New York, NY (Top40 Charts) Earlier this year, R&B singer/songwriter
Kevin Ross parted ways with his long-time label home Motown Records and formed his own imprint, Art Society
Music Group. Today, the award-winning recording artist is pleased to announce his partnership with global music distributor, EMPIRE. "I'm excited for the partnership between my company Art Society
Music Group and EMPIRE. I'm ready to release the new project and grateful for the team that's behind me to help me put it out to the world." said Ross about the new venture.
Headquartered in San Francisco, EMPIRE was founded in 2010 by music tech graduate Ghazi Shami and has become the leading independent distributor for urban music in the U.S. The label is currently home to R&B artists such as PJ Morton, Sammie, Rotimi, Trevor Jackson, MAJOR. and many others. The label also handles the distribution for imprints lead by top music acts like Iggy Azalea, Kendrick Lamar, and LA Reid.
In this new multi-year deal, EMPIRE will be overseeing the release of new music from Ross which includes the highly anticipated follow-up to his 2017 debut The Awakening. "It's very rare when you get to collaborate with talented people." says Delante Murphy, A&R for EMPIRE. "My friend for a number of years, the incomparable
Kevin Ross, renowned musician, artist, writer, producer, and songwriter whose skills akin to legends like Stevie Wonder, John Lennon, and Bob Dylan. After years of building, I'm glad to finally be working with him here at EMPIRE to create some of the best art sonically."
EMPIRE founder Ghazi said of Ross' signing, "Kevin is a talented and versatile singer/songwriter. We're excited to welcome him to EMPIRE as he continues to craft timeless R&B music."
The Awakening earned
Kevin Ross his first Billboard #1 single ('Long Song Away') and notable award nominations from Soul Train, the NAACP and iHeart Radio. In 2017, Ross was recognized as one of "10 New Artists You Need to Know" by Rolling Stone magazine. He's garnered a loyal social media following through his viral mash-up music videos that have reached over 30 million views to date. Ross is preparing to release his sophomore album, Audacity, via Art Society
Music Group/EMPIRE this fall.
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Kevin Ross is a multi-faceted singer, songwriter and producer who had quickly gone from performing once every three months to opening for R&B/Soul legend
Maxwell five times a week.
Ross, who began his career as a songwriter, got his big break when he secured his first placement with
Jamie Foxx after graduating from college. In 2012, the Washington, D.C. native signed a major recording deal with Motown Records and released his first major project, Dialogue in the Grey (EP), two years later.
2014 proved to be a breakout year for
Kevin Ross. Known for his soul-drenched, buttery, smooth vocals, he was named AOL's "Best New Artist of 2014" and landed a national holiday campaign with Glade that brought joy to American households across the country. His journey to the stardom, however, wasn't an easy one. "I would take odd jobs to make ends meet and keep the lights on. Odd job during the day…studio at night." he explained. "I had a few placements under my belt but none of them could sustain me. I had to do what I had to do." Ross maintained his star power via social media by showcasing his undeniable talent through a series of mash-up music videos. "My mash-up videos are something that helps stretch my musicality and creativity." he says.
After a few delays, Ross released his long-awaited debut full length album The Awakening in March of 2017. The album's first single, "Long Song Away" peaked at #1 on Billboard's Adult R&B Song chart and at Urban Contemporary
Radio with the follow up single "
Don't Go" cracking the Top 15. The chart-topping success of The Awakening led to Ross receiving several award nominations: Best New Artist (Soul
Train Awards), Outstanding New Artist (NAACP Image Awards), and New R&B Artist (iHeart
Radio Awards) and headlining his first national tour. In
September of that same year, he released his third studio project, Drive (EP).
Following the release of Drive (EP), Ross found himself in a transition that led to a brief hiatus from music. He's been hard at work in the studio preparing new music for fans that have been patiently awaiting his return to enjoy. Luckily, they won't have to wait for long. Audacity, Ross' fourth studio project, is slated to be independently released in Fall of 2019. "Creating Audacity has been an exciting process for me. I really followed my instincts and let the music guide me the whole way." he says. "This album has a lot more grit to it. It introduces new sides of me while still reinforcing the essence of my art."
Look for
Kevin Ross' first single, "Thing Called Love" in Fall 2019.
