Kilometre Music Group has acquired the song catalogs of producer Murda Beatz and R&B singer Bryson Tiller. Both were acquired through a partnership between the Canadian music rights management company and Toronto investment firm Barometer Capital Management, Inc., which was formed to invest in catalogs and music rights of Canadian creators. Dubbed the Barometer Global Music Royalty Fund and founded in February 2021, the fund is a limited partnership with “a targeted size of $200 million USD,” according to a company statement.
Kilometre purchased Tiller’s entire writer’s share of all songs released up to the end of 2020, according to a source close to the deal. This includes his own albums, features and co-writes for other artists. Along with his popular solo albums, Tiller has made an indelible mark as a songwriter, co-authoring songs performed by Rihanna, Drake, H.E.R., Summer Walker, Chris Brown and DJ Khalid.
“Bryson Tiller is one of the most influential R&B singer-songwriters of the modern era,” says Michael McCarty, CEO of Kilometre, adding, “his catalog is the evergreen R&B soundtrack of the future.”
The Murda Beatz acquisition includes 100% of the songwriter-producer’s writer’s share on all songs released up to the end of 2019, according to a source close to the deal, including massive singles like “Butterfly Effect” by Travis Scott, “Grindin’ All My Life” by Nipsey Hussle and “Nice For What” by Drake. This includes all 42 of Murda Beatz’s collaborations with Migos, including the group’s smash hit “Motorsport.” In total, the deal encompasses 285 songs.
The acquisition extends Murda Beatz’s longstanding relationship with Kilometre president, A&R and acquisitions Rodney Murphy, who previously worked with the producer during his 17-year stint at SOCAN. “Rodney Murphy has supported me from day one,” explains Murda Beatz. “There is no company I trust more with my catalog than Kilometre.”
Murphy adds, “I have worked with Murda for over six years and have been amazed by his tireless work ethic and undeniable ability to create classic modern rap hits at a prolific rate. We are honored that Murda has trusted us with his life’s work, and we are thrilled to build this partnership with him.”
The two deals bringsKilometre’s holdings to over 900 compositions.
While the company declined to comment on the financial terms of the deals, a source close to the acquisitions tells Billboard they were both in the eight figures (USD).
Friday’s (Jan. 28) acquisition announcement arrives just a week after Murda Beatz inked a deal for global distribution with ADA Worldwide, a company owned by Warner Music Group. Murda Beatz is managed by Cory Litwin, senior vp Hallwood Media. Bryson Tiller is managed by Neil Dominique and is signed to RCA Records.