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Universal Music Expands to Southeast Asia, Signing 6 Top Local Rappers  

Universal Music Expands to Southeast Asia, Signing 6 Top Local Rappers   
Variety.com | Universal Music Group Expands to Southeast Asia

 

Universal Music Group is pushing further into Asia, with a new Southeast Asia headquarters here that will feature hubs for Def Jam and Astralwerks, and a plan to pump up local assets in Vietnam and other countries in the fast-growing music region, Billboard reported.

According to Masses.com.my , focusing on hip hop, pop, and urban music, Def Jam distributes Kanye’s GOOD Music label, Listen Up Forever Records, and includes a star studded roster from the likes of BTS, Logic, Big Sean, Justin Bieber, Kanye West, Nas, 2 Chainz, YG, Jeremih, Q-Tip, Pusha T, Vince Staples, Desiigner and Jhene Aiko. It’s practically the go to label for hip-hop bar none.

Adam Granite during a speech at All That Matters conference at the Ritz-Carlton in Singapore. Image: Billboard
Adam Granite during a speech at All That Matters conference at the Ritz-Carlton in Singapore. Image: Billboard

In addition, UMG South East Asia has announced plans to extend its focus and commitment to local language and domestic repertoire. The company announced the launch of Ingrooves and Spinnup in the region to extend the range of marketing and distribution services that UMG offers to support independent artists, labels and talent throughout the region. 

These announcements coincided with the official opening of UMG’s new regional headquarters for South East Asia in Singapore.

The news was announced during a keynote speech today by Adam Granite, UMG’s EVP of market development — and one of Variety‘s 2019 International Music Power Players — at the “All That Matters ’19” conference in Singapore.

“Our goal is simple,” Granite said as quoted by Variety  “To drive domestic growth in countries around the world through strategic investment, artist development, business innovation and most of all, great music. This investment involves building infrastructure, resources and hiring the best local employees, but first and foremost, it’s about identifying and developing the best artists from around the world and working with them to reach new fans locally and globally.”

 

Joe Flizzow at the lauch of Universal Music Group Southeast Asia. Image: Reuters
Joe Flizzow at the lauch of Universal Music Group Southeast Asia. Image: Reuters

UMG feels confident expanding into Southeast Asia because the region has a young, digital savvy population where streaming is growing dramatically, along with smart-phone penetration and a healthy digital wallet system that facilitates streaming payments. “All the right ingredients are in place,” Granite said.

Granite wrapped by welcoming to the stage Joe Flizzow (Malaysia), Daboyway (Thailand), Yung Raja (Singapore), Fariz Jabba (Singapore), ALIF (Singapore) & A.Nayaka (Indonesia), six popular rappers from the region, who were announced as the inaugural signings to Def Jam South East Asia. They performed an unannounced freestyle cypher together to close the event.

 

Indah Gilang Pusparani

Indah is a researcher at Badan Perencanaan Pembangunan Penelitian dan Pengembangan Daerah Kota Cirebon (Regional Development Planning and Research Agency of Cirebon Municipality). She covers More international relations, tourism, and startups in Southeast Asia region and beyond. Indah graduated from MSc Development Administration and Planning from University College London, United Kingdom in 2015. She finished bachelor degree from International Relations from University of Indonesia in 2014, with two exchange programs in Political Science at National University of Singapore and New Media in Journalism at Ball State University, USA. She was awarded Diplomacy Award at Harvard World Model United Nations and named as Indonesian Gifted Researcher by Australian National University. She is Researcher at Regional Planning Board in Cirebon, West Java. She previously worked as Editor in Bening Communication, the Commonwealth Parliament Association UK, and diplomacy consulting firm Best Delegate LLC in USA. Less
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