Empire Distribution Explained

Empire Distribution should not be confused with Empire Records.

EMPIRE Distribution
Founded:2010 in San Francisco, CA
Founder:Ghazi Shami
Hq Location:San Francisco
Hq Location Country:US
Area Served:Worldwide
Key People:Ghazi Shami (CEO)
Nima Etminan (COO)
Tina Davis (President)
Num Employees:200 (2024)
Divisions:EMPIRE Distribution
EMPIRE Publishing
EMPIRE (label)
  • EMPIRE
  • EMPIRE Africa
  • EMPIRE Latino
  • EMPIRE Nashville

Empire Distribution, Records and Publishing Inc. (stylized as EMPIRE) is an independent American record label, distribution and publishing company founded in 2010 by Ghazi Shami. Based in San Francisco, EMPIRE has offices in New York, London, Lagos, and Johannesburg in addition to recording studios in San Francisco and New York.

Shami, a San Francisco native with a background in music and tech, founded Empire as a digital distribution company focused on hip-hop and rap. Developing proprietary software that allowed managers and artists to easily track airplay and sales, Empire paid monthly royalties to artists, many of whom had not previously earned digital revenue, and gained early support from the Bay Area's artist community.

In 2014, Shami, known as Ghazi, launched the Empire label. Empire Africa, Empire Latino, and Empire Nashville divisions were later established. Since its founding—in partnership with artists and artist labels—Empire has released music by artists including Kendrick Lamar, Anderson .Paak, Fat Joe, Tyga, Asake, Fireboy DML, XXXTentacion, Philthy Rich, Young Dolph, Key Glock, King Von, Tink, Black Sherif, Yung Bleu, D Smoke, T-Pain, Snoop Dogg, DRAM,Cardi B and Emtee, among others. Empire Publishing was founded in 2020.

History

2010-2014: Founding, early success

Empire was founded in by Ghazi Shami. Raised in San Francisco, he grew up listening to Bay Area artists such as Too Short, Spice 1, RBL Posse, Souls of Mischief, Luniz, JT the Bigga Figga, and Rappin' 4-Tay. Equally interested in music and technology, in college he worked at the tech companies Sun Microsystems, Eloquent Technologies and Audio Highway; he later worked at Hyde Street Studios, where he engineered and mixed music by artists including Messy Marv, Planet Asia and Too Short.[1]

In 2006, he was hired at INgrooves Music Group, an independent distribution and marketing company. While he had written code and built out streaming media sites since he was a teenager, at INgrooves, he learned about the intricacies of digital distribution, artist contracts, and royalties. Helping to build the company's rap division, he signed DIY artists representative of the Bay Area sound and culture, often introducing them to online revenue streams.[2]

Ghazi founded Empire from his home in the Potrero neighborhood of San Francisco in 2010. In a 2019 interview, he said: "This company wouldn't exist if I wasn’t born and bred in the Bay; in SF and Silicon Valley. This company is as much a software company as it is a music company. It’d be a disservice to the roots, to the origin, to everything that I stand for, if this company wasn't firmly planted or rooted here."[3]

Initially focused on rap, Empire's backend technology bypassed the existing digital distribution system and delivered music directly to streaming and retail platforms quickly to capitalize on the viral momentum of the genre's traditional rapid-fire releases. Contracts were non-exclusive and proprietary software allowed managers and artists to easily track royalties, which were paid monthly.[4] [5] The company's core practices, in addition to Ghazi's relationships, attracted artists, and as Empire gained traction, Ghazi hired Nima Etminan as his second-in-command. Etminan later became the company's COO.[6]

2014-2020: Empire Records, Empire Latino, Empire Nashville

With its digital distribution platform successful, Empire established Empire Records. Among others, the label released Anderson .Paak’s album Malibu, which earned .Paak a Grammy nomination in the Best New Artist, category, as well as Fat Joe’s “All The Way Up” and DRAM’s “Broccoli.” Young Dolph turned down a $22 million major label deal to sign with Empire and remain independent. In an interview with Variety, Dolph said: "Empire is on deck with people who love to do this shit just as much as I do...whether you got money to deal with it or no money to deal with it, the best relationships are going to be the ones where you understand each other."[7]

In 2017, XXXTentacion's debut album, 17, was released on Empire. It charted at #2 on the Billboard Top 200. His sophomore album was released on Capitol. He returned to re-sign with Empire a month before his death; The New York Times reported that the deal was worth $10 million.[8] XXXTentacion's posthumous album, Skins, debuted at #1 on the Billboard album chart.[9] [10]

