Sony Urban Music Folded Into Columbia

Now Under The Columbia Umbrella

SONY URBAN MUSIC has been folded into COLUMBIA RECORDS GROUP in the latest internal reorganization this year at label parent SONY MUSIC BMG ENTERTAINMENT.

The consolidation of the two labels had been the subject of speculation in recent weeks. SONY MUSIC LABEL GROUP Pres. ROB STRINGER notified employees on THURSDAY.

"With the integration of SONY URBAN MUSIC and COLUMBIA RECORDS it puts the artist roster in a position of strength under one umbrella," STRINGER wrote in an e-mail to employees. "We remain firmly committed to signing and breaking artists in the R&B, Hip-Hop and Gospel genres."

The memo also noted SONY URBAN's Pres., LISA ELLIS, was named EVP of SONY MUSIC LABEL GROUP. SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT spokesman JOHN MCKAY declined to comment THURSDAY when asked if the integration of the labels would result in any layoffs or artists being dropped from the label.

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