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British Indie Powerhouse Relentless Records Celebrates 25th Anniversary, Founder ‘Shabs’ Jobanputra Plots U.S. Expansion
British indie label Relentless, with hits by Artful Dodger, Joss Stone, KT Tunstall and even Baby Shark, is plotting moves in the U.S.
Relentless founder/president Shabir “Shabs” Jobanputra was not expecting the label to enjoy such longevity when he set it up, initially as a joint venture with Ministry of Sound, in order to release hip-hop, R&B and dance records on vinyl. But Jobanputra’s own remarkable journey means he has never been afraid to take chances in the music industry: He came to Britain aged five as a refugee from Idi Amin’s Uganda and had what he describes as a “tough” upbringing in London, before becoming one of the first Asian presidents of a major label at Virgin Records U.K. in 2009. Jobanputra has the bubbly on ice for Relentless’ new generation of signings, starting with singer-songwriter Mackenzy Mackay, who has been targeting the U.S. market from day one and will play 17 dates in North America from February 18, 2025.
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