Sony Music Entertainment has entered into a strategic partnership with Jonathan Master, the innovative A&R and marketing entrepreneur who has worked with artists including Logic, D.R.A.M., G-Eazy, Cam'Ron, PJ Morton and Grammy-nominated producer !llmind, it was announced on June 4. Together, Sony Music and Master are launching SamePlate, a new joint venture label focused on cultivating emerging, dynamic music talent using cutting-edge approaches to artist development and services.
Master will head the New York-based imprint and oversee a dedicated staff that includes Alex Ciccimarro, who will serve as VP, Operations. Ciccimarro previously held digital marketing roles for Republic Records and Atlantic Records, and has worked on releases from Cardi B and Gucci Mane, and the soundtrack to "Hamilton: The Broadway Musical," among others.
At launch, SamePlate's roster includes Ro Ransom, YGTUT, TOBi, Eza, Shari Marie, ROMderful and Ducko McFli. Its first release, "Floetry," from Ro Ransom, is out now - Listen Here.
"We are thrilled to be partnering with all the great people at Sony Music on this new label," said Master. "SamePlate's mission is to work in true partnership with artists to help them nurture their brands, not just chase records. Artists need to be competitive and relevant all the time, not just in traditional release cycles, and we are committed to helping them share their stories with fans every day, through any medium, including music, videos, and social content."
For the last four years, Master has overseen the New York A&R and Marketing operations of EMPIRE, an independent distribution and artist services company, where he was involved in numerous artist signings/label distribution deals, including agreements with D.R.A.M., PJ Morton, George Clinton Cam'Ron, Styles P, Joell Ortiz, Jet Life, IshDARR, Joe Budden, and Raekwon. Master also has spent more than a decade running his own independent marketing, artist management, events and content creation company under the SamePlate name. During that time, he partnered with leading music labels across the music industry on innovative digital, traditional and lifestyle marketing campaigns for artists including Logic, G-Eazy, Joey Badass, Big K.R.I.T., Smokers Club, H.E.R., and Dom Kennedy, among many others. He also manages producer !llmind, who has worked with artists including Drake, J. Cole, Kanye West and Romeo Santos. He spent the early part of career in various marketing and A&R roles for companies including Viper Records and SRC Records.
"Jonathan Master is a forward-thinking entrepreneur, talent developer and marketer with a strong vision for building artist careers. I look forward to SamePlate making exciting new contributions to music culture, and creating opportunities for collaboration with RCA." said Peter Edge, Chairman & CEO, RCA Records.
