Group's growing roster of hip-hop artists including Willie The Kid.
In making the announcement, Todd Moscowitz, President, Asylum Records and ILG, said, "Under the leadership of Drama and his partners, Aphilliates has emerged as an innovative and successful independent hip-hop label. We look forward to combining our expertise in independent sales, marketing and distribution to help support and develop these talented entrepreneurs and their roster of DJs and artists."
"We are excited to work with Asylum, it's the perfect home for us. They saw our vision and respected the way we work with our movements currently on our roster. There isn't a better place for us to be than with Asylum," said DJ Drama.
Recently, Vibe Magazine named DJ Drama's "Gangsta Grillz" mixtape series as the 2005 "Mixtape Series of the Year."
Willie The Kid has been writing his own work since the early 1990s and has appeared on multiple Aphilliates Music Group mixtapes. His music has been featured on songs by Juelz Santana and Young Buck.
Since its creation in 2004, Asylum has emerged as a leading destination and partner to music entrepreneurs in the discovery of promising new urban and hip-hop artists. Four of Asylum's releases debuted in the Top 10 of the Billboard charts in the last year and a half. In April 2005, Mike Jones' "Who is Mike Jones?" (Warner Bros./Asylum/SwishaHouse) debuted at No. 3 on Billboard's "Top 200." Webbie's album "Savage Life" (Trill/Asylum) debuted at No. 8 on the Billboard "Top 200" chart in July. Paul Wall's album "The People's Champ" (SwishaHouse/Asylum Records) debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard "Top 200" chart in September. In October, Bun B's "Trill" (Rapalot/Asylum) debuted at No. 6 on the Billboard "Top 200." "Trill" and D4L's "Down for Life" (Dee Money/Asylum) were recently certified Gold.
