Sony Music Announces SamePlate, Joint-Venture Label With Jonathan Master

Sony Music Entertainment has entered into a strategic partnership with former Empire A&R and marketing executive Jonathan Master, who has worked with Logic, D.R.A.M., G-Eazy, Cam’Ron and Grammy-nominated producer !llmind, the company announced today. Together, Sony Music and Master are launching SamePlate, a new joint-venture label focused on “cultivating emerging, dynamic music talent using cutting-edge approaches to artist development and services,” according to the announcement.


Master will head the New York-based imprint and oversee a dedicated staff that includes Alex Ciccimarro, who will serve as VP of Operations. Ciccimarro previously held digital marketing roles for Republic Records and Atlantic Records, and has worked on releases from Cardi B and Gucci Mane, and the soundtrack to “Hamilton: The Broadway Musical,” among others. SamePlate’s distribution is handled by The Orchard, though RCA will have an option to JV with SamePlate on select artists.


At launch, SamePlate’s roster includes Ro Ransom, YGTUT, TOBi, Eza, Shari Marie, ROMderful and Ducko McFli. Its first release, “Floetry,” from Ro Ransom, is out now.


“We are thrilled to be partnering with all the great people at Sony Music on this new label,” said Master. “SamePlate’s mission is to work in true partnership with artists to help them nurture their brands, not just chase records. Artists need to be competitive and relevant all the time, not just in traditional release cycles, and we are committed to helping them share their stories with fans every day, through any medium, including music, videos, and social content.”


Said Peter Edge, Chairman & CEO, RCA Records, “Jonathan Master is a forward-thinking entrepreneur, talent developer and marketer with a strong vision for building artist careers. I look forward to SamePlate making exciting new contributions to music culture, and creating opportunities for collaboration with RCA.”


Said Brad Navin, CEO, The Orchard, “The Orchard is excited to serve as the global distribution solution for SamePlate. We share Jonathan Master’s passion for providing the best possible value and service to artists, and we are eager to collaborate with him and his talented team to help grow the reach and awareness of SamePlate artists around the world.”


In addition to his four years with Empire, Master has run his own independent marketing, artist management, events and content creation company under the SamePlate name. He also manages !llmind and has previously worked for the Viper and SRC labels.