XXXTentacion, Rapper Facing Domestic Violence Charges, in Talks for Distribution Deal With Caroline
While a report published Thursday says that rapper XXXTentacion, who is facing a series of domestic violence charges from his pregnant girlfriend, has signed a $6 million deal with Capitol Music Group, a source close to the situation disputed some of the report’s details to Variety.
The deal in question is actually a distribution pact between the rapper’s label, Bad Vibes Forever, and CMG’s indie distributor Caroline, the source said, and the dollar amount included in the report is likely overstated; it was also unclear at press time whether the deal has been completed. The source stressed that the deal is for distribution and the rapper is not being signed directly to a Capitol label.
It was unclear at press time whether Empire Records, which distributes the rapper’s current album “Look At Me!,” is involved in the deal.
A rep for Capitol did not immediately respond to Variety‘s request for comment.
The 19-year-old rapper, born Jahseh Onfroy, rode his song “Look at Me” from SoundCloud stardom — where the song has clocked nearly 100 million streams since it was posted in December 2015 — to the Billboard 200, where the album of the same name debuted at No. 2 in August. However, he has been dogged by legal problems and in October of last year was arrested on charges of domestic violence against a pregnant girlfriend — a graphic depiction of alleged physical and psychological abuse was detailed in a 142-page transcript of testimony reported by Pitchfork in September.
Charges include aggravated battery against a pregnant woman, domestic battery by strangulation, false imprisonment and witness tampering; the rapper has denied the allegations. His trial is scheduled to begin in December.
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