In 2018, Tina Davis, previously an artist manager and a head of A&R at Def Jam, was named SVP of A&R,<ref>Web site: 2023-10-31 . Needle on the Record . 2024-03-11 . East Bay Express Oakland, Berkeley & Alameda . en-US. and a partnership with L.A. Reid's Hitco was announced.[11] King Von's Empire-distributed song "Crazy Story" was a 3x platinum viral hit.[12] He subsequently signed with Empire, releasing the mixtape, Grandson, which became one of the label's most successful releases.[13] Empire also worked with Tyga in 2018; the track "Taste", was 9x platinum as of 2023.[14]

Empire began working with Latino artists including Tego Calderón and Luis Enrique in 2012, and in 2018 established Empire Latino.[15] In 2019, Empire Latino had its first hit with Puerto Rican reggaeton artist Jay Wheeler; as of 2023, his song La Curiosidad was 8x platinum.[16]

A country music division, Empire Nashville, was founded in 2019.[17]

2020 - present: Empire Publishing, Empire Africa, Blackground

In 2020, after developing proprietary software specific to music publishing that provided transparency similar to Empire's royalty software, Empire established a publishing division. Initial signings included Illmind, Nebu Kiniza, Dr Zeus and Empire artists Young Dolph, Key Glock, Mozzy, Fireboy DML,Yung Bleu and RJMrLA.[18]

In partnership with Olamide and his label, YBNL Nation,[19] Empire Africa's first signing was Nigerian Afrobeats artist Fireboy DML. His 2021 single "Peru", remixed by Ed Sheeran, was a global hit. With subsequent signings including Asake, Burna Boy, BNXN and Kizz Daniels, Empire Africa became a preeminent Afrobeats label; on Nigeria's year-end TurnTable Charts, Empire had the top three artists, the top two songs, and the top album. Empire releases held the #1 position on the Nigerian charts for 35 weeks over the course of the year.

Empire began investing in the Detroit hip-hop scene not long after the company was founded. In a 2022 interview with Billboard, Ghazi said he felt a strong connection between San Francisco and Detroit. The label signed Babyface Ray in 2017, and by 2022 had signed 10 artists, including Peezy, Babytron, Payroll Giovanni, and Rio Da Yung OG.[20] Peezy’s "2 Million Up" went viral on TikTok and hit seven Billboard charts, including the Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay, Rap Airplay and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs.[21]

In October 2022, Empire acquired the Bay area-founded dance label, Dirtybird.[22] In January 2023, a partnership with the Web3 investment platform, Nebula, was announced. It was also announced that Money Man, who was paid in Bitcoin when he signed with Empire in 2021,[23] would release his EP on the Nebula platform.[24]

In June 2023, Davis was named president of the company.[25]

Awards and nominations

Grammy Awards

|-| || "Out of Many, One Music" (Shaggy)|| Best Reggae Album || |-| || "Strictly Roots" (Morgan Heritage)|| Best Reggae Album || |-| rowspan="6" | || "Malibu" (Anderson .Paak)|| Best New Artist || |-| "Malibu" (Anderson .Paak)|| Best Urban Contemporary Album || |-| "All The Way Up" (Fat Joe & Remy Ma)|| Best Rap Performance || |-| "All The Way Up" (Fat Joe & Remy Ma)|| Best Rap Song || |-| "Broccoli" (DRAM)|| Best Rap/Sung Performance || |-| "Rose Petals EP" (J Boog)|| Best Reggae Album ||

