Mavado Signs To Cash Money Billionaires (YMCMB)

The international platform for prominent Dancehall singjay, Mavado keeps growing after a major merger within hip-hop circles has made him part of another highly regarded record label.

Last summer, Mavado signed his first international record deal with DJ Khaled's We The Best Music Group and has since release reputable efforts such as Emergency with label mate, Ace Hood as well as Survivor, featuring Senegalese-American hip-hop artiste, Akon and Soulja Girl. Additionally, the Do Road singer has been touring across the United States in recent months in an effort to market himself in the country following the re-issuance of his visa last July.

Earlier this week, Cash Money Records co-founder, Birdman announced that his label has now signed We The Best Music Group under their imprint, making Mavado an affiliate of the Young Money Cash Money Billionaires (YMCMB) and the Cash Money umbrella.

According to Mavado's long-time manager, Julian Jones-Griffiths, he and the Gully Gaad have been aware of this deal for quite some time, even before the singjay signed with We The Best Music Group and believes that the deal will be beneficial for all parties involved.

"Khaled's deal with YMCMB has been in the pipeline for a long time, they are a family. Even his last album went through them and that huge single with Drake and Ross and Wayne, I'm On One, was through YMCMB. I was aware of the deal being negotiated before we signed with We The Best but it didn't influence our decision either way. We put our faith in Khaled and what he can bring to the table and with or without YMCMB we still believe in him," he told the Jamaica STAR.

Also, given Mavado's close relationship with Cash Money Records, Jones-Griffiths believes that more collaborations are in store between Mavado and their artistes and even hinted that the public will soon hear them.

"It's just a bonus for all of us. It does affect us in that Cash Money will also be directly pushing Mavado's project, and we will be supported by their radio promotions and marketing teams, which as you can see from the charts over the last few years, are the best in the business," he said.

"We have a great relationship with everyone at Cash Money already and we have already been recording with YMCMB acts, you soon hear them! With features, it's always a case of when the time and record is right we reach out to them and vice-versa."

For his part, Mavado insists that the merger only adds to his international status while intimating that this will affect him in a positive way given the label that they're now affiliated with YMCMB.

"It's just more strength to the ting. The whole situation with us and Khaled has a family vibe to it so the family just got bigger and more powerful! I do expect it to affect me directly but only in a positive way," he said.

The Cash Money Records label features a slew of premiere hip-hop talent who've enjoyed countless mainstream success, including Grammy-winning hip-hop megastar, Lil Wayne, Trinidadian-American hip-hop superstar, Nicki Minaj and Canadian singing/rapping sensation, Drake, with whom Mavado has performed alongside on numerous occasions.