Influence Media Partners has made another multi-million dollar acquisition since forming a $750 million fund with BlackRock and Warner Music Group.
The US-based music and rights company, founded by Lylette Pizarro in 2019, has acquired the publishing catalog of Grammy-award-winning rapper Future, in what it says is an “eight-figure” deal (somewhere between $10 million and $99 million), without disclosing the actual sum involved.
“The impressive catalog marks Influence Media’s latest eight-figure acquisition and builds on the company’s commitment to investing in modern evergreens and cementing hip-hop and R&B’s high value in the music rights marketplace,” Influence Media said in a statement on Tuesday (September 20).
The transaction covers the Atlanta rapper, singer and producer’s publishing catalog from 2004 to 2020, which spans 612 titles including his chart-topping hits with Drake such as Life Is Good and Jumpman, as well as with artists like Kendrick Lamar (King’s Dead), Rihanna (Selfish), and The Weeknd (Low Life).
The deal also includes Future’s own solo hits like Mask Off.
Future is best known for his work in R&B and hip-hop.
In the first 16 years of his career, Future has produced eight studio albums, four collaborative albums, one reissued album, one soundtrack, 16 mixtapes, four commercial mixtapes, and 114 singles.
Six of his albums have reached No.1 on Billboard’s Hot 200 and he has placed 129 singles on the Billboard Hot 100, with four top 10 hits and two No.1 hit records.
Future also staged performances on Saturday Night Live and Ellen, and in 2019, he won a Grammy award for Best Rap Performance for King’s Dead, alongside Jay Rock, Kendrick Lamar, and James Blake.
Rene McLean, Influence Media Partner and Founding Advisor, said: “Future is a cultural icon. He continues to be a blueprint for impact and success in the music industry and has reinvented music in ways that no one has ever expected.
“Future is a cultural icon. He continues to be a blueprint for impact and success in the music industry and has reinvented music in ways that no one has ever expected.”
Rene McLean, Influence Media
McLean added: “It is rare to find someone who moves music and culture at the same speed with his distinct vocal and melodic style. His prolific career and continued popularity more than 15 years into the game is a testament to his undeniable influence on the contemporary music and culture landscape.”
The acquisition of Future’s music catalog comes about seven months after Influence Media formed a $750 million fund with asset management giant BlackRock (not to be confused with Hipgnosis backer Blackstone) and Warner Music Group to buy stakes in music copyrights.
Influence says that through this fund, the company has invested in over 20 catalogs from artists including Puerto Rican songwriter-producer Tainy, singer-songwriter Julia Michaels, songwriter Ali Tamposi, the The Stereotypes, singer-songwriter Jessie Reyez, and singer-songwriter Skyler Stonestreet.
Back when the fund was announced in February, The Wall Street Journal reported that Influence Media had already spent $300 million from the fund to acquire 20 catalogs including that of Tainy, best known for his work on hits from Bad Bunny, J Balvin, Rosalía and Shawn Mendes.
“We consider Future an artist of the ages. He resonates across a spectrum of demographics.”
Lynn Hazan, Influence Media
He worked with Kanye West as executive producer on the headline-making Donda 2 where he appeared on two tracks.
“We consider Future an artist of the ages. He resonates across a spectrum of demographics. We’re so excited about this partnership, it’s a fitting addition to our growing repertoire of top-tier talent and promotes our forward-thinking mission,” Influence Media Co-Managing Partner, Lynn Hazan, said.Music Business Worldwide
