Mary J. Blige has teamed up with Primary Wave Music in a deal tied to her songs and recordings. The nine-time Grammy winner will also get help with promotion, publishing, branding, and music placements through the firm's services.
One detail is still unclear. Neither side has shared the price or said if Primary Wave bought any part of Blige's music rights. There is also no mention of a deal for her name, image, or likeness.
The agreement covers fan picks such as Family Affair, My Life, Mary Jane (All Night Long), You Bring Me Joy, Be Happy, Be Without You, and I Can Love You. Plenty of R&B history in that group.
Much of Blige's album work first came out through MCA and Geffen, with those catalogs linked to Universal Music Group. Her broader music career spans 15 studio releases, two live projects, and 83 singles. Global record sales have passed 50 million.
Natalia Nastaskin, a partner and chief content officer at Primary Wave, has been a fan since she first heard You Remind Me on New York's KISS-FM. She views the deal as a chance to work with an artist whose songs have stayed popular for decades.
That early track came from Blige's debut, What's the 411?, and reached No. 29 on the Hot 100. Family Affair later became her sole chart leader, holding No. 1 for six weeks.
Be Without You brought her two Grammy wins for Best R&B Song and Best Female R&B Vocal Performance. Across her career, Blige has earned 37 Grammy nods and a place in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Her My Life album also made it into the Library of Congress National Recording Registry. Outside music, Mudbound earned her two Oscar nominations, one for acting and another for the song Mighty River.
And Blige has been busy onstage. Her first Las Vegas residency, My Life, My Story, is running at Dolby Live inside Park MGM. The 20-show run is set to wrap up after its final scheduled performances.
Primary Wave has been active on the catalog deal side as well. Brian Vander Ark of The Verve Pipe recently joined its roster through an agreement for his songs and recordings.
Other deals have brought in rights tied to Robert Palmer, Wilson Pickett, and Donna Summer. Those pacts also involved parts of the artists' identity rights, a point that sets them apart from the terms made public for Blige.
The Larry Mestel-led publisher has also made some large financial moves. Its Kobalt purchase carried a value near $1.5 billion, while its fourth music fund closed at $2.225 billion, above its $1.5 billion goal and $2 billion cap.
Mestel founded Primary Wave in 2006, and its music portfolio spans major names such as Bob Marley, Prince, Whitney Houston, James Brown, Ray Charles, and Smokey Robinson. Blige is the latest artist to join that wider catalog business.
One detail is still unclear. Neither side has shared the price or said if Primary Wave bought any part of Blige's music rights. There is also no mention of a deal for her name, image, or likeness.
The agreement covers fan picks such as Family Affair, My Life, Mary Jane (All Night Long), You Bring Me Joy, Be Happy, Be Without You, and I Can Love You. Plenty of R&B history in that group.
Much of Blige's album work first came out through MCA and Geffen, with those catalogs linked to Universal Music Group. Her broader music career spans 15 studio releases, two live projects, and 83 singles. Global record sales have passed 50 million.
Natalia Nastaskin, a partner and chief content officer at Primary Wave, has been a fan since she first heard You Remind Me on New York's KISS-FM. She views the deal as a chance to work with an artist whose songs have stayed popular for decades.
That early track came from Blige's debut, What's the 411?, and reached No. 29 on the Hot 100. Family Affair later became her sole chart leader, holding No. 1 for six weeks.
Be Without You brought her two Grammy wins for Best R&B Song and Best Female R&B Vocal Performance. Across her career, Blige has earned 37 Grammy nods and a place in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Her My Life album also made it into the Library of Congress National Recording Registry. Outside music, Mudbound earned her two Oscar nominations, one for acting and another for the song Mighty River.
And Blige has been busy onstage. Her first Las Vegas residency, My Life, My Story, is running at Dolby Live inside Park MGM. The 20-show run is set to wrap up after its final scheduled performances.
Primary Wave has been active on the catalog deal side as well. Brian Vander Ark of The Verve Pipe recently joined its roster through an agreement for his songs and recordings.
Other deals have brought in rights tied to Robert Palmer, Wilson Pickett, and Donna Summer. Those pacts also involved parts of the artists' identity rights, a point that sets them apart from the terms made public for Blige.
The Larry Mestel-led publisher has also made some large financial moves. Its Kobalt purchase carried a value near $1.5 billion, while its fourth music fund closed at $2.225 billion, above its $1.5 billion goal and $2 billion cap.
Mestel founded Primary Wave in 2006, and its music portfolio spans major names such as Bob Marley, Prince, Whitney Houston, James Brown, Ray Charles, and Smokey Robinson. Blige is the latest artist to join that wider catalog business.
