Dr. Luke’s Kemosabe Records Announces Layoffs
Kemosabe Records, pop producer Dr. Luke's imprint under Sony Music Entertainment, is majorly tightening its belt. The label is shrinking its staff with layoffs, a spokesperson confirmed to Pitchfork.
"Kemosabe Records and Sony elected to downsize certain departments," the label's statement reads. "Some of those functions will be handled by Sony as part of their joint venture relationship. Kemosabe continues to be fully operational and is excited about its current releases and the upcoming year."
When Pitchfork followed up to ask whether the financial crunch was due to Lukasz "Dr. Luke" Gottwald's ongoing legal battle with Kesha, Kemosabe said the two had "nothing to do" with each other.
In addition to Kesha, Kemosabe's roster includes Becky G, Juicy J, Lunchmoney Lewis and Swedish artist Elliphant. Gottwald's most recent production credit, Jennifer Lopez's Meghan Trainor-penned "Ain't Your Mama," was a trending topic on Facebook upon the song's release for its connection to Gottwald, who has found scant public support from music fans and musicians amid the allegations from Kesha.
Kemosabe was founded by Gottwald in 2011 in partnership with Sony. The agreement stipulated that Gottwald would manage his own staff and talent, but his production deal with SME is only through 2016. Gottwald's camp has denied speculation that Sony won't renew their production deal with him in November, though with news of the layoffs it appears their business relationship is growing leaner.
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