Back in December, Drake and his partners Oliver El-Khatib and Noah “40″ Shebib announced that they were doing big things when they inked an OVO deal with Warner Bros, and they are now expanding their roster.
R&B singer and occasional model Cassie, who had one of the biggest 2006 rhythm-crossover hits with the minimal electro Ryan Leslie produced “Me & U” and has since then been signed under Sean Diddy Combs exclusive Bad Boy/Interscope distribution partnership, has now inked another deal with Drake and Noah “40″ Shebib’s OVO Sound, their first big signing. Riding high on the release of her new mixtape RockaByeBaby, well-received by fans and critics, Cassie is now preparing for a new single later this year, followed by her sophomore LP next Spring.
Drake is also using the label to put his hometown on the map yet again, collaborating with Toronto’s Mayor Rob Ford and the City Council to make the city a “premier music destination.”
“Toronto City Council has directed staff to consult broadly with the local music industry regarding the formation of a Toronto Music Advisory Committee. The purpose of the advisory committee is to assist with the creation of a strategic action plan that maximizes the impact of City support for the Toronto music industry, including the preferred forms of support.”
Between OVO’s festval, clothing label, and blog where they’ve been dropping exclusive tracks for years, Drake and his boys are laying down the blueprint for a new empire.
