Generation Now, the Atlanta-based label imprint founded by DJ Drama, Don Cannon and Leighton “Lake” Morrison, has extended its joint venture partnership with Atlantic Records. The partnership launched in 2015 and labels have launched the careers of Jack Harlow, Lil Uzi Vert — who collectively have achieved a whopping 30 billion-plus streams globally — and many others. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
In the coming years, GenerationNow — whose roster also includes rising talents Seddy Hendrix, Sonny Digital, Killumantii, Carvena and others —will continue their artist development-focused, culture-based approach to discovering and breaking new artists, all within the infrastructure of the legendary label.
The announcement comes on the heels of Harlow’s smash “First Class,” which has spent three weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, as well as his sophomore major-label album “Come Home the Kids Miss You,” which debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard Top 200. Harlow also was named PvNew‘s 2021 Hitmaker of the Year and was the subject of an extensive cover story in December.
DJ Drama won his first Grammy for his work on the 2022 Best Rap Album winner, Tyler, the Creator’s “Call Me If You Get Lost.”
GenerationNow is also observing the tenth anniversary of its Means Street Studiosin Atlanta and is currently at work on launching another one, focused on helping Atlanta’s young artists, engineers, creatives and executives.
“Generation Now was founded with the goals of developing real artists, putting them and their art at the forefront, while still moving the culture forward,” says Morrison, who is pictured above, left, with Drama (center) and Cannon (right). “It’s rare to find a major label that shares those same ideologies but that’s what makes our partnership with Atlantic so unique. Thank you to [chairman/COO Julie Greenwald, chairman/CEO Craig Kallman, and co-president of Black music Michael Kyser and Lanre Gaba] and the entire Atlantic staff for believing in us and our artists. We can’t wait to keep making history together. Watch what comes next!”
“We are thrilled to extend our partnership with Generation Now. Lake, Drama and Cannon are important figures in hip-hop and have always aimed to collectively move the culture forward with their forward thinking and individual expertise,” said Kyser and Gaba. “Atlantic and Generation Now share a common vision in the importance of artist development which can be seen with the global success of superstars Jack Harlow and Lil Uzi Vert. We speak for the entire Atlantic Records family when we say we are very much looking forward to this next chapter with Generation Now, as we continue to make history, developing and breaking incredible new talent together.”
