2-Tone Entertainment

2-Tone Entertainment

Type	Private ownership, Private company
Industry	Music industry, Record Label A&R & Artist Management
Genre	Dance Music, Hip-hop, Alternative hip hop, R&B, Drum & Bass, Grime
Founded	2004
Founder	Shaurav D'Silva
Headquarters	London, United Kingdom
Area served	United Kingdom European Union
Key people	Shaurav D'Silva (Director)
Products	Record Label A&R Artist Management
Website	<http://2tone-entertainment.com/>

2-Tone Entertainment is a British based independent record label and A&R consultancy company, who also specialise in Talent Management.^[1] The company was founded by Shaurav D'Silva in 2004.

2-Tone Entertainment have worked alongside 3 Beat Records & the Universal Music Group since 2011 successfully launching the careers of a number of artists including Sigma (group) and Fuse ODG .

2-Tone Entertainment represent a number of writers, producers and artists including Diztortion, Taya, Ts7 & Eyelar. They have also consulted for a number of urban entertainment and lifestyle brands such as SBTV and MOBO.

On September 8, 2016, Warner Music announced the launch of new record label imprint in conjunction with 2-Tone Entertainment called 2TE Records. The label is set to launch in January 2017 and will be headed by 2-Tone founder Shaurav D'Silva.^[2]

History

The company was founded by Shaurav D'Silva in 2004. His background as a club DJ and event manager ^[3] led to him becoming a consultant on a range of urban and dance music related events and projects including the Urban Music Awards Ceremony, ^[4] where he brokered deals with lifestyle brands and record companies. The relationships built from these early consultancies for music events were key building blocks for the future of the company.^[5]

2005-2009

The company began to work more closely with artists and record labels in tastemaker A&R & promotion and PR. Some of the notable projects included Chipmunk, Jasmine Sullivan, Taio Cruz, Ginuwine, Joe, N-Dubz, Jay Sean.

The company also started to explore international territories, brokering its first deals in the Middle East and in Japan with British Lebanese artist Ramzi.^[6] Ramzi achieved "Gold" Sales status in the Middle East on the debut album "Chapter One" via EMI Records Arabia.

2010

In 2010, 2-Tone Entertainment released a compilation via Ministry of Sound Recordings called "Ayia Napa Reunion 2010"- which was mixed by DJ Cameo- it was a mixture of UK Garage, Funky House and Commercial Club Tracks.^[7][8] It was accompanied by an online documentary on Ayia Napa and club culture. A UK tour with BBC 1Xtra DJ- DJ Cameo and Coda Talent agency followed.

2011

2011 saw 2-Tone Entertainment venture into music publishing. Specialising in the development of writers and producers, the team signed female writer and rapper Baby Blue^[9] and production outfit Rudimental through a joint venture with independent music publisher District 6 .^[10]

The company also begun representing Singer and Film and TV Actress Preeya Kalidas, who released a number of tracks.^[11] Preeya won best female at the Asian Music Awards the same year following her success with the chart single "Cross My Heart" with Skepta.^[12][13]

In November 2011, 2-Tone Entertainment officially begun its relationship with 3 Beat Records, a Liverpool Based record label that is part of Universal Records.

2-Tone Entertainment's role would be to act as A&R Consultants specialising in Urban and Dance music as well as to continue to nurture and develop talent through 3 Beat Records existing label frame work- key projects would include, Skepta, Sway, Matrix & Futurebound and new signing Luke Bingham. One of the first of the first releases under the deal was a collaboration between Matrix and Futurebound and Luke Bingham for the chart hit, "All I Know".

In December 2011, the company successfully planned and delivered the 1st annual SBTV Xmas party. The event worked in conjunction with sponsors Wrigleys and Sony Walkman.^[14] With a huge line up of top chart artists including: Labrinth, Devlin, Rizzle Kicks, Tinchy Stryder, Chipmunk, Misha B, Cher Lloyd, Maxsta, Dot Rotten and many others.^[15] The event received critical acclaim and was well attended, reaching capacity. The success of the event led to a number of new event ventures being offered to the company for 2012.

2012

In February 2012, it was announced that 2-Tone Entertainment would be producing and event managing the annual Mobo Tour, in particular, the event based in Liverpool. The company already had a Liverpool base, following the new formed relationship with Liverpool-based 3 Beat Records. They successfully put on the MOBO Industry takeover event and showcased a host of exciting new talent from the Liverpool region with the promise of developing more Liverpool based acts.^[16] The first of those signings was a 13-year-old Liverpool-born singer/songwriter named Tayá who was later launched in 2015 after 3 years of intensive development.^[17]

2012 was also the year that UK production outfit Rudimental had their breakthrough hit "Feel the Love", which was recorded during their deal with 2-Tone Entertainment. The record went on to sell over 600,000 copies and became a global success.^[18]

2013

2013 saw the successful breakthrough of new signing Stylo G,^[19] who had chart success with his debut single on the label with "Soundbwoy". The track entered the chart at number 18 on the OCC.^[20] The track was produced by Dutch born producer Diztortion who had recently joined the 2-Tone Entertainment Talent Management roster having previously worked closely with Shaurav D'Silva.^[21]

The success with Stylo G was quickly followed by the success of another signing Fuse ODG with his popular club anthem "Antenna" which entered the UK Chart at Number 7 and went on to become a 200,000 plus selling, silver certified record.^[22]

Fuse ODG followed "Antenna" with "Azonto", a popular dance that was created in Ghana. The record reached number 29 in the UK OCC Charts.

