Rapper, actor and producer Alvin ‘Xzibit’ Joiner has launched production and management divisions at his music label Open Bar Entertainment and has signed with ICM Partners across the board.
Joining OBE is manager-producer Eric Skinner, who most recently was at Primary Wave Entertainment where he represented Xzibit. Skinner will head up film and television development as well as the company’s new management division with music industry veteran and company COO, Dontay Kidd.
Skinner, a former agent at ICM Partners, began his career at UTA. He transitioned to management in 2012 when he joined Intellectual Artist Management and segued to Primary Wave Entertainment in 2015, following Primary Wave’s acquisition of IAM. I hear there were conversations about launching Open Bar’s production/management operations as a joint venture with PWE’s backing though they did not result in a deal. The new division is being financed by Xzibit and Skinner who continues to have a working relationship with former PWE managers, co-managing clients together.
Kidd comes from a background in video production and music management, overseeing album releases and world tours with then rapper client, The Game.
Founded in 2001, Open Bar was originally launched as a joint venture imprint with Loud Records to release Xzibit’s projects and sign new talent. Since its inception, OBE has sold over 5 million records worldwide. The company has a slate of music-driven projects across film, television and digital, including a soon-to-be-announced directing vehicle for Xzibit and a reality concept centered around troubled urban youth. In the studio, Xzibit is currently producing records with new label artists James Savage (aka Jayo Felony) and Benz Shelton, with an album of his own also on the way.
“It has been an exceptional journey getting to this point in my career,” Xzibit said. “With all of my experience in music, film and television, partnering with ICM is a key piece to moving forward. OBE is pro-artist, and inspired by the next generation ready to break out in this exciting new landscape.”
As an actor, Xzibit recently wrapped a three-year stint on the popular Fox series Empire and was last seen in the Netflix feature Sun Dogs. His other feature credits include Werner Herzog’s Bad Lieutenant, Sony’s Gridiron Gang and xXx: State of the Union for Columbia.
