Stephen Orso and Peter Ashley
With an exciting roster comprised of new and incendiary performers and producers such as hip hop artist Tec, rapper and singer Ty James and production supernovas Kyle Stemberger and KBeaZy, the future looks bright for Loyalty Records.
We sat down with Stephen Orso and Peter Ashley to uncover the mission behind Loyalty Records and discuss their promising stars.
What is the mission behind Loyalty Records?
Our goal at Loyalty is to help developing artists, writers, and producers achieve their goals by providing them with the resources and infrastructure to take their careers to the next level.What does loyalty mean to you?
Loyalty is extremely important, especially in this business. We’re trying to create a family that lifts each other up, through good times and bad. Loyalty means trusting the intentions of one another and being confident that we’re all working toward the common goal of success.How did you decide that you wanted to go into the music business?
Stephen: I was fortunate enough to be part of Bryson Tiller's team prior to his signing to RCA. Being able to witness first-hand how talent and creativity changed his life was something I wanted to see again and again.Peter: I actually grew up in a musical household. My dad played with big acts like KISS, Billy Idol, Mick Jagger, etc but I never really asked questions about the business side of things. Then, when I was living at Stephens after graduating college, I was introduced to the artists who were also staying with him in New York. I immediately started helping in any way I could, eventually learning enough to start managing day to day operations. From there, I just continued to build on my knowledge of the industry in an effort to be as well-rounded as possible.
Loyalty Records artist Ty James
With the decline of traditional record deals, what makes Loyalty Records so appealing to young artists?
We are about the artists. In a world where streams and data drive most decisions, Loyalty relies on a gut feeling before anything else. We look to develop acts who want to take their careers to the next level with a focus on career longevity, as opposed to fleeting viral moments. We want to work with acts who yearn to sell out stadiums one day, which means we look to surround ourselves with individuals that have the willingness to put in the hard work.What qualities do you look for in new talent?
Good question. The first thing we care about is always the music. If the music isn’t making you feel something, then it’s difficult to see what direction their career will go. Eagerness to learn is really important too. No matter how successful or talented an individual may be, there is always more that they can learn to improve themselves. If an artist can’t accept that, it will be hard for them to adapt when the formulas for success change. Compromise is also a huge element to a successful partnership. Sometimes two parties will have entirely different ideas about execution, but the key is to over-communicate and find a middle ground that meet results in a net positive both professionally and financially. Oh yeah, I forgot….and of course Loyalty.
Producer KBeaZy
How do you develop your talent outside of traditional music deals?
We have a wide variety of resources that we feel put an artist in the best position to develop into a career act. Through our relationships with Major Labels, Distributors, Agencies, and Creatives, we are able to put together the ideal strategic partnerships for each artist based on their individual needs. By focusing on branding and cultivating an identifiable and dedicated audience, we put our roster in a better position to monetize their fan-bases and ultimately maximize their success.Tell us about Ty James, the rapper and singer you signed from Indiana. What was the process leading up to his hit single, “Splash”?
Ty James is an amazing rapper and singer from Jeffersonville, Indiana which is about 20 minutes away from Louisville, KY. We found a project of his randomly on Spotify, and immediately fell in love with his infectious melodies and energy. Then when we first flew him to NYC, he showed us his Soundcloud with 80+ songs that we had no idea existed. Once he played Splash, we heard an unbelievable topline that we felt could be huge. Once his deal with Loyalty was finalized, we connected him to an amazing young producer named “unheard”. The producer then took the topline and incorporated entirely new production, giving the song an all new up-beat feel. We started sending the record around to different outlets, and the reactions were absolutely amazing. We were able to secure a ton of support from both Spotify (New Music Friday, Pop Rising), Apple (Breaking Pop, Today’s Hits), Pandora, Soundcloud, and even major radio stations such as 94.9 KYLD, 102.7 KIIS-FM, & Power 961 Atlanta. We really owe it to all the amazing people that supported us without needing data to validate their opinions.Producer KBeaZy secured major placements with acts such as Roddy Ricch, Fetty Wap and Chief Keef all before graduating high school. How were you able to manage a high school student and still ensure extreme success?
KBeaZy is in an unbelievable position for an 18-year-old, and we’re doing our best to help grow his brand beyond just his producer credits. The kid is wise beyond his years, with an intricate understanding of networking and promotion that has enabled him to have a ton of early success. He’s also extremely motivated in his pursuit to become one of the best producers of all time, making him one of the hardest workers we’ve seen. From his bedroom in Kalamazoo, Michigan, he was able to connect with Tarentino (of 808 Mafia) which landed him his first highly successful placement on Roddy Ricch’s debut album “Feed Tha Streets 2”.When we first started managing him, he had a whole year left of High School, so obviously that impacted how we went about his career. Aside from a few short trips to LA and NYC, we mainly had him working with artists via email from him hometown, We wanted him to truly take in his final year of school before he moved to LA, and I think that was a great decision for him. KBeaZy is one of our favorite people on earth, and we can’t wait to continue to build with him.
Hip Hop powerhouse: TEC.
