Keep Cool Recordsis an Americanrecord labelfounded byTunji Balogun,alongside Right Hand Music Group founderCourtney Stewart,A&R Jon Tanners and marketing executive Jared Sherman.[1]The label is ajoint venturewithRCA Records,a subsidiary ofSony Corporation of America.
| Keep Cool | |
|---|---|
| Parent company | Sony Music Entertainment |
| Founded | 2018 |
| Founder | Tunji Balogun Courtney Stewart Jon Tanners Jared Sherman |
| Distributor(s) | RCA Records |
| Genre | |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Location | Los Angeles,California |
| Official website | keepcool |
History
editTunji Balogunbegan working withRCA Recordsas an A&R representative, where he signed and developed artistsBryson Tiller,GoldLink,Khalid,Wizkid,andH.E.R.He was also involved in the partnership with RCA andTop Dawg Entertainmentthat signedSZA,bringingCozztoDreamville Records,as well as contributing in signingChildish Gambinoto RCA.[2][3]On April 9, 2018, RCA and Keep Cool announced the joint venture record label to sign and develop artists, promoting Tunji Balogun to executive vice president of A&R. Balogun spoke withBillboardabout the deal saying: "I’m honored to be able to continue that legacy with the launch of Keep Cool. My passion is discovering and working with artists that are slightly left-of-center, and finding meaningful ways to organically build culture around them. Keep Cool will be a safe-haven for artists and creatives who want to do things differently." The same day, they announced the signing ofNormani.[4][5][6]In November 2018, they revealed the signings ofLucky Dayeand duoVanJess.[7][8]On February 20, 2019, Keep Cool announced a deal with hip hop duoFreddie Gibbs & Madlibfor their second albumBandana.[9]In May 2020, Keep Cool announced the signing ofUMIto the label.[10]In February 2021, Keep Cool announced the addition of Louisville-singer Marzz to the roster.[11]
Roster
editCurrent artists
edit| Act | Year signed |
Releases under the label |
|---|---|---|
| Lucky Daye | 2018 | 5 |
| VanJess | 2018 | 2 |
| Freddie Gibbs & Madlib | 2019 | 1 |
| UMI | 2020 | 3 |
| Marzz | 2021 | 1 |
Former artists
edit| Act | Year signed |
Releases under the label |
|---|---|---|
| Normani | 2018 | 6 |
Discography
editStudio albums
edit| Artist | Album | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Lucky Daye | Painted |
|
| Freddie Gibbs & Madlib | Bandana |
|
| VanJess | Silk Canvas (Remixes) |
|
| Lucky Daye | Candydrip |
|
Extended plays
editExtended plays
| Artist | Extended play | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Lucky Daye | I |
|
| Lucky Daye | II |
|
| UMI | Introspection |
|
| VanJess | Homegrown |
|
| Lucky Daye | Table For Two |
|
| Marzz | Love Letterz |
|
References
edit- ^Jones, Rhian."TUNJI BALOGUN LAUNCHES LABEL JV WITH RCA RECORDS, AS HE'S PROMOTED TO EVP OF A&R".Music Business Worldwide.
- ^Lyle, Ashley."A&R Spotlight: RCA's Tunji Balogun on Working With Bryson Tiller, SZA & Khalid".Billboard.
- ^Payne, Ogden."RCA Announces Joint Venture With Keep Cool And CoFounder Tunji Balogun".Forbes.
- ^Mitchell, Gail."RCA Enters Into Keep Cool Joint Venture With Co-Founder Tunji Balogun: Exclusive".Billboard.
- ^Mitchell, Gail."Normani Signs to Keep Cool/RCA Records: Exclusive".Billboard.
- ^"RCA RAMPS UP KEEP COOL, UPS TUNJI, SIGNS NORMANI".HitsDailyDouble.
- ^Babalola, Bolu."VanJess Go Deeper than Nostalgia with Their 90s-Style R&B".Noisey.
- ^Leight, Elias."Lucky Daye Doesn't Want to Fit In".Rolling Stone.
- ^"Freddie Gibbs & Madlib Announce New Album 'Bandana,' Share 'Flat Tummy Tea' Single: Listen".Billboard.RetrievedFebruary 22,2019.
- ^"UMI's Introspection EP Out Now Via Keep Cool/RCA".RCA Records.
- ^"MARZZ –" SO FREQUENTLY "(VIDEO)".2DopeBoyz.
- ^"Homegrown by VanJess".Apple Music.RetrievedFebruary 5,2021.