Rapper Wiz Khalifa has sold a portion of his music catalogue to HarbourView Equity Partners for an undisclosed sum.
The deal includes his hits ‘Black and Yellow’ and ‘See You Again’ and will see HarbourView founder Sherrese Clarke Soares and the 35-year-old hip-hop star’s label Taylor Gang partner up.
Wiz – whose real name is Cameron Jibril Thomaz – said: “Sherrese and HarbourView truly understand the value of music and artistry.
“We are excited to partner with them as they continue to build a dynamic media company that is in line with the values and goals we all have here at Taylor Gang.”
Soares added: “Wiz Khalifa has already made a profound impact on culture as a musician, executive, media visionary and creative force.
“We celebrate his talent and creativity and are thrilled to welcome him and Taylor Gang to the HarbourView family today.”
Grammy-winning rapper-and-singer Nelly reportedly sold 50 per cent of his solo music catalogue for a whopping $50 million to the same firm, according to TMZ.
The 48-year-old star – whose real name is Cornell Iral Haynes Jr. – agreed to the mega-deal with HarbourView.
It includes select hits such as ‘Ride Wit Me’, ‘Dilemma’ featuring Kelly Rowland – which sold more than 7.6 million records worldwide – and ‘Hot in Herre’.
Nelly said in a statement: “As artists, we put our heart and soul into each track and there comes a time when you consider preservation of that artistry. My music is my legacy which I want to last beyond me, continuing to make my existing fans happy while reaching new generations and new audiences. I am excited to partner with HarbourView to create opportunities for discovery of my music decades from now.”
Soares added: “This catalog has made an incredible impact on generations of fans. Works such as, ‘Hot in Herre’ and ‘Shake Ya Tailfeather’ defined an era of music of a unique blend of hip-hop, R’n’B, and country music that is undeniable. We are thrilled to add these influential pieces to our repertoire and work with the team to continue supporting the artistry within our ecosystem.”
Nelly has collaborated with the likes of Janet Jackson, Nicki Minaj, Pharrell Williams, and Usher over a career spanning 23 years.
His debut single, 2000’s ‘Country Grammar (Hot…)’, from the album of the same name, peaked at number seven in both the US and the UK and reached the top 20 in Australia, Canada, Germany, and the Netherlands.
The likes of Justin Bieber, Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen have sold their songs for mega-sums in recent years.