Primary Wave Music has struck a partnership with Mary J. Blige.
The agreement covers the nine-time Grammy winner’s catalog of compositions and recordings, according to a press release issued on Monday (October 26).
Financial terms were not disclosed, and the announcement did not specify whether Primary Wave has acquired an ownership stake in the rights.
Most of Blige’s studio albums were originally released through MCA and Geffen, whose catalogs are now part of Universal Music Group.
Blige and her team will also gain access to Primary Wave’s marketing and publishing infrastructure, and the two sides may work together on new music marketing, branding, digital, and sync opportunities, the release added.
Primary Wave named Family Affair, My Life, Mary Jane (All Night Long), You Bring Me Joy, Be Happy, Be Without You, and I Can Love You among the songs covered by the deal.
Blige has sold more than 50 million records worldwide, and her discography spans 15 studio albums, two live albums, and 83 singles, the company said.
“From the moment I heard You Remind Me on NY’s KISS-FM, I became a Day 1 Mary J. Blige fan,” said Natalia Nastaskin, Primary Wave’s Partner and Chief Content Officer. “For over 30 years, she has gifted the world with hit after undeniable hit and in the process has created the soundtrack of our lives.
“To partner with the Queen herself on her extraordinary catalog and her everlasting legacy is an honor for me and for our entire Primary Wave team.”
You Remind Me, from Blige’s 1992 debut album What’s the 411?, reached No.29 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Her only Hot 100 No.1 came in 2001 with Family Affair, which held the top spot for six weeks.
Be Without You, from her album The Breakthrough, won two Grammy Awards in 2007, for Best R&B Song and Best Female R&B Vocal Performance.
“To partner with the Queen herself on her extraordinary catalog and her everlasting legacy is an honor for me and for our entire Primary Wave team.”
Natalia Nastaskin, Primary Wave
Blige’s 1994 album My Life was selected for the Library of Congress’s National Recording Registry in 2025.
She has received 37 Grammy nominations in total and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2024.
Blige received two Academy Award nominations for the 2017 film Mudbound, for Best Supporting Actress and Best Original Song (Mighty River).
Her first Las Vegas residency, titled My Life, My Story, opened at Dolby Live at Park MGM on May 1.
The 20-date run, which plays its last 2026 shows this week, is scheduled to conclude on February 20, 2027.
The Blige agreement is the latest in a run of catalog deals for the Larry Mestel-led company.
On October 13, Primary Wave partnered with Brian Vander Ark, frontman of The Verve Pipe, on his publishing and recorded music catalogs.
That followed a September 23 deal with the estate of Robert Palmer covering the late singer’s publishing and recording catalog, as well as a share of his name, image, and likeness rights.
Earlier that month, Primary Wave partnered with the estate of Wilson Pickett on a stake in the soul singer’s publishing catalog and his name, image, and likeness rights.
In June, it inked a deal with the estate of Donna Summer covering her catalog and recordings, as well as a share of her name, image, and likeness rights.
Unlike the Palmer, Pickett, and Summer agreements, the announcement of the Blige deal makes no reference to name, image, and likeness rights.
The deal also follows the closing of Primary Wave’s acquisition of Kobalt on July 7, in a transaction worth around USD $1.5 billion.
In April, the company closed its fourth music fund at USD $2.225 billion, exceeding both its USD $1.5 billion target and its USD $2 billion hard cap.
Primary Wave, which describes itself as “the leading independent publisher of iconic and legendary music in the world,” was founded by Mestel in 2006.
Its portfolio includes rights in the music of Bob Marley, Prince, Whitney Houston, James Brown, Ray Charles, and Smokey Robinson, among others.Music Business Worldwide