The MOBO Awards recognised the successes of both Stylo G and Fuse ODG with 5 nominations at the 2013 Awards. Fuse ODG went on to win "Best African Act".^[23][24]

In 2013, the company also signed drum & bass duo Sigma. The first official release on 3Beat Records was the club anthem, "Rudeboy"; the track was B-listed on BBC Radio 1 and reached number 56 in the OCC chart.^[25]

2014

2-Tone Entertainment started 2014 with top 10 hits for both Fuse ODG and Matrix & Futurebound ("Million Pound Girl (Badder Than Bad)" and "Control").

In April 2014, 2-Tone Entertainment celebrated an Official Charts (OCC) UK Number 1 with Sigma (group) Nobody to Love.^[26] The track went on to become a number 1 across 8 countries worldwide and is certified platinum in the UK and New Zealand ^[27]

Both Fuse ODG and Matrix & Futurebound followed up with chart hits "Dangerous Love" (OCC UK Number 3) and "Dont Look Back", while Sigma released "Changing" featuring vocalist Paloma Faith which was their second Number 1 record in 2014.^[28]

2015

The venture with 3Beat continued to procure chart success with acts that were considered by many to be specialist or underground artists. Both Fuse ODG and Sigma went on to release albums and achieve continued success both nationally and internationally. Shaurav continued to maintain a policy of signing artists who had a cultural identity and honestly represented credible Urban and Dance music culture.^[29]

2015 also saw management client Diztortion have more chart success with the track Fester Skank which he produced/ featured on for UK Grime Artist Lethal Bizzle. The track achieved Silver sales status quickly and became a cult club track.

Following the sustained success with Sigma and Fuse ODG, Shaurav D'Silva was nominated for A&R Award Of The Year at the Music Week Awards.^[30]

Sigma were also nominee for 2 X Brit Awards - for Best Video and for Best Single.^[31]

2016

2016 saw 2-Tone Entertainment announcing its new label venture with Warner Music. 2TE Records is due to be launched in January 2017. In the Press release via Music Business worldwide, Shaurav D'Silva mentioned his desire to create "global superstars from the world of Urban and Dance music".^[32]

Discography- A&R, Management and Consultancy Clients

Taio Cruz- Departure
Jay Sean- My Own Way
N Dubz- Uncle B (AATW Records)
Chipmunk- I Am Chipmunk (Columbia Records)
Ramzi- Chapter One (2TE/ EMI Arabia)
Jazmine Sullivan- Fearless (Sony)
Ginuwine- A Mans Thoughts (Kedar Entertainment)
Mz Bratt- Who Do You Think You Are (AATW Records)
Rudimental- Sexy Sexy
Rudimental- Speeding
Dj Cameo- Ayia Napa Reunion 2010
Rudimental- Feel the Love
Preeya Kalidas- Love Between Us
Baby Blue (rapper)- Target
TS7 Ft. Taylor Fowlis- Heartlight (Polygon)
Matrix & Futurebound ft Luke Bingham - "All I Know"
Sway - "Level Up"
Matrix & Futurebound ft. Baby Blue - "Magnetic Eyes"
Stylo G - "Soundbwoy"
Fuse ODG - "Antenna"
Fuse ODG - "Azonto"
Stylo G ft Sister Nancy- Badd
Stylo G - Move Back
Matrix & Futurebound Ft. Max Marshall - "Control"
Fuse ODG - "Million Pound Girl (Badder Than Bad)"
Sigma - "Rudeboy"
Matrix & Futurebound- "Don't Look Back (Matrix & Futurebound song)"
Fuse ODG ft Sean Paul- "Dangerous Love"
Sigma - "Nobody to Love"
Fuse ODG ft Angel- "TINA"
Sigma ft Paloma Faith- "Changing"
Lethal Bizzle ft Cherri V- "The Drop" Jus Now ft Stylo G & Bunji Garlin- "Tun Up" Lethal Bizzle ft Tempa T and JME- "Rari Work Out"
Sigma ft Labrinth- "Higher"
Sigma ft Ella Henderson- "Glitterball"
Fuse ODG- "Top Of My Charts"
Fuse ODG- "Only"
Lethal Bizzle ft Diztortion- "Fester Skank"
Sigma ft Rita Ora- "Coming Home"
Stylo G ft Gyptian- "My Number One"
Sigma & Diztortion ft. Jacob Banks- "Redemption"
IV Rox ft Sneakbo- "Pumping Out Of My Speakers"
Sigma - "Stay"
Lethal Bizzle ft Stormzy- "Dude"
Sigma ft Take That- "Cry"

References