Fox Fuse
{{short description|US music company}}
{{COI|date=February 2017}}
{{Infobox company
|name = Fox Fuse
|logo = Fox Fuse Logo 2012.jpg
|logo_size = 120px
|type = LLC
| area_served = Worldwide
| services = Digital Distribution of music, music marketing and music promotion / distribution of Promotional recordings
|genre = soca, chutney, chutney soca, chutney parang, reggae, dancehall, parang, Bouyon music, Bouyon soca, hip-hop, pop
|image_bg =
|parent =
|foundation = 2007
|founder = Rhona Fox
|key_people = Zack Cohen (CEO)
|owner = Rhona Fox
Zack Cohen
|distributor =
|location_country = United States
|location_city = Tampa, Florida
|homepage = {{URL|http://www.foxfuse.com/}}
}}
Fox Fuse is a leading digital music label for Caribbean music and is the largest label worldwide for soca and chutney music.{{cite news|title=Rihanna's Success Crosses Over Onto Cropover, Barbados' 300-Year-Old Seasonal Music Festival|url=http://www.billboard.com/biz/articles/news/touring/6640866/rihannas-success-crosses-over-onto-cropover-barbados-300-year-old|newspaper=Billboard Magazine|date=July 21, 2015}}[http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/caribbeat-chutney-queen-branches-digital-deal-article-1.2645237 "CARIBBEAT: Chutney queen Drupatee branches out with exclusive digital deal"], New York Daily News, May 22, 2016. Based in Tampa, Florida (previously in New York City), Fox Fuse has built a strong reputation working with superstar clients such as Pitbull, Lil Jon and Shaggy, and has some of the top performers and producers in Caribbean music exclusively-signed to its roster.{{cite news|title=Billboard Magazine|url=http://www.billboard.biz/bbbiz/industry/record-labels/shaggy-launches-new-reggae-label-based-in-1007490352.story|newspaper=Billboard Magazine|date=July 10, 2012}}
Music label
Fox Fuse entered the music distribution business in February 2012, releasing Trinidadian soca star Farmer Nappy's album 'You Make Me...Surrender.'{{cite news|title=Trinidad Express Newspapers|url=http://www.trinidadexpress.com/news/Farmer-Nappy-MTV-Artiste-of-the-Week-141685213.html|newspaper=Trinidad Express Newspapers|date=March 6, 2012|access-date=August 15, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140222062113/http://www.trinidadexpress.com/news/Farmer-Nappy-MTV-Artiste-of-the-Week-141685213.html|archive-date=February 22, 2014|url-status=dead}} Fox Fuse also released Farmer Nappy's hit album "Big People Party" in February 2014.{{cite news|title=Farmer Nappy Breaking New Ground|url=http://www.trinidadexpress.com/sunday-mix/Breaking-new-ground-256797671.html|agency=Trinidad Express Newspaper|issue=April 26, 2014}}
On February 17, 2015, Fox Fuse released its first executive-produced compilation titled 'Get Soca 2015,' which debuted at #3 on the Billboard's Reggae Albums chart {{cite news|title=Billboard: Reggae Albums|url=http://www.billboard.com/charts/reggae-albums/2015-03-07|newspaper=Billboard Magazine|date=March 7, 2015}} and remained on the chart for seven consecutive weeks.{{cite news|title=Billboard: Reggae Albums|url=http://www.billboard.com/charts/reggae-albums/2015-04-18|newspaper=Billboard Magazine|date=April 18, 2015}} 'Get Soca 2015' was also featured on the United States iTunes store homepage, during its week of release and it went on to peak at #3 on the United States iTunes store Reggae section Top Albums chart, #3 on the Canadian iTunes store World/Reggae Top Albums chart, and #10 on the United Kingdom iTunes store Reggae Top Albums chart.{{cite news|title=Get Soca 2015 Brings Trinidad Carnival Worldwide|url=http://antiguaobserver.com/get-soca-2015%E2%80%B2-brings-trinidad-carnival-worldwide|newspaper=Antigua Daily Observer|date=February 22, 2015}}
