Universal Music Publishing Group signs DaBaby to Global Administration Deal

Universal Music Publishing Group (UMPG), a leading global music publisher, has signed breakout superstar DaBaby to an exclusive global administration deal.

A Charlotte, North Carolina native, DaBaby is a songwriter/rapper/performer who has become one of the hottest rising sensations in hip-hop today. He is signed to South Coast Music Group (SCMG) in partnership with Interscope, which along with UMPG is owned by Universal Music Group (UMG).

Named Billboard’s ‘Rookie of the Year,’ DaBaby has seen hundreds of millions of streams across his viral songs. RIAA double Platinum-certified “Suge” has earned 248 million streams and counting, spent more than 11 weeks on the Hot 100 Singles Chart and hit No. 1 on Urban and Rhythmic radio. Other major hits include “Baby Sitter” ft. Offset (90 million streams), “Goin Baby” (90 million), “BOP” (50 million), “Vibez” (47 million), and “Intro” (35 million), among others.

On making the announcement, UMPG Chairman and CEO Jody Gerson said: “A talented artist and songwriter, DaBaby has garnered hundreds of millions of streams and amassed a huge global fanbase. With support from myself, our A&R team and Interscope Records, UMPG’s Ari Gelaw developed a close relationship with DaBaby and South Coast Music Group to build this exciting partnership. We are looking forward to many great years of success with DaBaby.”

Said DaBaby: “I feel great about my decision to join UMPG. I’m looking forward to working with their team and taking my vision to new heights.”

After releasing his “Baby On Baby” mixtape in March 2019, DaBaby racked up over 1.4 billion streams in the U.S. alone. The 13-track project – which features Offset, Rich Homie Quan and Rich Tha Kid – debuted at #4 on Apple Music’s Top 100, #25 on Billboard 200, and earned DaBaby a No. 1 slot on Pandora’s Trendsetters Chart.

His debut album “Kirk” was released September 2019 and hit No. 1 album in the country. The night of release, the 13-song album took up the top 13 spots on Apple Music’s chart. The smash project features star-studded collaborations with Chance the Rapper, Nicki Minaj, Gucci Mane, Lil Baby, Kevin Gates, Stunna4Vegas and Migos.

Arnold Taylor, SCMG CEO, said: “We are excited about this joint venture with UMPG and their amazing staff and look forward to breaking new barriers in the TV/Films era!”

Ari Gelaw, UMPG A&R Manager, added: “DaBaby is a multifaceted artist who has the ability to massively impact culture and still maintain an authentic connection with his fans. We are excited to embark on this partnership with DaBaby & South Coast Music Group.”

A popular go-to artist for features, DaBaby is also featured on songs with Lizzo “Truth Hurts”, Lil Nas X “Panini”, Gucci Mane “Richer Than Errybody”, Post Malone “Enemies”, YG “Stop Snitchin” & Megan Thee Stallion “Cash Sh*t”.

DaBaby’s projects have a track record for virality. Single/video “Intro” became the #1 trending video on YouTube with 35 million views to-date. For his latest single, BOP (53 million Spotify plays), his music video “BOP on Broadway (Hip Hop Musical)” saw millions of views within hours of being released.

Boasting a major social and online following, DaBaby has 17 million monthly listeners on Spotify, 6.8 million Instagram followers, 429,000 Twitter followers and 2.2 million YouTube subscribers.