Hip Hop

Kendrick Lamar Signs New Publishing Deal With Universal Ahead Of New album

Kendrick Lamar
Kendrick Lamar

Kendrick Lamar signs a new publishing deal with Universal Music ahead of his new album.

Kendrick Lamar is continuing to build his artistic empire with the announcement of a new deal between the Compton rapper and Universal Music Publishing Group. According to Music Business Worldwide, Lamar signed the deal earlier this month, but no additional details have been released at this time. In a statement provided by UMPG Chairman and CEO Jody Gerson, the company conveyed its excitement about working with the icon, saying, “Kendrick Lamar is not only one of the greatest lyricists that has ever lived, but he has done as much or more than any artist to promote much needed change in our society through music.”

Gerson continued to tease what may be in store for the partnership between Kendrick and UMPG, saying, “I and my colleagues at UMPG are deeply honored to be afforded the opportunity to join Kendrick, Anthony ‘Top Dawg’ Tiffith and the TDE family to help forward his unique and important vision.” Meanwhile, Lamar fans are desperate for some new music nearly three years since the release of his Pulitzer Prize-winning album DAMN. Earlier this month, Top Dawg Entertainment president Terrance “Punch” Henderson answered an inquiring fan on Twitter, revealing that a new album would be dropping “pretty soon.” When pressed to clarify exactly what that meant, Henderson followed his tweet up with, “As in soon soon.”

K. Dot fans can catch some new bars from their favorite rapper even sooner by streaming Busta Rhymes’ highly-anticipated new album, set to drop on October 30th. The project is said to feature some of the biggest names in hip hop and R&B, including Q-Tip, Rakim, Rick Ross, Bell Biv DeVoe, and Mariah Carey. For those who need more from Kendrick Lamar than a feature, we’ll just have to hope that “soon soon” means before the end of this incredibly long year.