Kodak Black Signs To Capitol Records After Demanding NBA YoungBoy-Level Label Deal

Kodak Black has found a new label home, months after asking Atlantic Records to renegotiate his deal to put him on par with NBA YoungBoy.

According to Billboard, the Florida native will not re-sign with Atlantic once he fulfills his contract and will join Capitol Records instead. Kodak has two more albums left under his current deal, including his upcoming project Kutthroat Bill: Vol 1 (out October 28).

The news comes after Orlando Wharton, who signed Kodak Black to Atlantic in 2015, joined Capitol Records as executive VP and president of the relaunched Priority Records. Yak released his major label debut, Painting Pictures, under Atlantic in 2017, scoring a No. 3 debut on the Billboard 200.

Since then, he’s released another three studio albums on the label — Dying to Live, Bill Israel and Back for Everything — in addition to a slew of mixtapes and Billboard Hot 100 singles, including his top three hit “Super Gremlin.”

Once he officially joins Capitol Records, Kodak Black will add to a roster that includes the likes of Doechii, Masego, Toosii, Capella Grey, Kay Flock and TM88.

In August, the Sniper Gang boss didn’t sound too happy about his current deal Atlanta after discovering NBA YoungBoy had hinted at signing a $60 million deal with the label. (The Baton Rouge rapper ultimately joined Motown for an undisclosed sum earlier this month.)

“Lil YoungBoy, he bout to fulfill his deal. I’m fulfilling my deal too,” Kodak said on Instagram Live at the time. “I definitely can’t let him be out his deal and moving on and getting to that real bag, and I just be sitting back and just still in my fucking deal. No! … I’m getting out my deal and I’m finna get that big ol’ bag.”

That wasn’t the first time Kodak Black spoke publicly about Atlantic. During an interview with The Breakfast Club in March, the 25-year-old claimed T.I. and Big Boi tried to kick him off the label, prompting a response from Tip.

“BIG [cap emoji],” T.I. wrote on Instagram. “Don’t know where u get this cap ass sh*t from Bruh? For the rec….I ain’t never wasted my time worrying about another n-gga bankroll or record deal. Told you this in your section face to face personally in Booby Trap & I’ll say it again. Much success to you youngsta. Stay focused.”

Kodak also urged other rappers to sign to Atlantic in February, seemingly trolling Meek Mill and NBA YoungBoy after they had vented their frustrations with the label.