Pictured [Left to Right]: Guy Moot, Co-Chair and CEO, WCM; Carianne Marshall, Co-Chair and COO, WCM; Belly, Songwriter/Rapper; Ryan Press, President of U.S. A&R, WCM; Wassim "Sal" Slaiby, CEO, SALXCO & XO RECORDS)
Warner Chappell Music has extended its worldwide publishing agreement with Grammy and Academy Award-nominated songwriter, rapper and record producer Belly.
As part of the deal, Warner Chappell has acquired 50% of Belly’s songwriting catalog. This includes The Weeknd’s Earned It and Blinding Lights, which reached No. 1 in 34 countries and broke the record for most weeks spent in the top 5 and top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Belly is a singer, songwriter, rapper and producer who has accumulated over seven billion streams across his catalog.
Belly’s first full-length album, 2007’s The Revolution, went gold in Canada. After writing Ariana Grande and The Weeknd’s Love Me Harder in 2014, Belly co-wrote six tracks from The Weeknd’s 4x-platinum album Beauty Behind The Madness.
This included Earned It (Fifty Shades of Grey), which received an Academy Award nomination for ‘Best Original Song.’
The Weeknd and Belly went on to create 6-Inch for Beyoncé’s Lemonade before Jay-Z signed Belly to Roc Nation in 2015. With Roc Nation, Belly released the mixtape Up For Days in the same year, which included the RIAA platinum-single Might Not (ft. The Weeknd).
Collaborations with the late rapper Nipsey Hussle on tracks like Double Up and No Limit Remix, featuring G-Eazy, A$AP Rocky, French Montana and Juicy J, came next.
After contributing as a songwriter to The Weeknd’s 2020 album, After Hours, Belly is now preparing for the release of his second LP, See You Next Wednesday, which Warner says is scheduled for summer 2021 via ROC Nation / XO Records.
Guy Moot, Warner Chappell Music Co-Chair and CEO, and Carianne Marshall, Co-Chair and COO, said: “Belly’s become one of the most impactful and versatile songwriters and artists of our time.
“He’s accomplished so much over the past two decades, from building up an impressive solo career to working with The Weeknd as one of his top collaborators.
“We’re excited to continue our partnership with him alongside Sal and the whole team at XO.”
“We’re looking forward to what’s next.”
Ryan Press, Warner Chappell Music
Ryan Press, Warner Chappell Music President of A&R, US, said: “Belly has some of the best songwriting instincts in the game, and we couldn’t be prouder to be on this journey with him.
“Along with his natural gift for writing songs, he’s an amazing rapper and has spent the last few years crafting his best body of work yet as an artist.
“We’re looking forward to what’s next and the highly anticipated release of his new album.”
“I’m excited to continue this partnership and make more history together.”
Belly
Belly added: “Warner Chappell was my first home, a place I was able to build lasting relationships and build myself into the writer I am today.
“I’m excited to continue this partnership and make more history together.”Music Business Worldwide
