Yo Gotti Shares How He Built the CMG Empire for ‘Own The Label’

Behind your favorite artists sit some of the top executives in music, contributing to their success. Own The Label highlights Black record label owners who are currently impacting hip-hop culture and providing them a platform to tell their stories.

Memphis icon Yo Gotti is the definition of a hustler. Employing his 25+ years of industry wisdom, he created Collective Music Group (CMG), home to Moneybagg Yo, EST Gee, 42 Dugg, Blac Youngsta, and BlocBoy JB. Recently, CMG partnered with Interscope Records, further solidifying the label’s undeniable impact on contemporary rap music.

The success of CMG—founded in 2012 as Cocaine Muzik Group—lies in its well-fortified roster. With ambitions to become the “new Cash Money,” Gotti has built a solid team of heavyweights who each possess chart-topping, hit-making capabilities.

For the latest episode of Audiomack’s Own The Label series, hosted by Billboard Hip-Hop Editor Carl Lamarre, Yo Gotti shares the importance of being a student, how he manages artists’ careers while being an artist, and his advice on building an empire as an independent label.

Cheyenne Watson

July 6, 2021