DJ Bandz, one of the most prominent members of the Chicago hip-hop movement and close collaborator of Lil Durk and G Herbo, is in the spotlight now as rumors have it that he has inked his maiden record deal with EMPIRE. Although no official announcement has been made, insiders are speculating that this deal may be one of the biggest milestones in DJ Bandz’s career as he transitions from being a DJ and producer to being more of a major player in the music industry.
DJ Bandz has played a pivotal role in crafting the sound of OTF for years now, the record label and music collective founded by Lil Durk. As the in-house DJ of Lil Durk, Bandz has collaborated on numerous different projects, mixtapes, and helped develop the career of up-and-coming members of the collective.
OTF’s DJ Bandz signs his first record deal with EMPIRE after years of working with Lil Durk, G Herbo, and many other artists. 👀🔥
— My Mixtapez (@mymixtapez) March 15, 2025
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Some of his credits include hosting the mixtape Chilanta 2 and recording songs like the 2015 single On Me with G Herbo, Lil Durk, and Skippa Da Flippa. He has also contributed to OTF’s recent partnership with AWAL to restart the record label and collaborated on their debut single, GTA with Rob49, Fivio Foreign, and Skilla Baby.
If it materializes, this reported record deal with EMPIRE would be DJ Bandz’s debut major record deal, propelling his career to new heights as well as exposing him to greater resources with which he can expand his reach in the industry.
EMPIRE founded in 2010 by Ghazi Shami and has since become a formidable independent music force. San Francisco-based, the company has worked with some of the biggest players in the industry including Kendrick Lamar, Anderson. Paak, Tyga, XXXTentacion, and Fireboy DML. Through their artist-driven model, EMPIRE provides non-exclusivity deals that allow artists to maintain creative rights while tapping into the firm’s wide reach of promotion and distribution.
A potential alliance with DJ Bandz and EMPIRE would fit into the strategy of the record label to promote new and valuable talent. With EMPIRE’s international reach and established distribution channels, DJ Bandz would have more exposure and new avenues for collaboration.
Even with his existing success as one of the most notable figures in the Chicago rap scene, signing with EMPIRE would help him expand his potential to distribute music on a wider platform. It would also make him a stronger force in hip-hop and provide him with greater artistic flexibility as well as the ability to work with more collaborators.
Also, such a signing would reflect broader industry patterns within the independent music industry as more and more musicians and producers are choosing to sign with malleable and artist-driven labels like EMPIRE rather than signing traditional record deals. If DJ Bandz’s signing is official, it would cement the position of the label as one of the most significant players in the future of independent hip-hop.
