“WELCOME” is just the beginning of a new chapter, says IDK about his partnership with Shady Records and Interscope.
According to uDiscover Music, the outlet of Universal Music Group, which also owns Interscope, this partnership covers not just a new single with Eminem, but “all future releases”.
The song’s credits already reflect this reality. The credits list “WELCOME” under IDK’s own Clue No Clue LLC, with an exclusive licence to Shady/Interscope Records.
The financial terms and duration of the partnership are not disclosed. The announcement did not specify how the agreement is structured. How this partnership differs from being signed is also unclear. Ez Mil’s recent releases carry a similar notice that lists FFP Records Management first, followed by an exclusive licence to Shady, Aftermath and Interscope. Yet Ez Mil was introduced as a signee to the public.
However, this news puts IDK’s remark in “No Plan B” about having a team for the first time in his career in a new light. The online exchange between him and Paul Rosenberg shows that IDK really appreciates the support a bigger label can provide.
Rosenberg shared The FADER’s article that mentions the partnership and tagged IDK:
Story on @thefader shows what we’ve been up to. Welcome to the party, @idk! @shadyrecords @cluenoclue @interscope
IDK replied:
Thank you for everything. You’re truly one of a kind and hands on in a way I would have never expected. Glad to be on this path with yall.
Regardless of its precise legal form, creatively, this partnership looks exciting. “WELCOME” is the first released track to feature Eminem over a J Dilla beat, all thanks to IDK. Also, he focuses on storytelling beyond creating music. Let’s see where this journey takes him and his audience, which grew explosively overnight.