On Saturday, Feb. 15, Billboard and EMPIRE came together at EMPIRE’s San Francisco studios to celebrate Billboard’s second annual Sports and Music issue.
Released in partnership with Golden State Entertainment, For the Soil, powered by a starry group of local MCs, is one of the projects EMPIRE is spearheading in advance of NBA All-Star Week.
Fifteen years in, his fiercely independent company is one of the most powerful in music — and he’s a connector like none other, both within his home city and far beyond it.
"We’re excited to amplify his brand and bring cultural crossover to global audiences,” says Suhel Nafar, EMPIRE'S head of West Asia and North Africa.
The executive, who made his first EMPIRE signing with G-Dragon, previously helped develop such East Asian artists as DEAN and Jackson Wang.
A pioneer for K-pop on the Billboard charts, the Seoul star says the signing "marks the beginning of a new era," with an awards show performance and tour on the way.
"People will always poke around and it never gets to me," said the CEO at the inaugural Trapital Summit in Hollywood on Thursday (Oct. 3).
The partnership will allow the Detroit star to sign and develop talent for his own label.
Linked with over 300 nonprofits and five major distributor partners, ShowUp helps artists integrate causes into their album releases, touring and more.
The accomplished A&R executive first joined the company in 2018 and will continue to oversee its A&R efforts across genres.
