Who to Watch out for in the Music Industry in 2022: Yo Gotti, OGDuka, and JAY-Z

The music industry is evolving with every year, as technological capabilities are increased and expanded on. In recent years, streaming platforms have taken over the industry and dominated the way consumers listen to music. It is estimated that the global music streaming market was valued at over $29.45 billion in 2021. This is expected to continue to increase as more and more musicians release their music on streaming services. 

Artists have had to adapt to the changes in the music industry in order to remain relevant and visible. Many publications have addressed the exploitative nature of streaming platforms, where artists are paid marginal amounts for their own music. Instead, musicians have had to become creative with the way they generate wealth in the music industry. This has led to a rise in independent streaming services for artists, as well as musicians releasing their music on social media platforms like TikTok and Youtube. There are a number of emerging artists to watch out for in 2022, as well as artists that remain on top. 

Artists to Watch in 2022

OGDuka

OGDuka is known for managing artists like 17thstreetmula and TPeezy. He has relationships with industry heavyweights like Universal and Atlantic Records. The artist is striving to become more known within the industry in order to represent and highlight unheard southern artists.

OGDuka has leveraged his talents and knowledge to help recording artists reach their personal milestones, like surpassing 500,000 views on YouTube. This is effective, as these artists are able to benefit from exposure, as well as the revenue that is generated from their videos.

OGDuka began his musical journey in Amite County. The artist, along with his brothers, noticed that there was tremendous talent within their community. They believed that this untapped talent needed to be exposed to the public. OGDuka and his brothers began working with T Peezy, who was insistently liked by viewers.

T Peezy now receives thousands of views on his music videos on Youtube. After this, OGDuka and his group formed ‘Eazy Money,’ which would become their label, group, and representation name. Eazy Money was able to garner interest and success in  South Mississippi.

The group then began performing local shows, and displaying popular songs, like ‘Topic’, and ‘In My Bag.’ After a period of performing, Eazy Money artist, 17thstreetmula, was able to sign with and strike a deal with Hitmaker Music Group. For now, Eazy Money and OGDuka are working to release more music, and generate more interest from major labels. OGDuka states that their end goal would be to, “have a partnership with a major label and produce high level artists from around our home region.”

Copyright: OGDuka

Yo Gotti

Yo Gotti was raised in Memphis, Tennessee and started in the music industry at the young age of 14. The artist has released multiple albums independently, but has since formed his own label, CMG Record Label. 

Yo Gotti has over 6 million monthly listeners on Spotify, with his songs Rake it Up, Champions, and Cold Gangsta being his most listened songs. The artist has collaborated with Nicki Minaj on multiple occasions, and has also worked with Lil Uzi Vert on a song, Pose. Rake it Up, however, has over 300 million listens on Spotify. In recent news, Yo Gotti is collaborating and working on a project with Lil Poppa, Lil Duval, and Jdot Breezy. Lil Poppa has actually recently signed a deal with Gotti’s record label, CMG. 

Whilst Yo Gotti has been active in the industry since 2000, he has continued to remain relevant and consistent within the music market. With his recent collaborations and active projects, it is safe to assume that Yo Gotti will be having a successful 2022. 

Jay-Z

Jay-Z is considered one of the most successful and important names in Hip-hop.  He was initially the CEO of Def Jam Recordings, but is now known for being the majority owner of TIDAL. Many other artists participate with TIDAL, including Beyonce, Madonna, Nicki Minaj, and Rihanna. TIDAL is a streaming platform that rivals Spotify and Apple Music, and boasts benefits for artists. 

2022 will undoubtedly be a big year for Jay-Z. Not only has Pusha T recently labeled him as the ‘best rapper’ of all time, but the artist now has almost 29 million monthly listeners on Spotify. Jay-Z also has his curated festival, Made In America, coming up in September of 2022.

Final Thoughts

The music industry is one of the largest sectors within the entertainment industry. It consistently reaches new heights every year. Despite changes in the way that consumers access their favorite artists, musicians have been able to find ways to maintain their relevance and success within the industry. Social media has provided a safe haven for upcoming artists that want a space to gain exposure. 2022 is set to be a good year for emerging artists and already successful artists alike.

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