Today (Apr. 27), LVRN announces the management signing of R&B duo dvsn, Billboard reports. The Toronto tandem comprised of singer Daniel Daley and producer Nineteen85 will remain signed to Drake’s OVO Sound while being anchored on the management front by the Atlanta-based record label.
“I think for us, it’s really about expansion, but expanding in a way that makes sense to what’s true to our core and our identity,” says LVRN co-founder and head of A&R, Justice Baiden. “With dvsn, I’ve always been a fan, especially following their first project [Sept. 5]. Me as a fan. I always reach out to other artists doing their thing and say, ‘I’m f–king with what y’all are doing. This is what we’re doing,’ and we kind of just stayed cordial.”
Last year, dvsn released their third album, A Muse in Her Feelings. Boasting features from Future, Ty Dolla $ign, Jessie Reyes, Snoh Aalegra, and more, their 2020 effort scored a top-five debut on the Billboard R&B charts. In January, they returned with their album’s deluxe edition titled, Amusing Her Feelings. According to Baiden, the group has already started working on new music with revered Atlanta stars Jermaine Dupri and Sean Garrett.
“Dvsn has been known this far for their music, and I feel like the pieces to the puzzle make it a little bit more exciting because now we get to know them individually, what they care about, who they are, what they stand for, what the vibe is and how can draw it out into a space where the average consumer knows who they are in terms of individually as artist and producer,” he says. “Also, from a music standpoint, I think the roots that we have are completely different from where they’re from. They’re from Toronto, and we’re from Atlanta. If anybody knows, Atlanta is a very huge cornerstone in modern R&B. I think for us to bring them to meet our vibe and take what they do and add a little bit more southern flavor [will be great].”
Known for their slow-burning ballads, dvsn joins a roster jampacked with elite R&B firepower in Summer Walker and 6LACK. “We plan to change the climate of R&B. So we had to get the team that we know can help get that done,” the group tells Billboard. Baiden believes the company’s acquisition will help them form a potent triumvirate between his three signees as they advance into the future.
“There is no other better home for R&B than what we’re creating. That’s just a fact. Anybody can say what they want. In the last four years, we put up arguably two, three classics in R&B. I don’t know anybody else that’s doing that that’s not a major label,” relays Baiden. “Obviously, major labels sign in bulk, but if you look at the stories that have come out in R&B with Summer and 6LACK. Those are all important stories in the space. I don’t think there’s anybody that understands the space and is dedicated to the space as much as we are. If you want to have a career in R&B, come to LVRN.”
