Hollywood producer and executive Kenya Barris just made another power play and entered into a joint venture label deal with Interscope Records and his new label Khalabo Ink Society. The fit makes perfect sense for the “Black-ish” creator as music plays an integral part of his film and television works. Khalabo Ink Society is the name of Barris’ production company as well.
“Since the beginning, the goal at Khalabo has been to tell stories that reflect our culture with honesty, specificity and from a perspective that feels unique to a singular voice. Similar to how we’ve approached our television and film content, my hope is that Khalabo Music becomes a place where artists are given the space to hone their talent while embracing the specificity and individuality of their voice and sound,” Barris explained in a statement to Radiofacts.com. “I cannot think of a better partner than Interscope for this next chapter of Khalabo’s creative journey and am beyond excited to see what we are able to build together.”
Barris also extended his entertainment empire this week and signed a worldwide, multiyear development deal with audio powerhouse Audible. Khalabo Ink Society is expected to produce everything from scripted fiction and unscripted nonfiction to documentaries and talk series as part of the agreement. A minimum of four audio series a year for three years is expected as well under the terms.
“Audio is a space that I’ve been eager to explore. As a creator, the purpose of art has always been about starting conversations, and I cannot wait to share new stories and ideas through audio, where conversation is the art,” Barris added in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter.
While no shows have been finalized yet, Barris also told THR that he may host one of the podcasts himself with a friend that takes a look at people being dragged in the media that week.
“I want us to do one called ‘The Most Hated,’ ” he said. “Each week, I want us to bring on [people like] Drake or LeBron James — people who are the most hated this week, and just hear their side, where they’re at, how it’s affecting them.”
