JAY B Joins Jay Park’s H1GHR MUSIC

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The cat is finally out of the bag: JAY B has officially signed with Jay Park’s H1GHR MUSIC after leaving JYP Entertainment in January.

Following a slew of teasers and after a month of rumors and speculation, JAY B (whose real name is Lim Jaebeom) was announced as the label’s new artist on May 11 and he will be releasing his first single under H1GHR MUSIC this Friday, May 14. 

“As I’m starting as a solo artist, I wanted to be free in the musical spectrum. So I had to spend a lot of time thinking of what kind of music I should pursue and other factors outside of the music,” JAY B said in a statement shared via email about his decision to join the label, where he also revealed it was Jay Park who approached him first. “I appreciate that Jay Park first contacted me and trusted me throughout. I finally decided to join H1GHR MUSIC with the faith that I could accomplish my goals here, becoming an artist who puts out various outcomes based on my previous music career. I’m really excited to start as a solo artist here at H1GHR MUSIC.”

Founded by Jay Park and producer Cha Cha Malone in 2017, H1GHR MUSIC’s aim is “to bridge the gap” between the U.S. and South Korea. Though also centered around hip-hop and R&B, that’s what sets it apart from Park’s previously launched label AOMG, home to names like Loco, Gray, Simon Dominic, and more recently, JAY B’s fellow GOT7 member Yugyeom. 

H1GHR MUSIC’s current roster includes artists and producers the likes of pH-1, Sik-K, Woogie, HAON, Golden, and Big Naughty in its Seoul branch. Aside from individual projects, H1GHR MUSIC has also put out roster-wide projects. In 2020, they released a two-part label compilation album titled The New Chapter, which includes the 14-track EPs Red Tape and Blue Tape.

Watch the H1GHR MUSIC roster react to JAY B’s signing below:

Editor’s Note: This story has been updated. 

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