Reservoir Acquires the Catalog of 2Pac Producer and Songwriter Big D Evans

The estate of hip-hop producer and 2Pac collaborator Big D Evans has inked a catalog-sale agreement with Reservoir Media. Photo Credit: Reservoir

Reservoir Media has officially finalized a catalog deal with the estate of hip-hop producer – and 2Pac collaborator – Deon “Big D The Impossible” Evans. Reservoir emailed DMN today about its latest song-rights investment, after pointing to a multibillion-dollar pipeline of potential deals during its most recent earnings call. And as we reported last month, the New York City-based business revealed plans in SEC filings for an up to $100 million offering, possibly to bankroll acquisitions.

Building on that apparent intention to continue pursuing catalog plays, the publicly traded company’s newest purchase has arrived in the form of a tie-up with the estate of Big D Evans.

Also a Digital Underground and Ne-Yo collaborator, the “Changes” songwriter and producer Evans contributed to a number of tracks on 2Pac’s first two studio albums. Additionally, the “Brenda’s Got a Baby” songwriter, who passed away in 2015, was “instrumental” in assisting 2Pac’s estate with commercially successful posthumous projects including 1998’s Greatest Hits, according to Reservoir.

While the purchasing party opted against publicly disclosing the transaction’s ownerships specifics and price tag, it did make clear that the agreement encompasses Evans’ “producer royalties and publishing catalog.”Addressing the sale in a statement, Helen Yu, Evans’ longtime attorney and trustee, described Reservoir’s team members as “the right partners” to ensure the body of work’s cultural relevance for “generations to come.”

“It is my profound privilege and honor to have been entrusted by Big D to safeguard his legacy, such a cherished 2Pac collaborator,” Yu said. “Big D’s spirit resonates through his impact on music history.

“We are thrilled to have found the right partners in the Reservoir Media team and [Reservoir EVP and global creative director] Donna Caseine, who we know will champion Big D’s music with integrity, ensuring its continued impact inspiring generations to come,” proceeded the Yu Leseberg founder.

And in comments of her own, the former Universal Music Publishing Group exec Caseine touted Evans’ career accomplishments and lasting impact.

“Big D Evans was a key creator behind the music of one of the biggest hip-hop artists of all time,” the eight-year Reservoir higher-up Caseine communicated in part. “The music Big D and 2Pac created together shaped hip-hop into a genre capable of reflective social commentary… Furthermore, with our investment in Big D’s influential catalog, Reservoir continues to solidify our portfolio as a home for outstanding legacy hip-hop music.”

In other catalog deals unveiled during May’s opening half, Materia Music kicked off the month by purchasing the video-game music IP of Ship to Shore PhonoCo. Following that play, Cinq bought the rights to Latin producer Flow La Movie’s body of work, and Sony Music now owns Wati-B’s entire catalog.