Making strides away from the pitch and expanding the club’s profile, Ligue 1 side Olympique de Marseille have announced that they are launching their own music record label in partnership with BMG.
Marseille are one of the biggest sides in France, and they remain the only French team to have won the Champions League. But not content with life inside the white lines, the club have now announced a new venture; in a partnership with BMG, the club has announced the launch of OM Records, a label that will focus on hip-hop, pop and R&B.
OM Records will become the only major label to be headquartered in Marseille, the second largest city in France, and a historical bastion of French hip-hop and rap since the 1990s. This new partnership makes BMG the exclusive musical partner of OM for all its musical projects and activities. It also includes a license agreement for the BMG Music Library that OM will use for its internal and external content.
Jaques-Henri Eyraud, President of the Olympique de Marseille said of the announcement: “The Olympique de Marseille is, above all, a football club, but the club shines well beyond the fields and in particular with the youth of Marseille. Marseille has been a cradle of French rap and hip hop since IAM and the links between OM and local artists have been strong for years. The launch of OM Records completes this link and symbolises the club's desire to promote to the whole world the unique energy that comes from Marseille and its inhabitants.”
Sylvain Gazaignes, Managing Director of BMG France said: “There are many cultural links between football and hip-hop, especially in a city like Marseille where the music scene is so flourishing. The goal of this partnership with OM is to offer new opportunities to established artists, emerging talents and artist collectives from Marseille, the South of France at large and even Africa."
We expect the Marseille version of 'The Anfield Rap' to drop anytime.