In May 2015, Fox Fuse released 'Stand And Be Counted' by Trinidadian Gospel reggae star Positive, which debuted at #9 on Billboard Top Reggae Albums chart, a major accomplishment for Caribbean Gospel music.{{cite news|title=T&T gospel artist debuts on Billboard chart|url=http://www.guardian.co.tt/lifestyle/2015-05-15/tt-gospel-artist-debuts-billboard-chart|agency=Trinidad Guardian}}
In July 2015, Billboard cited Fox Fuse as being the "world’s largest distributor of Cropover music."{{cite news|title=Rihanna's Success Crosses Over Onto Cropover, Barbados' 300-Year-Old Seasonal Music Festival|url=http://www.billboard.com/biz/articles/news/touring/6640866/rihannas-success-crosses-over-onto-cropover-barbados-300-year-old|newspaper=Billboard Magazine|date=July 21, 2015}} Fox Fuse released its second executive-produced compilation to celebrate the 2015 Cropover season, titled 'Fox Fuse Presents: Crop Over Soca 2015.'{{cite web|title=Fox Fuse brings the hits on Crop Over Soca 2015|url=http://www.axs.com/news/fox-fuse-brings-the-hits-on-crop-over-soca-2015-65975|website=AXS.com|accessdate=September 13, 2015}}
In keeping with its mission statement of providing a powerful channel for quality Caribbean music to the global audience, according to its website, Fox Fuse has over 70 exclusively-signed label partners, which includes production houses, producers and artists.{{cite web|title=Fox Fuse Roster|url=http://shop.foxfuse.com/|website=FoxFuse.com|accessdate=October 10, 2015}} In August 2015, the Daily News (New York) stated that Fox Fuse "is currently the world’s largest music label for contemporary soca music."{{cite news|title=CaribBeat|url=http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/caribbeat-flambeaux-carnival-musical-ny-article-1.2327402|agency=New York Daily News|date=August 16, 2015}}
Artist management
Fox Fuse delved into the artist management business in 2012 with Jamaican dancehall artist Stein.{{cite news|title=Jamaica Star Newspaper|url=http://jamaica-star.com/thestar/20120703/ent/ent1.html|accessdate=15 August 2012|newspaper=Jamaica Star Newspaper|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120709003400/http://jamaica-star.com/thestar/20120703/ent/ent1.html|archive-date=9 July 2012|url-status=dead}}
History
Fox Fuse was founded in 2007 by Rhona Fox.{{cite news|title=Guyana Times International|url=http://www.guyanatimesinternational.com/?p=16157|newspaper=Guyana Times International|date=April 27, 2012}} The company made a name for itself as a media-marketing agency for Caribbean music, representing acts such as Shaggy, Gyptian, Richie Spice, Kevin Lyttle, Drupatee Ramgoonai,[http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/caribbeat-chutney-queen-branches-digital-deal-article-1.2645237 "CARIBBEAT: Chutney queen Drupatee branches out with exclusive digital deal"], New York Daily News, May 22, 2016. and Machel Montano.{{cite news|last=Deosaran|first=Venessa|title=Guyana Times|newspaper=Guyana Times|date=April 15, 2012}} Fox Fuse has also represented concerts like Best of the Best in Miami in 2009 and 2010, working with acts such as Diddy, Flo Rida, Rick Ross and Nicki Minaj. Rhona Fox served as the official spokesperson for the concert for those two years.{{cite news|title=Miami New Times Newspaper|url=http://blogs.miaminewtimes.com/crossfade/2010/05/jamaica_state_of_emergency_best_of_the_best.php|newspaper=Miami New Times Newspaper|date=May 24, 2010}} In 2012, Fox Fuse became a partnership when former VP Records licensing manager, Zack Cohen, joined the company and it evolved into a music label.
Notable people
- Rhona Fox (CEO)
- Zack Cohen (CEO)