Notable artists

Selected discography

YearCatTitleArtist(s)DetailsCertifications
2010 ERE Authenticity Oct 12, 2010
  1. 145 on the Billboard 200
    #23 US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
2011ERE Setbacks Jan 11, 2011
  1. 100 on the US Billboard 200
ERE Longterm Mentality April 5, 2011
  1. 32 on the US Top Heatseekers
    #73 on the US Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums
ERE Section.80 July 2, 2011
  1. 113 on the US Billboard 200
    #1 on the US Top Heatseekers Albums
ERE Charity Starts At Home Sep 27, 2011
ERE In None We Trust Nov 17, 2011
ERE Gift Of Gab 2 Nov 24, 2011
2012ERE Dirty Slums Mar 27, 2012
ERE Stoner's EP April 17, 2012
  1. 31 on the US Independent Albums
    #33 on the US Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums
ERE Don't Be S.A.F.E. Sep 18, 2012
  1. 103 on the US Billboard 200
    #8 on the US Top Heatseekers Albums
ERE Baby Face Killa Sep 25, 2012
2013ERE Still Goin In (Reloaded) Feb 8, 2013 Named tenth best mixtape of 2013 by Rolling Stone.
ERE The Year of the Underdogz Young Noble & Gage Gully May 7, 2013
ERE West Coast Gangsta Shit June 19, 2013
ERE ESGN (Evil Seeds Grow Naturally) June 20, 2013
  1. 8 on US Top Heatseekers Albums[26]
    #24 on US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
ERE Cold Turkey July 2, 2013
ERE108 Apex Predator July 30, 2013
  1. 33 on US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums[27]
ERE110 3ChordFold Aug 13, 2013
  1. 43 on US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
    #9 on US Top Heatseekers Albums
ERE Travis Garland Sep 10, 2013
ERE Gas Pedal EP Sep 10, 2013
ERE O.K.E. (Deluxe Edition) Oct 8, 2013
  1. 89 on the US Billboard 200
    #19 on the US Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums
ERE Knock Madness Nov 24, 2013
  1. 1 on US Top Heatseekers Albums
    #7 on US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
    #6 on US Independent Albums
2014ERE135 Tortoise and the Crow CD Mar 04, 2014
ERE139 Phantom and the Ghost Apr 29, 2014
  1. 74 on US Billboard 200
    #14 on US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
    #18 on US Independent Albums
ERE Barrel Brothers May 27, 2014
ERE141 Venice Oct 28, 2014
2015ERE Strictly Roots June 8, 2015 Grammy Award Winning : Best Reggae Album
ERE141 Fuk Wat They Talkin Bout Aug 24, 2015
ERE141 Shadow of a Doubt Nov 20, 2015
  1. 76 on US Billboard 200
2016ERE141 Malibu Jan 15, 2016
  1. 79 on US Billboard 200
ERE141 King of Memphis Feb 19, 2016
  1. 49 on US Billboard 200
2017 ERE310 Plata O Plomo Feb 17, 2017
  1. 44 on US Billboard 200
ERE344Neva LeftSnoop DoggMay 19, 2017
  1. 54 on US Billboard 200
EREFor Your Girl TooSelfishMay 23, 2017
ERE BitchImTheShit2 Tyga Jul 21, 2017
ERE 17 Aug 25, 2017
  1. 2 on US Billboard 200
2018 ERE381 Kyoto Tyga Feb 16, 2018
ERE453 Tru LP Aug 31, 2018
ERE Dancing Shadows Oct 5, 2018
ERE Skins XXXTentacion Dec 7, 2018
  1. 1 on US Billboard 200
2019 ERE Walk with Me May 24, 2019
ERE Legendary Tyga Jun 7, 2019
  1. 17 on US Billboard 200
ERE In My Defense Jul 19, 2019
  1. 50 on US Billboard 200
ERE524 I Wanna Thank Me Snoop Dogg Aug 16, 2019
  1. 76 on US Billboard 200
ERE Wicked Lips Iggy Azalea Dec 2, 2019
ERE537 Bad Vibes Forever XXXTentacion Dec 6, 2019
  1. 5 on US Billboard 200

