Jonny Shipes
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Entertainment, Music |
| Predecessor | Cinematic Music Group |
| Founded | 2023 |
| Founder | Jonny Shipes |
Key people | Jonny Shipes (Founder and CEO) |
| Products | Talent management, record label, apparel, festival operations, film and television production |
Jonny Shipes is a prominent American music executive recognized for discovering talents such as Nipsey Hussle, Joey Bada$$, Sean Kingston, Big K.R.I.T., Smoke DZA, and Druski. He is the founder and CEO of GoodTalk, an independent record label that succeeded Cinematic Music Group, which he originally launched in 2007.
In addition to his music ventures, Shipes co-established Smoker's Club, a cannabis lifestyle brand that also hosts a biannual music festival and tour. He is also a business partner in a donut shop located in the Hamptons.
Early life and education
Shipes was born and grew up in New York City. His interest in hip-hop began at age six after hearing the genre at a summer basketball camp. His musical inspirations include hip-hop icons like Geto Boys, Run-DMC, Tupac, Biggie Smalls, Jay Z, OutKast, Nas, Scarface, and Snoop Dogg, alongside artists from other genres such as Guns N' Roses, Dido, Portishead, and Bjork.
After being expelled during his sophomore year of high school, Shipes moved to East Hampton to live with his mother. A talented basketball player, he completed his high school education at East Hampton High School in 1998.
DJ, promoter, manager
Following graduation, Shipes supported himself through DJing—an activity he had pursued since high school—and by working as a pool cleaner. In 2000, he began organizing parties such as "One Shot," a Thursday night event in Wainscott that attracted around 1,000 attendees weekly. During this period, he encountered Puff Daddy at a basketball game; when a last-minute venue cancellation affected Combs’ Bad Boy Records staff retreat, Shipes arranged an alternative location. This opportunity led to his recruitment as the inaugural employee of Blue Flame, Combs’ marketing firm. Concurrently, he interned in A&R for Combs.
Back in New York City, Shipes balanced DJing with his marketing role at Blue Flame and his internship while also participating in production and engineering sessions. He managed DJs such as DJ Felli Fel, DJ Spinbad, and DJ Kay Slay, and by age 22 became an artist manager for acts including Foxy Brown and Nappy Roots. In 2002, he discovered and signed Smoke DZA. Over time, Shipes managed several artists including T-Pain, Brown, Nappy Roots, Big K.R.I.T., Joey Bada$$, Cam’ron, and Sean Kingston.
Cinematic Music Group, Nipsey Hussle, Big K.R.I.T., Joey Bada$$, Flipp Dinero
In 2007, Shipes co-launched Cinematic Music Group (CMG) alongside Smoke DZA; the label’s name reflects the concept of music as a form of visual storytelling.
One of CMG’s earliest significant projects was the debut album by Sean Kingston, released in collaboration with Epic Records and JR Rotem's Beluga Heights. This album included four hit singles, notably the #1 Hot 100 track "Beautiful Girls."
In 2008, after discovering his music on MySpace via DJ Felli Fel, Shipes signed Nipsey Hussle. Impressed by Hussle’s authentic lyricism and narrative style, Shipes secured both management and recording agreements with him. He contributed to Hussle’s Bullets Ain’t Got No Name Volumes 1-3 and produced key songs. Their professional relationship continued closely until Hussle’s passing in 2019.
Shipes brought on board Big K.R.I.T in 2010 and uncovered Joey Bada$$ along with his Brooklyn collective Pro Era in 2012. Cinematic released Bada$$’s mixtape 1999 that same year and followed with his debut album B4.Da.$$ in 2015, which debuted at number five on the Billboard charts.
In 2016, Shipes signed Flipp Dinero and released his first mixtape The Guala Way in 2017. Dinero gained multi-platinum status with the single “Leave Me Alone” in 2018. Additional noteworthy signees during the late 2010s included Luh Kel, Abby Jasmine, Mick Jenkins, Slayter, Yungeen Ace, and Jaydayoungan. Shipes co-produced Luh Kel’s platinum-certified single "Wrong" along with the gold-certified "Pull Up."
Starting in 2020, Shipes began managing comedian Druski as his Instagram audience approached one million followers; it has since expanded to nearly six million. Together they founded the film and television production company 4Lifers Entertainment.
Smoker's Club, FELT, NYC Together, Munchies, Grindstone
In 2009, Shipes joined forces with Smoke DZA and Shiest Bubz to create the Smoker's Club, a brand that merges cannabis lifestyle with music through Smokers Club Records. Their first event took place at SXSW in Austin, Texas, showcasing performers such as DZA, Devin the Dude, Big K.R.I.T., Wiz Khalifa, Schoolboy Q, and Kendrick Lamar. The following year, Shipes collaborated with Steve-O Brown, along with Smoke DZA and Shiest Bubz, to launch the Smoker's Club Tour, funding its initial run out of pocket. Following cannabis legalization, the Smoker's Club broadened its scope to include apparel and cannabis product sales.
Additionally, Shipes was involved as a partner in FELT, a streetwear label centered on New York culture.
Recognized as a "professional stoner and amateur chef," Shipes featured on Vice's Munchies series, hosting segments such as "Recipe for Disaster" and Drunk Eats. In 2020, he became an investor in Grindstone Coffee and Donuts located in Sag Harbor, New York.
Amid the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, Shipes collaborated with NYC Together to generate funds by offering unsigned musicians $20 submission fees for single contracts. The money raised was directed towards providing educational devices and tutoring services for children quarantined in Brooklyn.
GoodTalk
In the summer of 2023, Shipes completed an eight-figure transaction selling the Cinematic Music Group catalog to Interscope Geffen A&M. Concurrently, he founded GoodTalk, a comprehensive entertainment enterprise encompassing talent management, a new record label, apparel and festival operations, along with 4Lifers Entertainment—the film and television production company he co-established with Druski.