It would be hard to find two management companies more on opposite ends of the sphere than heavyweight hip-hop titan Roc Nation and indie kid New Community, but the two have just joined forces in a partnership deal, Billboard has learned exclusively.
Under the deal, New Community will still be headed by manager Bryan Ling, who now has added resources at his disposal from Roc Nation and Live Nation under the deal.
“I’m really stoked for what this is going to mean for our artists,” he says. “They are going to benefit the most.”
With that in mind, he’s also recently slimmed down New Community’s artist roster, which now includes festival favorites Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, Strokes singer Julian Casablancas and the Voidz, and younger artists James Vincent McMorrow, Bad Suns and Lia Ices.
“For the last year, [Roc Nation heads] Jay Z, Jay Brown and I have been getting to know each other more on a business level,” Ling said. “I wanted them to understand the culture of how New Community operates, and once we realized that this would be something that benefits both companies, we joined forces.” Under the deal, Ling will consult on Roc Nation projects that, “need a bit of outside perspective,” he says.
Roc Nation co-founder/president Jay Brown agreed via email: “Bryan has a unique vision. There is a mutual respect and a natural partnership with Roc Nation. We are both focused on expanding audiences, nurturing artists and pushing the limits of our business,” he said.
Jay Z adds: “Bryan has created a true artistic hub with New Community. We have spent numerous hours just talking about the love of the arts. Our visions are aligned on building something really special.”
