Mary J. Blige has struck a catalog deal with Primary Wave Music, bringing “Family Affair,” one of the biggest hits of her career, into the partnership.
On Monday (Oct. 26), Primary Wave Music, which describes itself as “the world’s leading independent publisher for legendary music,” announced its partnership with the nine-time Grammy winner. The agreement covers “compositions and recordings” spanning Blige’s 15 studio albums.
Although the complete terms of the deal and its financial details had not been publicly disclosed at the time of writing, the language in Monday’s announcement suggests that the agreement includes music dating back to her 1992 debut album, What’s the 411?, through her 2024 release, Gratitude.
Some of the songs confirmed to be included in the deal are the Dr. Dre-produced 2001 hit “Family Affair,” which reached No. 1 on the Hot 100, along with “My Life,” “Mary Jane (All Night Long),” “You Bring Me Joy,” “Be Happy,” “Be Without You,” and “I Can Love You.”
Through the partnership, Blige will also gain access to Primary Wave’s marketing and publishing resources. In a statement, Natalia Nastaskin, the company’s chief content officer, described the partnership as “an honor for me and for our entire Primary Wave team.”
Primary Wave’s roster also includes major names such as Britney Spears, André 3000, the late Whitney Houston, and other notable artists.
