Warner Music Group buys Uproxx websites (reuniting Rawkus Records pals)
Entertainment and record label conglomerate (and home of Cardi B) Warner Music Group is acquiring digital media company Uproxx. The press release reads:
UPROXX will continue to be run by current CEO and Chief Creative Benjamin Blank and Co-Founder and Publisher Jarret Myer. Its editorial and studio operations will function as stand-alone entities with journalistic and creative independence, including working with any and all artists, athletes, and innovators making their mark in culture.
“UPROXX was founded with the mission to deliver the best daily content and programming that shapes the lives of youth culture and the world we are inheriting,” said UPROXX CEO Benjamin Blank. “Over the past years, we’ve won the trust of our audience, along with numerous industry accolades, because of our understanding of culture, entertainment, and marketing – an approach that’s rooted in authenticity and transparency. With Warner Music Group, we just doubled down on that formula and are now able to deliver more to our audience and partners with even more access and at much bigger scale.”
This means — among other things — that a record label owns a news website and also that a mini Rawkus Records reunion is happening.
Before co-founding UPROXX, Jarret Myer co-founded defunct NYC hip hop label Rawkus Records which had a big moment in the late 90’s with releases by Company Flow, Black Star (and Mos Def and Talib Kweli), and more (Company Flow’s El-P has since gone on to even bigger fame with Run the Jewels). Current Warner Music Group Recorded Music CEO Max Lousada used to work with Jarret at Rawkus.
Also in the press release:
In the always-on, attention economy, it’s not enough to simply deliver amazing music to the world. We aim to tell engaging and original stories that influence culture,” said Max Lousada, CEO of Global Recorded Music, WMG. “UPROXX brings together pioneering personalities and credible brands in ways that move huge audiences to talk, listen and share. It’ll be exciting to collaborate with Jarret again, along with Ben and their team, who will thrive in the creative and entrepreneurial environment we’re building. They’ll be great partners as we redefine what it means to be a dynamic, future-focused music company.”
“It’s a true pleasure to be once again working with Max, going back to our time running Rawkus Records together, where we championed unique talent, broke marketing rules, and built a loyal audience,” said Jarret Myer, UPROXX Co-Founder.
The purchase terms were not made public, but a source told NY Post that Warner Music acquired Uproxx for less than $100 million.
Uproxx Media Group publishes Uproxx.com, as well as HitFix and sport site Dime. BroBible, also part of Uproxx, was not part of the sale, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Uproxx is where music journalist Steven Hyden works. Hyden also writes books and released Twilight of the Gods: A Journey to the End of Classic Rock earlier this year.
