James Brown’s estate has sold the late singer’s music assets to Primary Wave, the publishing and management company announced on Monday, marking the latest blockbuster deal in the booming song acquisition market.
Primary Wave didn’t comment on the financial details of the deal or how much of a stake it purchased, but a source familiar with the deal tells Rolling Stone Primary Wave bought the entirety of Brown’s publishing, master income stream, and name and likeness rights that were owned by the estate. As the New York Times reports, the deal is estimated at $90 million.
The sale is the latest development in settling 15 years of dispute over Brown’s estate. Brown left most of his assets in a will to establish scholarships for underprivileged children in South Carolina and Georgia, but contention among Brown’s heirs — who were given only Brown’s possessions and stage costumes, along with $2 million earmarked for Brown’s grandchildren’s education — delayed that fund.
Another complication in the will involved Brown’s marriage to singer Tommie Rae Hynie, who was already married to another man when she married Brown. South Carolina’s supreme court ruled in 2020 that she was never officially Brown’s wife.
With the estate sale, Brown’s scholarship fund is that much closer to coming to fruition. As the Times reported, the money from the sale will fund the scholarships, and Primary Wave’s founder and CEO Larry Mestel told the paper the company will contribute small percentages of earnings from future deals from Brown’s music to the scholarships. Still, Adele Pope, a former executor of Brown’s will, has an ongoing lawsuit against Brown’s estate. And Russell Bauknight, the fiduciary for the James Brown Estate and Trust, filed another against Pope. Until those suits are resolved, the Times reported, the scholarships can’t move forward.
“The James Brown Estate and related Trust are very proud and excited to work with Larry Mestel and Primary Wave,” Bauknight said in a statement. “We believe that our choice of professionals to take the James Brown Legacy to the next level is going to prove to be one of the most successful events in Mr. Brown’s long history in show business.”
Brown, one of the most influential artists of his generation and a central figure in soul music, has an extensive catalog of hits that includes “I Got You (I Feel Good),” “The Comeback,” and “Get Up (I Feel Like Being a) Sex Machine.” Brown’s career-spanning compilation record Star Time is ranked 54th in Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list.
Primary Wave will be looking to further promote the music and bring it to a new generation of fans. They previously closed deals with artists like Stevie Nicks and Paul Anka, along with the estates of Whitney Houston and Prince among many others.
Primary Wave is one of several notable dealmakers in the hyper-competitive song acquisition market. The market has heated up in the past several years as companies like Primary Wave and Hipgnosis Songs Fund have been willing to shell out previously unheard-of offers to buy rights from artists, songwriters, and producers. The sellers choose an immediate payout rather than gamble on their future royalty earnings, while buyers hope to boost songs’ earnings. Selling song rights has been attractive to major legacy artists as they plan their own estates, leaving money to their loved ones while entrusting music companies to handle their musical legacies.
Primary Wave is far from alone as deep-pocketed corporations are also looking to jump in. Hipgnosis established a billion-dollar partnership with investment giant Blackstone earlier this year to fund more acquisitions, while BMG, who announced the purchase of all of Mötley Crüe’s recorded music catalog at the end of November, has a similar partnership with investment firm KKR. The major publishing companies are active, too, with Paul Simon selling his catalog to Sony Music Publishing, and Bob Dylan selling to Universal Music Publishing for over $300 million.
“Wow, I am awed that Primary Wave has been chosen by the estate of James Brown to partner with the Godfather of Soul,” Mestel said in a statement. “We are thrilled to help continue the expansion of his influence and further his legacy through both his music and The James Brown 2000 Trust.”
NEWS
There is no question that Clipse’s Let God Sort Em Out made a serious impact and continues to hold weight. The project showed that hip hop is not limited by age and proved that a long-awaited return can still land in a major way regardless of the time away.
If you need a reminder, the Virginia duo’s fourth studio album debuted comfortably within the top five of the Hot 200. It secured the number four position and moved an impressive 118,000 units in its first week.
On top of that, it picked up a win at this year’s Grammys, earning Best Rap Performance for “Chains & Whips.” The album also received four additional nominations, including Best Music Video, Rap Album, and Album of the Year.
It is hard to believe the project will officially hit its one year mark this summer on July 11. Even so, Pusha T is making it clear that both supporters and critics should not be overlooking it anytime soon.
While performing at Coachella yesterday, King Push told the crowd that LGSEO still sits at the top, regardless of genre.
He said, “‘Let God Sort Em Out’ is still the album of the motherfckin year. Whole new year, still album of the year,” per Kurrco. “Album of the motherfcking year until we drop again. We don't care who dropping. It don't matter.”
That is a strong statement for obvious reasons, especially considering the recent claims surrounding Push himself.
Over the same weekend, hip hop social media lit up after several alleged reference tracks connected to Quentin Miller and Push began circulating. Three tracks surfaced in total, but one that drew the most attention was an alleged record titled “Real Gon’ Come.” It is said to come from the DAYTONA era, around 2017 to 2018.
The situation gained traction because fans remember the past tension between Drake and Pusha T before Drake’s clash with Kendrick Lamar. During that feud, Pusha accused Drake of using ghostwriters on tracks like “Infrared,” which appears on DAYTONA. On that song, he raps, “The bigger question is how the Russians did it /
It was written like Nas, but it came from Quentin.”
Reactions have been mixed. Some people argue it is not a major issue since Miller’s alleged contributions were limited to hooks. Others point out that the songs were never officially released, so they see no real problem. Meanwhile, critics view it as clear hypocrisy on Pusha T’s part, a perspective that DJ Akademiks has also supported.
