Kendrick Lamar Eyes $20-$40 Million Publishing Bonanza
Rapper Kendrick Lamar is one of the hottest tickets in music, but the cash said to be on offer for his music rights are still an eye-popping, with reported offers of up to $40 million.
According to a report in Billboard, Top Dawg Entertainment, which manages Kendrick Lamar, is considering offers for a new publishing deal between $20 and $40 million dollars.
Lamar, who has been at the forefront of just about every music awards show this year, including seven nominations for the Grammy Awards later this month, is currently signed to Warner/Chappell Music but his contract there is coming due.
Lamar’s “DAMN.” is up for album of the year at the Grammys and, according to Billboard, has shifted more than 1.13 million copies, as well as 2.63 million track sales.
And that’s not even counting streaming. Last year, Lamar was #4 on Spotify’s list of the most streamed artists on the service, and his hit “All The Stars (with SZA)” has been streamed more than 14 million times in the past week alone.
Lamar is the latest in a series of high-profile publishing deals in recent months and follows similar deals such as hip-hop artist Cardi B, who signed with Sony/ATV in October, and Ryan Tedder, who signed with Downtown in April.
Representatives from Warner Music Group and Top Dawg Entertainment declined to comment to Billboard, the publication said.