Notable singles

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Ruskin . Zack . February 6, 2019 . How Empire founder Ghazi Shami built San Francisco a new musical kingdom . 2024-03-10. Datebook San Francisco Arts & Entertainment Guide . en-US.
  2. Web site: Hunte . Justin . 2016-01-14 . EMPIRE: The Music Industry's Quiet Giant . 2024-03-10 . HipHopDX . en.
  3. Web site: How EMPIRE Became A Music Industry Giant In An Unlikely City GRAMMY.com . 2024-03-10 . grammy.com.
  4. Hissong . Samantha . 2020-10-29 . Empire's Founder Ghazi Shami -- Future 25 . 2024-03-10 . Rolling Stone . en-US.
  5. Rys . Dan . 2016-10-20 . Hip-Hop's Other EMPIRE: How Indie Distributor Is Quietly Owning the Rap Game . 2024-03-10 . Billboard . en-US.
  6. Rys . Dan . 2023-05-12 . From the Bay Area to Africa, How EMPIRE Became A Global Force . 2024-03-10 . Billboard . en-US.
  7. Web site: Ju . Shirley . 2019-10-21 . How Rappers Young Dolph and Key Glock Turned Street Smarts Into Business Savvy . 2024-03-11 . Variety . en-US.
  8. News: Sisario . Ben . Coscarelli . Joe . 2018-07-08 . XXXTentacion Signed $10 Million Album Deal Before His Death . 2024-03-11 . The New York Times . en-US . 0362-4331.
  9. Caulfield . Keith . 2018-12-17 . XXXTentacion's 'Skins' Album Debuts at No. 1 on Billboard 200 Chart . 2024-03-11 . Billboard . en-US.
  10. Web site: Gold & Platinum certifications, Tyga . 2024-03-11 . RIAA . en-US.
  11. Karp . Hannah . 2018-03-26 . L.A. Reid's Hitco Ramps Up With 25 Hires and Handful Of New Acts . 2024-03-11 . Billboard . en-US.
  12. Web site: "Crazy Story" certifications . 2024-02-13 . RIAA . en-US.
  13. Gage . Dewayne . 2022-03-04 . King Von Was One of Rap's Most Promising Stars. His Friends Want to Make Sure He Isn't Forgotten . 2024-03-11 . Rolling Stone . en-US.
  14. Web site: Tyga, Gold & Platinum certifications, "Taste" . 2024-03-11. RIAA . en-US.
  15. Web site: Suarez . Gary . 2019-01-30 . After A Breakthrough Year, What's Next For Música Urbana? . 2024-03-11 . VIBE.com . en-US.
  16. Web site: "La Curiosidad" Gold & Platinum certification . 2024-03-11 . RIAA . en-US.
  17. Web site: Cantrell . L. B. . 2021-03-01 . EMPIRE Nashville's Eric Hurt And Heather Vassar Talk Early Success [Interview] ]. 2024-02-14 . MusicRow.com . en-US.
  18. Web site: Aswad . Jem . 2020-09-10 . Empire Launches Publishing Division . 2024-03-11 . Variety . en-US.
  19. Rys . Dan . 2022-03-02 . EMPIRE's Ghazi On Expansion Into Africa, Nashville and Crypto: 'We're The King Of The Multisector' . 2024-03-11 . Billboard . en-US.
  20. Rouhani . Neena . 2022-10-12 . The Promise & Perseverance of Detroit Rap's Rising Stars . 2024-03-11 . Billboard . en-US.
  21. Rouhani . Neena . 2023-05-01 . How Peezy Went 'Against the Grain' & Achieved a Top 10 Rap Hit . 2024-03-11 . Billboard . en-US.
  22. Bain . Katie . 2022-10-20 . Claude VonStroke's Dirtybird Label Acquired By EMPIRE . 2024-03-10 . Billboard . en-US.
  23. Web site: Empire pays rapper Money Man's million-dollar advance in Bitcoin . 2024-03-11 . www.musicweek.com . en.
  24. Web site: 2023-01-23 . EMPIRE partners with Web3 music investment platform Nebula . 2024-03-11 . Music Business Worldwide . en-US.
  25. Web site: 2023-06-27 . Tina Davis promoted to President at EMPIRE . 2024-03-11 . Music Business Worldwide . en-US.
  26. Heatseekers Albums : Jul 06, 2013 | Billboard Chart Archive . Billboard . 2013-07-06 . 2013-08-27 . 2013-08-07 . https://web.archive.org/web/20130807231858/http://www.billboard.com/charts/2013-07-06/heatseekers-albums . live .
  27. Crooked I – Chart history . Billboard . 2013-10-15 . 2018-12-17 . https://web.archive.org/web/20181217064739/https://www.billboard.com/artist/5638411/crooked-i/chart?f=333 . live .
  28. Cantor . Paul . 2015-10-30 . Singer-Rapper D.R.A.M. Explains Why He Feels Drake 'Jacked' His Record . 2024-01-26 . Billboard . en-US.
  29. Weiner . Natalie . 2015-05-21 . Jermaine Dupri & Bow Wow Are Just Wondering 'WYA (Where You At?)': Exclusive Premiere . 2024-01-26 . Billboard . en-US.
  30. Web site: Nef the Pharaoh: "Big Tymin'" . 2024-01-26 . Pitchfork . en-US.
  31. Web site: Popcaan Is Gloriously Inebriated On "Never Sober" . 2024-01-26 . The FADER . en.
  32. Legaspi . Althea . 2019-02-22 . Hear Adam Lambert's Achingly Yearning New Song 'Feel Something' . 2024-01-26 . Rolling Stone . en-US.
  33. Web site: Black . Adrienne . Free Nationals Drop Vivid "Beauty & Essex" Video f/ Daniel Caesar & Unknown Mortal Orchestra . 2024-01-26 . Complex . en-us.
  34. Web site: 2020-09-18 . Busta Rhymes And Anderson .Paak's 'Yuuuu' Portrays Them As Enemies . 2024-01-26 . UPROXX . en-US.