Nipsey Hussle is ready for his Victory Lap.
The Crenshaw rapper has just signed a multi-album deal with Atlantic Records that will include his upcoming debut album Victory Lap. The partnership will include his All Money In imprint, but it will not affect his label’s roster, according to Billboard.
“It’s not about a fame ambition or getting a radio record,” said Hussle. “The decision really came down to the message I’m trying to get across. I wanted to give that message the best chance to be heard and consumed on the highest level. That was my goal from the jump as All Money In took time to build its position in the hip-hop lane.”
Atlantic chairman/CEO Craig Kallman and chairman/COO Julie Greenwald praised Hussle. “Nipsey is not only an extraordinary MC, but a true visionary and innovative entrepreneur,” they said. “Over the past seven years, he has built an incredible brand that reflects his independent, non-traditional approach to what it means to be a creative artist in the modern music marketplace. We are thrilled and honored that he has chosen Atlantic as his label home.”
Hussle, who recently broke up with Lauren London, says his partnership with Atlantic was inspired by labels like JAY-Z’s Roc-A-Fella and T.I.’s Grand Hustle. “Those labels started off as boutique operations, reached a boiling point in terms of cultural relevance and then partnered with a major to help take things to the next level,” he explained. “My vision is to build something like that. I really believe in Atlantic’s Julie Greenwald, Craig Kallman, [president of black music] Mike Kyser, and [senior VP of A&R] Dallas Martin. That’s their vision for All Money In as well. We’re not just taking a check and giving up all the credit for the work we’ve done to get here.”
Hussle is no stranger to the majors. In 2010, he left Epic Records and launched All Money In. Since then, he’s released mixtapes like Crenshaw, The Marathon, Mailbox Money, and The Marathon Continues.
“This deal represents exactly how I wanted to exist in this business…AS A PARTNER,” he wrote. “Julie, Craig, Kyser, and Dallas have all proven consistently that they are individual thinkers and aren’t confined by the scale of the operation they are running. I’ve always been a radical and needed a proven track record in the field to be able to validate my point of views and requests…(one of the reasons I took so long to reach an agreement). Once we all sat down at the negotiating table, Craig made us an offer we couldn’t refuse and the rest is history.”
Hussle’s debut Victory Lap is complete and due in 2018.