Is Music in Better Hands with Private Equity?

Is Music in Better Hands with Private Equity?

June 19, 2026 · 23 min

About this episode

AJ and Antonio discuss the implications of private equity in the music industry and its impact on artists and ownership.

Subscribe: https://linktr.ee/RealRandR AJ and Antonio dig into Harborview Private Equity quietly amassing 41,000+ songs and $3.8B in catalogs — from Quincy Jones and T-Pain to Stefflon Don and Shenseea — and what it means when funders, not labels, start writing the checks. The conversation widens into ownership, Black wealth, and whether artists are becoming tech-startup founders who keep creative control while someone else funds the upside. 0:00 – Intro 0:30 – Harborview & the private equity land grab 2:30 – $20.4B into music rights since 2019 3:30 – Artists as startup founders: funding without creative control 4:45 – Ownership, Black wealth & why it matters 6:00 – Housing, assets & building wealth in the 21st century 8:30 – Spurs detour: Harper, Castle & De'Aaron Fox 12:00 – G Herbo deluxe: cutting the fat & curating an album 16:00 – Blxst "Labor of Love" review & ranking the catalog 20:00 – Playlist picks: Stefflon Don & Nelly R&R is Modern Radio for global black sounds.

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