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Universal production music division launches new urban label
By Andy Malt | Published on Thursday 23 April 2015
Universal Music Publishing’s production music division has announced the launch of a new urban and hip hop-focussed unit, called Block, in partnership with management company London Boy Entertainment.
Working with artists and producers from LBE’s roster, including ADP, Alan Sampson, Levi Lennox and Tiago, the label will launch with a number of albums aimed at commercial use in film, TV, radio and advertising, drawing on trends in both UK and US urban music.
Universal Publishing Production Music’s Kris Pilling, who will act as the new label’s Senior Producer, said in a statement: “Production music clients love authentic urban music. It’s still quite an untouched landscape, so we’re thrilled to have Block in our arsenal as it means we can offer content producers a quality of urban music that has only ever been available on the commercial side. Block really does bridge the gap between commercial music and production music, and we are all very excited about its potential”.
LBE MD Sef Naqui added: “The beauty of Block is that we’re putting out music from the same pool of tracks that are being pitched to contemporary recording artists and labels across the world. UPPM works with us to select their favourites and then we act real quick to ensure they’re not signed up else where first. We’ve got such a strong set of producers now that we’ve got enough material to cover all channels”.
Block joins a number of other urban-leaning labels under UPPM, including Chuck D Presents, Hip Hop Chronicles, Chronic Trax, and Velocity.