Issa Rae’s Raedio has inked a multi-year deal with Dej Jam Recordings. The “audio everywhere” division of Issa Rae’s Hoorae Media announced the partnership on its official Instagram page. The news comes after it was announced in June that the “Scottie and Sylvia” show would start airing on the Raedio platform.
“Raedio 🤝🏾 @DefJam — Link in bio to learn more about our partnership,” the page captioned.
“‘This partnership is exactly what we needed to expand and continue our mission to be a vessel and impactful resource for artists across the globe. I am thrilled to join forces with Tunji, Latrice, and some of the brightest executives in the business at Def Jam at what is clearly, an exciting time for both Def Jam and Raedio. It’s clear our visions to lead with taste and integrity align perfectly. Excited to see what we do together.’ — @theblindyouth via @variety,” the caption continued.
After the announcement, Def Jam Tunji Balogun called Issa Rae one of the most talented, respected and versatile creative leaders working in the entertainment industry.
“Her passion for artistry and authentic storytelling puts Black creators and creatives at the center of an expansive world, where they resonate deeply with her audience. Raedio exemplifies Issa’s savvy, strategic, and forward-thinking approach to building culture and community, aligning all of her verticals into one powerful audio ecosystem. Def Jam is thrilled to partner with Issa and the incredible team at Raedio on this new venture, and we look forward to telling more amazing stories together,” Balogun said.
Raedio Continues to Evolve
Now Raedio can sign, market, and distribute signed artists through Def Jam’s network. This includes publishing, music supervision, music library, podcasts, digital content, and events divisions.
In an exclusive with Variety, Raedio President Benoni Tagoe shared his vision for the new partnership.
“Our mission at Raedio is to continually evolve how and where people discover music and the opportunities for artists behind it,” he said. “Def Jam is the perfect partner with a storied legacy to align with Raedio’s mission and vision of disrupting the music industry as we know it. Together, we look forward to expanding our reach and fostering a creative home for our new artists.”
Previous Deals
In January last year, Raedio signed a multi-project development deal with Audible to create original content. The company’s previous label partner was Atlantic Records, via an agreement announced in October of 2019.