OVO Sound

OVO Sound (also known simply as OVO) is a Toronto-based Canadian record label, founded in 2012 by hip hop artist Drake, producer 40, and Oliver El-Khatib.^[1] It operates as a subsidiary of, and is distributed through, Warner Music Group's Warner Records, except for Drake's albums, which are distributed by Republic Records, a division of Universal Music Group.

OVO Sound
Parent company	Warner Music Group
Founded	2012; 11 years ago (2012)
Founder	Drake 40 Oliver El-Khatib
Status	Active
Distributor(s)	Warner Records (US) Warner Music Group (International) Republic Records (Drake releases)
Genre	Hip hop Trap R&B Dancehall
Country of origin	Canada
Location	Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Official website	ovosound.com

The label represents acts including Drake, PartyNextDoor, Majid Jordan, Roy Woods, OB O'Brien, Dvsn, Plaza, Baka Not Nice, Popcaan and Smiley. In-house producers include 40, Boi-1da, DJ Prince , Nineteen85, Mike Zombie, T-Minus, and Future The Prince.

History

 

Drake founded the label in 2012

The label's roots can be traced back to 2006, when Drake's first official mixtape, Room for Improvement, was released under the unofficial record label "All Things Fresh" which eventually became "October's Very Own". Drake later raised the profile of the label by prominently featuring OVO throughout his music, regularly mentioning the label in songs and on stage, as well as promoting OVO merchandise.^[2]

The record label was officially founded in 2012 by Drake and long-time collaborators Noah "40" Shebib and Oliver El-Khatib following the success of Drake's third studio album Nothing Was the Same. According to Billboard, Drake signed a partnership deal with Warner Records similar to that of Rick Ross' record company. Though Ross is signed as a solo artist to Epic, the artists on Ross' Maybach Music Group label are signed to Atlantic Records, former partners with Warner.^{[citation needed]}

Drake was signed as a solo artist to Republic Records through Young Money and Cash Money for nine years. Drake's 2018 release Scorpion was his last project under Young Money/Cash Money.^[3] On the other hand, the artists Drake signs to OVO Sound through Warner have their content distributed through the latter.^[4][5]

Upon founding the label in 2012, Drake and 40 signed frequent collaborators Boi-1da, T-Minus, Mike Zombie to the label as in-house producers (the latter two are the only active signees in the label to come outside of Canada).^[6] In April 2013, it was reported that Drake was close to signing the label's first recording artist, PartyNextDoor, which he ended up revealing shortly thereafter.^[7] In August 2013, Drake announced that he signed Toronto music duo Majid Jordan to OVO Sound.^[8] OB O'Brien and iLoveMakonnen would soon sign in 2014, with the latter being the first non-Canadian act and second non-Canadian signee after to Mike Zombie. Makonnen would eventually leave OVO Sound in April 2016, wishing to pursue his interests as a solo artist with Warner. Canadian rap artist Roy Woods and R&B duo Dvsn, composed of singer Daniel Daley and producer Nineteen85, soon joined the label in 2015 and 2016, with each act releasing an EP and studio album respectively.^{[9][10][11][12]} In 2021, Canadian rapper Smiley was signed to the label.^[13][14]

