Warner Bros. Records has announced an expanded partnership with OVO Sound, the Toronto-based record label co-founded by platinum-selling artist Drake. As part of the expansion, OVO Sound executive Mr. Morgan will now be based in WBR's offices in New York City.
OVO Sound was founded in 2012 by Drake, his co-manager Oliver El-Khatib and producer Noah "40" Shebib. The imprint inked a distribution pact with Warner Bros. that same year. (While Drake was one of OVO's inaugural artists, he is signed to Universal Music Group's Young Money/Cash Money/Republic.)
The refreshed partnership with WBR arrives at a busy time for OVO. Its roster of artists includes rapper-singer PARTYNEXTDOOR (pictured), whose Drake-assisted track "Come and See Me," off last year's PartyNextDoor 3 album, was nominated for a Grammy and is up for a Billboard Music Award later this month.
The label is also expecting new music this year from dvsn
and Roy Woods, and R&B duo Majid Jordan is fresh off releasing new single "Phases," off their upcoming sophomore album.
Anthony Paul Jefferies, one half of dvsn and known professionally as Nineteen85, was nominated for Producer of the Year, Non-Classical at this year's Grammy Awards for his work with Drake, DJ Khaled, PartyNextDoor and James Vincent McMorrow. (He lost to Greg Kurstin, who produced for Adele, Sia, Tegan & Sara and Ellie Goulding.)
