Rapper Freddie Gibbs has signed a deal with AWAL, aligning with the label for the surprise drop of his new album, "You Only Die 1nce." He joins a roster that includes Laufey, JPEGMAFIA, Little Simz, Djo and more. Gibbs has collaborated with Pusha T, Killer Mike, Anderson .
Paak, Tyler, the Creator, Gucci Mane, Young Thug and Kanye West, among others. As an independent artist, Gibbs has also contributed music to video game franchises, such as "Grand Theft Auto," "Max Payne," and "NBA2K." Of the signing, AWAL CEO Lonny Olinick noted, "It's refreshing to partner with talent the caliber of Freddie as we expand our roster within the realms of hip hop and R&B.
Excited for what's to come!" Gibbs added, "Happy to be where they want me...
I feel celebrated. I'm AWAL Shawty! I love the freedom. We're able to create at our own pace and it feels good at this stage in my career.
" Popular on Variety + Empire Publishing, the publishing arm for Empire, has entered a partnership with Billy Ray Cyrus. Cyrus joins a roster that currently boasts breakout country star, Shaboozey, in addition to producers James Maddocks and Yung Lan who collaborated on Morgan Wallen's chart-topping album "One Thing At a Time. The publishing arm is led by Al Mclean and Vinny Kumar, while Empire Publishing A&R, Eric Hurt, helped secure Cyrus into the deal.
"Empire is a record company that harnesses the power, beauty and healing element of music – made and shared for the pure love of it and honestly believes music ch.