Charles Chavez's Latium Entertainment Signs Venture Partnership With RCA, Sony International

Six months after topping the Billboard Hot 100 and charts in over a half-dozen countries around the world with Magic!'s "Rude," Latium Entertainment has entered into a formal venture with Sony Music International with distribution from RCA Records. Latium CEO Charles Chavez will lead the partnership with Tom Corson, president-chief operating officer of RCA, and Edgar Berger, president-CEO of Sony Music International.

Watch Magic! Perform 'Rude' & 'No Way No' on 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!'

In addition to Magic!, signed to Latium/RCA in June, new artists joining the venture include Toronto rapper BENJ, a.k.a. Jordan Benjamin, and pop-rock artist Heymous Molly. Latium CEO Chavez has also managed Pitbull, an RCA artist, since 2007.

"I believe in two things: It's a worldwide business, and it's all about the hits," Chavez says. "If you can find the hits that break around the world, then everything else falls in order. And thanks to Edgar and Tom, we have the system to do that."

Corson is particularly looking forward to developing BENJ ("He reminds me of a little early Beastie Boys, he seems like a bit of a rascal") and tapping into the combined insights of Chavez and Pitbull. Rock act Heymous Molly doubles as a drummer on Pitbull's current tour, and Pitbull's hit streak continues as current single "Time Of Our Lives" (featuring Ne-Yo) rises from No. 21 to No. 11 on the Feb. 14 Hot 100. "Charles has been a great friend and advocate to the label," Corson says. "We've come to do admire his creative chops and general knowledge and desire to break hits."

Sony Music International's Berger, who saw "Rude" reach No. 1 on the U.K.'s Official Singles Chart last August, says Chavez's "entrepreneurial spirit will be a driver in making this partnership a successful one."