YG Marley has signed an exclusive brand management deal with the William Morris Endeavor (WME) talent agency, according to company insiders. Representatives at the top Hollywood talent agency confirmed the signing with World Music Views® when they were contacted at their Beverly Hills, California office on Tuesday.
The son of Lauryn Hill and Rohan Marley, YG Marley is the latest in his family to join WME, following in the footsteps of his uncles Ziggy and Damian Marley.
YG along with his mother Lauryn Hill and The Fugees will be represented by agents Kevin Shivers, Tony Goldring, Randall Uritsky & Jonny Greenfield in a worldwide booking agreement.
Ziggy Marley’s wife, Orly Agai, spent 13 years at William Morris Endeavor (Formerly William Morris Agency) where she served as vice president and Director of Talent Sponsorship at William Morris, after she started out as a junior assistant in the music department.
The company ran by the outspoken Ari Emanual began In 1898 by William Morris (born Zelman Moses), a German-Jewish immigrant to the U.S.
In 2009, William Morris Agency (WMA) merged with Endeavor Talent to become WME, one of the leading entertainment and media companies in the world with a list of artists and content creators including Adele, Alicia Keys, Argentinian producer Bizarrap and more. In 2014, WME acquired IMG, the global leader in sports, events, media and fashion, forming Endeavor.
Endeavor owns sizable stakes in VICE Media Professional Bull Riders (PBR), is the majority owner of World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) and Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).
WME confirmed with WMV that they now manage all affairs related to YG Marley’s brand, such as endorsements and other image rights and commercial agreements.
The international talent signing follows YG Marley’s breakout on TikTok with his hit song “Praise Jah In The Moonlight,” which peaked at #34 on the U.S. Billboard Chart. The song became the first reggae track since “Bam” by Jay-Z featuring Damian Marley debuted at No. 47 on July 29, 2017. “Bam” samples Jacob Miller’s “Tenement Yard” and Sister Nancy’s “Bam Bam.”
“Praise Jah” has surpassed 280 million streams on Spotify and is written by Lauryn Hill, with a sample of Bob Marley and The Wailers’ “Crisis” from the 1978 “Kaya” album. The singer played a snippet of a Burna Boy Remix of “Praise Jah In The Moonlight” during a live stream on Monday.
Born Joshua Omaru Marley, YG will make his debut at Reggae Sumfest 2024 following his debut appearance the Coachella festival in California, where he performed in a set dubbed YG Marley and Friends, featuring Busta Rhymes and The Fugees.
The set featured images of the Ethiopian flag designed by his mother, Lauryn Hill, on screen, as well as carried by Flagman Judah, known for being Damian Marley’s flagman.
The brands of YG’s grandfather Bob Marley and his cousin Skip Marley are managed by rival Hollywood talent agency Creative Artists Agency (CAA).
In 2019, rising reggae star Koffee also signed with CAA after her breakout single Toast put her in the playlist of topflight celebrities like Barack Obama, Rihanna and Kylie Jenner.