Roster

Current acts

Act	Year	Releases
Drake	2012	9
PartyNextDoor	2013	7
Majid Jordan	2013	4
OB O'Brien	2014	2 (singles)
Roy Woods	2014	5
Dvsn	2015	4
Baka Not Nice	2017	1
Popcaan	2018	2
SMILEY Former acts Act Year Releases ILoveMakonnen 2014–2015 3 Plaza 2017–2021 1 In-house producers Act Year Noah "40" Shebib 2012 Boi-1da^[15] 2012 T-Minus 2012 Nineteen85 2013 OG Ron C 2013 Future The Prince [1] 2015 OVO Sound Radio OVO Sound Radio was a radio program that aired on Beats 1, fortnightly on Saturdays. The show primarily aired newer material, with at least one song premiering in each broadcast. The show's initial airing was on July 11, 2015, and it was hosted by Drake and Oliver El-Khatib. The show is notable for debuting hit Drake singles, such as platinum-selling "Hotline Bling", and chart-topping "One Dance". The show ended on October 27, 2018. On March 4, 2021, Drake announced that he and Oliver would debut their new 24 hour radio station, "SOUND42" on Sirius XM featuring the return of OVO Sound Radio that same night.^[16] OVO Clothing OVO Clothing was launched in 2011.^[17] The series of clothing began with a series of collaborations between Roots Canada and OVO, which produced several parkas, jackets and other collaborations. In 2013, merchandise for the OVO figurehead included collaborations with the Toronto Raptors, which coincided with Drake becoming the franchise's Global Ambassador. OVO has since morphed into a clothing line in itself, releasing a slew of clothes during every season of the year. T-shirts, sweatshirts, varsity jackets, baseball hats, and knit beanies are seasonal installations. OVO Clothing oversaw the opening of the first OVO store for the brand's clothing in downtown Toronto, opening on December 6, 2014.^[18] Exactly a year after the opening in Toronto, OVO stores expanded to the United States, opening a flagship store in Los Angeles, California. Its New York store opened in December 2016 on Bond Street, and its Chicago store in August 2019 on Walton Street in Gold Coast. OVO also opened its first location in Vancouver in December 2018.^[19] Other OVO collaborations have included Canada Goose, and Air Jordan. Its pre-2016 collection was composed of basketball shorts, OVO jerseys, track jackets, and baggy hoodies.^[20] On November 9, 2020, it was revealed via the OVO Clothing Instagram account that NHL Hall of Famer Wayne Gretzky would be a model for the Fall and Winter 2020 collection.^[21] Gretzky and OVO Clothing founder Drake are both proud natives of southern Ontario, Canada. Also featured in the collection was former Canadian Olympian Ross Rebagliati,^[22] who won a gold medal in Giant Slalom Snowboarding in the 1998 Nagano Olympics. Discography Studio albums Artist Album Details Peak chart positions Certification CAN ^[A] US ^[B] Drake Nothing Was the Same Released: September 24, 2013 Label: Young Money, Cash Money, Republic, OVO Sound Formats: CD, digital download 1 1 RIAA: 4× Platinum^[33] PartyNextDoor PartyNextDoor Two Released: July 28, 2014 Label: OVO Sound, Warner Bros. Formats: CD, LP, digital download 19 15 RIAA: Gold^[34] Majid Jordan Majid Jordan Released: February 5, 2016 Label: OVO Sound, Warner Bros. Formats: CD, LP, digital download 20 69 Dvsn Sept. 5th Released: March 27, 2016 Label: OVO Sound, Warner Bros. Formats: CD, LP, digital download 69 133 Drake Views Released: April 29, 2016 Label: Young Money, Cash Money, Republic Formats: CD, LP, digital download 1 1 RIAA: 6× Platinum Roy Woods Waking at Dawn Released: July 1, 2016 Label: OVO Sound, Warner Bros. Formats: Digital download 30 127 PartyNextDoor PartyNextDoor 3 Released: August 12, 2016 Label: OVO Sound, Warner Formats: CD, LP, digital download 4 3 RIAA: Gold^[35] Dvsn Morning After Released: October 13, 2017^[36] Label: OVO Sound, Warner Bros. Formats: CD, LP, digital download 19 38 Majid Jordan The Space Between Released: October 27, 2017^[37] Label: OVO Sound, Warner Bros. Formats: CD, LP, digital download 30 74 Roy Woods Say Less Released: December 1, 2017^[38] Label: OVO Sound, Warner Bros. Formats: CD, LP, digital download 26 92 Drake Scorpion Released: June 29, 2018 Label: Young Money, Cash Money, Republic Formats: CD, LP, digital download 1 1 RIAA: 5× Platinum PartyNextDoor Partymobile Released: March 27, 2020^[39] Label: OVO Sound, Warner Formats: CD, LP, digital download 3 6 Dvsn A Muse in Her Feelings Released: April 17, 2020^[40] Label: OVO Sound, Warner Formats: CD, LP, digital download 13 23 Dvsn & Ty Dolla Sign Cheers to the Best Memories Released: August 20, 2021^[41] Label: OVO Sound, Warner