Universal Music Group has announced the formation of Def Jam India, a new label subsidiary within India and South Asia dedicated to showcasing the region's top hip-hop and rap talent. Def Jam India, according to the statement, "will follow the blueprint of the Def Jam Recordings label." Rappers Dino James and Fotty Seven are the first flagship artist signings to join Def Jam India, with singles titled "Lost" and "Banjo" due out this month. The announcement comes on the heels of the 2020 launch of Def Jam labels in Africa and Vietnam.
Def Jam has been one of the most important and influential labels in the past decades, with classic releases from LL Cool J, the Beastie Boys, Public Enemy, Method Man, Ghostface, DMX, Ludacris, the Roots, Young Jeezy, Frank Ocean, Logic, and, through a deal with Jay-Roc-A-Fella Z's and Roc Nation labels, Jay, Kanye West, Rihanna, and others.
Devraj Sanyal, Managing Director and CEO, Universal Music India & South Asia, commented on the launch, saying, "The debut of Def Jam India could not come at a better time for music in India." Domestic hip-hop and rap musicians are quickly becoming some of the region's most intriguing talents, taking their rightful place alongside popular national and regional pop, and what better home for those artists than Def Jam, the pioneering global home of hip-hop? Def Jam India will be infused and influenced by local street and rap culture, Indian sounds, and distinctive multi-lingual flows, allowing us to showcase new artists across the country, region, and beyond."
"We're pleased to welcome Def Jam India to the international Def Jam family, following our previous debuts in the United Kingdom, Europe, Africa, and Asia," stated Tunji Balogun, Chairman & CEO of Def Jam Recordings. Hip-hop captures the pulse of global youth culture and documents new tales and voices in real time. Def Jam India will give fans all around the world the chance to explore and experience Indian hip-hop culture at its best, as well as present the region's next generation of cutting-edge artists."
+ Primary Wave Music has agreed to market and manage the repertoire of iconic American composer Henry Mancini. Primary Wave will now represent the late composer's music publishing library, as well as his name and likeness, as part of the arrangement.
Mancini, regarded as one of the finest composers in film history, won four Academy Awards (including two for the songs "Moon River" and "Days of Wine and Roses"), a Golden Globe, and an unprecedented twenty Grammy Awards over his legendary five-decade career.
This agreement includes music from some of Mancini's most popular compositions, including the Oscar-nominated songs "Charade" and "Dear Heart," as well as themes from "The Music of Peter Gunn," which was the first album to win the Grammy for Album of the Year in 1959, and the indelible "Pink Panther Theme."
