Kendrick Lamar signs new long-term deal with BMI

Kendrick Lamar has signed a new performing rights deal with BMI (Broadcast Music, Inc).

The US rapper, whose last full-length album ‘DAMN‘ was released in 2017, was previously signed to publishers Warner/Chappell Music. Now, he’s confirmed a long-term deal with the huge performing rights organisation – who also represent the likes of Rihanna and Post Malone.

BMI released a statement yesterday (April 29) to confirm the news. “We’re thrilled to welcome Kendrick to the BMI family and expand our great working relationship with Top Dawg Entertainment and its incredibly talented roster,” said Mike Steinberg, BMI’s EVP of Creative & Licensing.

“Kendrick’s gift for writing and performing such stunningly impactful music has solidified his stature among the world’s greatest artists and, without a doubt, as a major force in our industry for many years to come.”

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We are thrilled to welcome @kendricklamar to our #BMIFamily! A global sensation, #KendrickLamar made his major-label debut in 2012 with good kid, m.A.A.d city and quickly rose to fame with 1.72 million in album sales. His 2015 follow-up, To Pimp a Butterfly, and his critically-acclaimed 2017 album, DAMN., also reached platinum status. DAMN. debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart in 2017, and in 2018, Lamar made history when it earned him a groundbreaking Pulitzer Prize, making him the first non-jazz or classical artist to receive the coveted honor. Throughout his career, Lamar has also received 13 GRAMMY Awards and 37 nominations (including a GRAMMY win at this year’s ceremony in the Best Rap Performance category for “King’s Dead”), as well as six Billboard Music Awards, and many other honors.

A post shared by Broadcast Music, Inc. (@bmi) on Apr 29, 2019 at 9:47am PDT

He added: “We’re honored that he has chosen BMI to represent his creative works.”

Back in December last year, Kendrick Lamar denied that he was at work on a new studio album.

“He’s been writing long-form, but declines to articulate what it’s about, what themes are recurring and in what form it will eventually see release,” the Los Angeles Times claimed during a rare interview with the star.

Since the release of ‘DAMN’, Lamar has served as executive producer for ‘Black Panther: The Album’. He bagged a Grammy earlier this year for its cut ‘King’s Dead’, which featured Future and James Blake.

In other news, a recently-unearthed Kendrick Lamar snippet appears to hear him take shots at Big Sean.