Capitol Music Group's subsidiary Caroline has signed XXXTentacion to a record deal, multiple sources tell Billboard, with one saying the deal is worth $6 million. The 19-year-old South Florida MC, born Jahseh Onfroy, has emerged as one of the most successful -- and controversial -- new rappers in the industry since his emergence in February of this year with the single "Look At Me." The deal is through indie distributor Caroline, and will cover yet-to-be-released material.
XXXTentacion's debut full-length, 17, was released via Bad Vibes Forever/EMPIRE Records on Aug. 25, and debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200with 87,000 equivalent album units, the largest debut in EMPIRE's history. The album has earned 313,000 equivalent album units in the U.S. through the week ending Oct. 12, according to Nielsen Music.
But Tentacion's rise this year has come under a cloud of legal issues, the most serious stemming from an Oct. 8, 2016 arrest following allegations of domestic violence from a woman who was the MC's girlfriend at the time. He was charged with aggravated battery of a pregnant woman, domestic battery by strangulation, false imprisonment and witness tampering in connection with the allegations; a trial is set to begin Dec. 11.
On Sept. 8, Pitchfork obtained and published excerpts from a 142-page deposition that the MC's alleged victim gave to authorities in January, detailing alleged graphic incidents she claims occurred in the weeks leading up to his arrest. Tentacion has repeatedly denied each claim.
A Capitol representative didn’t immediately return a request for comment.