Format: Digital download, streaming – 139 Drake Certified Lover Boy Released: September 3, 2021 Label: Republic, OVO Sound Formats: CD, LP, digital download 1 1 RIAA: Gold Majid Jordan Wildest Dreams Released: October 22, 2021 Label: OVO Sound, Warner Formats: CD, LP, digital download – – Smiley Buy or Bye 2 Released: November 12, 2021 Label: OVO Sound, Warner Formats: Digital download – – Drake Honestly, Nevermind Released: June 17, 2022 Label: Republic, OVO Sound Formats: Digital download, streaming 1 1 Drake & 21 Savage Her Loss Released: November 4, 2022 Label: Republic, OVO Sound, Slaughter Gang, Epic Records Formats: Digital download, streaming 1 1 Compilation albums Artist Album Details Peak chart positions Certification CAN US Drake Care Package Released: August 2, 2019^[42] Label: Republic, OVO Sound^[43] Formats: Streaming, digital download 1 1 Soundtrack albums Artist Album Details Various Artists Top Boy (A Selection of Music Inspired by the Series) Released: September 13, 2019^[44] Label: OVO Sound, Warner Bros.^[45] Formats: Streaming, digital download Mixtapes Artist Album Details Peak chart positions Certification CAN US Drake If You're Reading This It's Too Late Released: February 13, 2015 Label: Young Money, Cash Money, Republic, OVO Sound Formats: CD, LP, digital download 1 1 RIAA: 2× Platinum Drake & Future What a Time to Be Alive Released: September 20, 2015 Label: Young Money, Cash Money, Republic, OVO Sound, Epic, A1, Freebandz Formats: LP, digital download 1 1 RIAA: Platinum Drake More Life Released: March 18, 2017 Label: Young Money, Cash Money, Republic, OVO Sound Format: Streaming, digital download 1 1 Popcaan Vanquish Released: December 20, 2019^[46] Label: OVO Sound, Warner Formats: Digital download – – Drake Dark Lane Demo Tapes Released: May 1, 2020^[47] Label: Republic, OVO Sound Format: Streaming, digital download 1 2 Popcaan Fixtape Released: August 7, 2020 Label: OVO Sound, Warner Formats: Digital download 15 94 EPs Artist Album Details Partynextdoor Partynextdoor Released: July 1, 2013 Label: OVO Sound, Warner Bros. Formats: Digital download Majid Jordan A Place Like This Released: July 17, 2014 Label: OVO Sound, Warner Bros. Formats: Digital download Partynextdoor Colours Released: December 3, 2014 Label: OVO Sound, Warner Bros. Formats: Digital download iLoveMakonnen iLoveMakonnen Released: December 15, 2014 Label: OVO Sound, Warner Bros. Formats: Digital download Roy Woods Exis Released: July 31, 2015 Label: OVO Sound, Warner Bros. Formats: Digital download iLoveMakonnen iLoveMakonnen 2 Released: November 20, 2015 Label: OVO Sound, Warner Bros. Formats: Digital download Roy Woods Nocturnal Released: December 21, 2016 Label: OVO Sound, Warner Bros. Formats: Digital download Partynextdoor Colours 2 Released: June 2, 2017 Label: OVO Sound, Warner Bros. Formats: Digital download Plaza SHADOWS Released: June 10, 2017 Label: OVO Sound, Warner Bros. Formats: Digital download Partynextdoor Seven Days Released: September 28, 2017 Label: OVO Sound, Warner Bros. Formats: Digital download Baka Not Nice 4Milli Released: August 3, 2018 Label: OVO Sound, Warner Bros. Formats: Digital download Drake The Best in the World Pack Released: June 15, 2019 Label: OVO Sound, Frozen Moments, Republic^[48] Formats: Digital download, streaming Roy Woods Dem Times Released: May 15, 2020^[49] Label: OVO Sound, Warner Formats: Digital download PARTYNEXTDOOR PARTYPACK Released: October 16, 2020 Label: OVO Sound, Warner Formats: Digital download Drake Scary Hours 2 Released: March 5, 2021^[50] Label: OVO Sound, Republic Formats: Digital download, streaming Notes References for Canadian Albums Chart^[23]^[24]^[25]^[26]^[27] References for Billboard 200^[28]^[29]^[30]^[31]^[32] References "Drake's OVO Sound Label Teams Up With City of Toronto to Create Music Committee". Retrieved August 11, 2016. "Drake's OVO Sound Releases Three-Piece Merch Collection". Complex Networks. "Report: Lil Wayne's UMG Deal Includes Drake and Nicki Minaj's Masters". "Drake's OVO Label Flies To Warner Bros. Records – Music, Celebrity, Artist News". MTV.com. December 5, 2012. Retrieved May 7, 2013. Ugwu, Reggie. "Drake's OVO Record Label Inks Deal With Warner Bros. | News". BET. Retrieved May 7, 2013. "10 Artists That Should Sign To Drake's OVO Sound – Page 7 of 11 – XXL". Xxlmag.com. August 12, 2013. Retrieved August 25, 2013. "Listen to PARTYNEXTDOOR, Drake's New Artist Signing to OVO (Soon) – XXL". Xxlmag.com. April 22, 2013. Retrieved May 7, 2013. "Drake Wants New Single To Be Played At Weddings". XXL. On June 10, 2017, newest signee Plaza's project, Shadow EP, debuted on OVO Sound Radio episode 45. Gilmore, Mike (August 7, 1997). . Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on October 2, 2007. Retrieved May 16, 2012. Carissimo, Justin (October 24, 2016). "Drake announces 'More Life' project, shares four new songs on OVO Sound Radio". The Independent. Retrieved October 24, 2016. Morgan Britton, Luke (October 24, 2016). "Stream three new Drake songs from 'More Life' project". NME. Retrieved October 24, 2016. Willis, Jay (October 24, 2016). "Drake Just Dropped Four New Songs Off More Life as an Early Birthday Gift". GQ. Retrieved October 24, 2016. "OVO Sound Official Site Artists". OVO Sound Official Site. Retrieved July 23, 2021. "Drake Signs Toronto Rapper Smiley To OVO Sound + Blesses Him With A Verse". HipHopDX. July 23, 2021. Retrieved July 23, 2021. . Archived from the original on May 4, 2015. Retrieved March 13, 2017. "Listen to Drake's OVO Sound Radio on SiriusXM's SOUND 42 Channel". Complex. Retrieved March 5, 2021. "How the OVO Clothing Label Evolved With Drake's Career". Complex Networks. Retrieved August 11, 2016. "Drake Opens Flagship OVO Store in Totonto". Fashion Network. Rap star Drake’s streetwear brand to open Gold Coast store RYAN ORI, CHICAGO TRIBUNE, July 17, 2019 Rooney, Kyle (August 10, 2016). "OVO Apparel Line Pre-fall collection". Hotnewhiphop. Retrieved August 10, 2016. "October's Very Own on Instagram: "The Great One, Wayne Gretzky. October's Very Own® / FW2020"". Instagram. Archived from the original on December 26, 2021. Retrieved November 10, 2020. "October's Very Own on Instagram: "OVO X ROOTS / FW2020 Featuring Ross Rebagliati Canadian Olympic Gold Medalist"". Instagram. Archived from the original on December 26, 2021. Retrieved November 10, 2020. "Drake – Chart History: Canadian Albums". Billboard. Retrieved July 10, 2018. "PartyNextDoor – Chart history: Canadian Albums". Billboard. Retrieved March 26, 2020. "Majid Jordan – Chart History: Canadian Albums". Billboard. Retrieved February 13, 2016. "Dvsn – Chart history: Canadian Albums". Billboard. Retrieved April 5, 2016. "Roy Woods – Chart History: Canadian Albums". Billboard. Retrieved December 12, 2017. "Drake – Chart History: Billboard 200". Billboard. Retrieved July 10, 2018. "PartyNextDoor – Chart history: Billboard 200". Billboard. Retrieved March 26, 2020. "Majid Jordan – Chart History: Billboard 200". Billboard. Retrieved November 7, 2017. "Dvsn – Chart history: Billboard 200". Billboard. Retrieved October 24, 2017. "Roy Woods – Chart History: Billboard 200". Billboard. Retrieved December 12, 2017. "Gold & Platinum". RIAA. Retrieved October 17, 2019. "Gold & Platinum – RIAA". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved January 6, 2019. "Gold & Platinum – RIAA". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved January 6, 2019. "Instagram post by dvsn • Aug 1, 2017 at 10:03pm UTC". Instagram. Retrieved August 2, 2017. "The Space Between by Majid Jordan on Apple Music". Apple Music. Retrieved October 2, 2017. "Instagram post by ROY WOOD$ • Aug 1, 2017 at 9:01pm UTC". Instagram. Archived from the original on December 26, 2021. Retrieved August 2, 2017. Minsker, Evan (February 28, 2020). "PARTYNEXTDOOR Announces New Album PARTYMOBILE, Shares New Song: Listen". Pitchfork. Retrieved March 26, 2020. Ivey, Justin (April 16, 2020). "dvsn Returns With 'A Muse In Her Feelings' Album". HipHopDX. Retrieved April 17, 2020. "dvsn and Ty Dolla $ign Announce Joint Album 'Cheers to the Best Memories'". Rap-Up. August 2, 2021. Retrieved August 16, 2021. Yoo, Noah (August 1, 2019). "Drake Announces New Care Package Compilation Album". Pitchfork. Retrieved August 1, 2019. "Drake Achieves Ninth No. 1 Album on Billboard 200 Chart With 'Care Package'". Billboard. August 11, 2019. Retrieved August 8, 2020. "The tracklisting for Drake's 'Top Boy' soundtrack has been revealed". NME. September 11, 2019. Retrieved February 8, 2021. "DRAKE & OVO SOUND PRESENT "TOP BOY" SOUNDTRACK". HipHopDX. September 12, 2019. "Popcaan Releases New Mixtape Vanquish: Listen". Pitchfork. December 20, 2019. "Drake's 'Dark Lane Demo Tapes': Stream It Now". Billboard. May 2020. Retrieved May 1, 2020. Saponara, Michael (June 18, 2019). "Drake's 'Best in the World Pack' Serves as First Release Without Young Money or Cash Money Records". Billboard. Retrieved June 19, 2019. "Dem Times – EP". Apple Music. May 15, 2020. Moore, Sam (March 4, 2021). "Drake is releasing 'Scary Hours 2' tomorrow". NME. Retrieved March 5, 2021. External links  Canada portal Official website