Rap Genius, which got into hot water last year for not having the appropriate licenses to publish song lyrics on its site, on Wednesday said it has secured a deal with Universal Music Publishing Group.
The deal allows Rap Genius to bury the hatchet with the world’s second-largest music publisher after Sony/ATV, with whom Rap Genius also reached a licensing agreement in November.
Universal’s publishing roster includes Paul Simon, Eminem, Florence and the Machine, Imagine Dragons and Adele, among others. Terms of the arrangement, which allow Rap Genius to publish lyrics by Universal’s artists, were not disclosed.
In keeping with the company’s infamously irreverent tone, Rap Genius founder Ilan Zechory issued a statement exclaiming, “We love UMPG! They have a truly incredible stable of writers – we will lend them a wheelbarrow for the Grammys they are about to win!”
“Rap Genius lets UMPG’s writers connect with their most obsessed fans,” Zechory said, “and we couldn’t be more excited about solidifying this partnership.”
The New York-based lyrics site has yet to reach a similar licensing deal with Warner/Chappell Music.