WHEELS & DEALS: WEASELS DUEL FOR THE REGGAETON SOUND OF DADDY YANKEE,THE POP SOUNDS
OF NATALIE

CHARTIN’ AND SELLIN’: A couple of unsigned acts making waves on the radio chart are making several labels shift into nitro-breathing full-pursuit mode. Yes indeed, just like a squirrel trying to get a nut, the Charles Chavez-repped Natalie, who is also a Houston Rockets Power Dancer, and reggaeton-style rapper Daddy Yankee are now ballin’ at the meet-and-greets with numerous label heads. Natalie’s “Goin’ Crazy” and Daddy Yankee’s “Gasolina” are both charting, and word on the street is that both acts already have several offers on the table. At presstime it was announced that Universal had inked the Natalie, and is the leader in the Yankee derby. Meanwhile, Daddy is featured in the current Spin “Next Big Things” issue, one of just four new rappers the mag predicts will soon blow up (along with T.I. and The Game). Daddy’s current album, Barrio Fino, has sold over 200k to date and is still moving about 11k units a week. Insiders share that the derby for the Puerto Rican rapper is now at the group level. Expect both of these deals to go down soon. Meanwhile, urban A&R players who are hip to the reggaeton sound, which is a dance-reggae-hip hop fusion, are keeping their eyes on the star of the genre, Tego Calderon, who apparently does not have a U.S. deal. Stay tuned... Buzz building around L.A. band Under the Influence of Giants. Seems like the former Home Town Hero members are packing in the crowds at Club Moscow in Hollywood, and we hear label reps are making calls. Is a little music scene starting to happen in Hollywood proper, west of Silverlake and east of the Strip? Hmmm... Donray Von, who repped Cody Chesnutt and sold over 75k of Cody’s The Headphone Masterpiece from his house, has started an international branding/distribution company called Translator. Check out what he’s doing with African rapper K’Naan and singer Martin Luther, both of whom are starting to get video play. Reach out to him at [email protected]... ON THE PUB TIP: Dimensional Music Publishing, the company that acquired DreamWorks Music Publishing, has appointed Michael Badami Sr. VP of Creative and Linda Komorsky Sr. VP/General Manager. Both execs will be based in Beverly Hills. As you may recall, several pubcos were in pursuit of the DW Music Publishing catalog, which features works by legendary artists/songwriters including The Byrds, John Denver, Gram Parsons, Stevie Ray Vaughan, X, Ricki Lee Jones and new acts including Jimmy Eat World, The Sounds and Papa Roach. So expect Badami and crew to expand the company’s holdings with established and new acts. Will this new indie pubco give other publishing houses some heavy competition?... BUZZIN’: Steward Mayfield and Danny Wimmer... Hit me up: [email protected]