The dancehall star opens up about his relationship with Def Jam Recordings, retaining ownership of his music and plans for his next release ahead of Forever 1ne Music Festival.
The Forever Reign Deluxe album could be Masicka’s final release under Universal Music Group’s Def Jam Recordings. The Jamaican dancehall star, who has released two full-length projects under the label, revealed that he is preparing to enter a new chapter of his career in 2027, following what he describes as a distribution arrangement with Def Jam that began in 2023.
Speaking exclusively with World Music Views at the launch of his Forever 1ne Music Festival, the “Tyrant” hitmaker reflected on his experience working with the iconic American record label, acknowledging that while the partnership has served its purpose, the two sides have not always agreed.
“The label does what it’s supposed to do. We’re not always eye to eye like any other organization, you know what I mean?” Masicka said.
Universal Music Group announced executive changes to several of their labels including the departure of Def Jam CEO Tunji Balogun in December as part of a $270 million cost cutting program.
“When I signed, Tunji played a major role in most of the stuff they were doing,” Masicka explained.
The relationship between an artist and a major label ultimately comes down to understanding the business and protecting one’s interests Masicka explained.
“I think with most artists and labels, you have to just execute. You have to know the terms and the conditions. You have to get lawyers to oversee a contract and stuff like that,” he said.
Masicka Confirms Move Toward Independence
While major-label partnerships have traditionally been viewed as a gateway to international success, Masicka suggested that his own arrangement was structured to preserve his creative and commercial autonomy.
“But right now in my career, I think we’re at the end of that journey,” he revealed.
He clarified that his agreement with Def Jam was a distribution deal rather than a traditional recording contract, allowing him to maintain ownership of his music.
“It was a distribution deal, you know what I mean? So I always have the rights to put up my music and ownership to my music and stuff like that,” he explained.
Eight New Tracks Coming on Deluxe Project
Despite the approaching changes, Masicka is not slowing down his release schedule.
The deejay confirmed that the deluxe edition of his latest album Forever Reign will be released on December 4 with eight additional tracks.
“All I can say is, people are going to be surprised,” he teased.
While declining to reveal much about the upcoming material, Masicka emphasized that the project is intended as a shorter extension of the album rather than an entirely new full-length release.
“Yeah, man, eight tracks. We just want to go out with a bang for the rest of the year,” he said.
The additional songs are expected to give fans fresh material as the artist prepares for his Forever 1n Festival on December 19, which he views as an opportunity to celebrate the supporters who have helped sustain his career.
“The festival a come up, you know what I mean? We just want to give back to the fans. Because the fans support me. They support the album,” he said.
