LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 05: (FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY) D’Mile attends the 65th GRAMMY … [+]
D’Mile is one of the most successful people working behind the scenes in the music industry today. He’s a Grammy and Oscar-winning producer and songwriter with plenty of hits to his credit, and now he can add one more impressive item to his resume: record label owner.
As of this week, D’Mile is now the head of Good Company Records, a new label founded by D’Mile, music executive Natalie Prospere, and Grammy-winning mixing and audio engineer John Kercy. The firm launches as a subsidiary of Disney Music Group and in partnership with Andscape (the newly-renamed and expanded media platform by ESPN that used to be known as The Undefeated), which immediately gives it an important leg up in the competitive music business.
Speaking about his new label and Disney partnership, D’Mile stated that he and his partners had been thinking about a business venture for some time, but they were held back from pursuing it due to his packed schedule. He said that once they decided to move forward, he found Disney’s immediate interest and support “unexpected.”
D’Mile shared that in founding this company, his mission is simple: find great artists, nurture them, and “make a label where you just feel like you’re around good people. You’re in good company,” which is, of course, where the name came from.
For Disney’s part, the label makes a lot of sense for a number of reasons. The conglomerate has been looking for ways to authentically connect with Black audiences across its many businesses, and one of the best ways to do so is to partner with those who are part of the culture. Andscape now reaches into almost every field of entertainment, and Disney is happy to have D’Mile working in-house on a number of upcoming items, as he’s shown he can craft a hit that works across all mediums.
D’Mile has already won many of the biggest awards in the music industry, and in a relatively short span of time, he’s proven himself to be one of the most talented and reliable hitmakers in the world. He is the first person to win Song of the Year at the Grammys in back-to-back ceremonies, which he managed by coming out on top with both H.E.R.’s “I Can’t Breathe” and Silk Sonic’s “Leave the Door Open,” for which he also took home Record of the Year. D’Mile also won Best Original Song at the Oscars for “Fight For You” from Judas and the Black Messiah. He has credits on tracks by the likes of Victoria Monet, Pink Sweats, and The Carters (otherwise known as Jay-Z and Beyoncé), and he’s incredibly in-demand at the moment, so more smashes are surely on the way.
Good Company Records will be involved in a variety of Disney projects with other Andscape units, starting with the upcoming documentary, Shyne. The film will follow the life and transformation of hip-hop musician Shyne from a signee to Sean “Puff Daddy” Combs’ Bad Boy record label to a politician in the Belize House of Representatives.
D’Mile admitted during a call that when it comes to Disney, “They basically own everything,” and that’s a good thing for him and his artists. “It’s just crazy the opportunities that can come and what I can do to help and be a part of the system,” he shared, and he’s right. Being a part of the machine for Disney can lead to amazing partnerships and inclusion on any number of projects in music, film, and TV.
The producer and songwriter confided that when he began thinking about a record label, he was focused more on just the music and how it might fare on streaming platforms and radio, but with Disney in the mix, there’s so much more that can be done. “I guess I wasn’t thinking as big as it could be,” he began. “Getting into movies and TV and the shows and doing documentaries…with Disney, the possibilities are endless.”
So far, Good Company Records hasn’t announced any artist signings, but D’Mile suggested that while it would be expected for him to work with R&B acts, he’s interested in all genres. Disney Music Group Head of Creative Mio Vukovic opened up about the partnership during a recent call as well, and he stated that while other labels are focused on what’s trending on TikTok, he and his new collaborators are looking elsewhere for pure, raw talent that speaks to them. “We want to sign the things that we love, that we believe in,” he shared, adding, “and we’re not afraid to just try to grow it from scratch if we have to.”
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/hughmcintyre/2023/02/15/grammy-and-oscar-winner-dmile-talks-new-record-label-with-disney-the-possibilities-are-endless/