The label's roots can be traced back to 2006, when Drake's first official mixtape, Room for Improvement, was released under the unofficial record label "All Things Fresh" which eventually became "October's Very Own". Drake later raised the profile of the label by prominently featuring OVO throughout his music, regularly mentioning the label in songs and on stage, as well as promoting OVO merchandise. The record label was officially founded in 2012 by Drake and long-time collaborators Noah "40" Shebib and Oliver El-Khatib following the success of Drake's third studio albumNothing Was the Same. According to Billboard, Drake signed a partnership deal with Warner Bros. Records similar to that of Rick Ross' record company. Though Ross is signed as a solo artist to Epic, the artists on Ross' Maybach Music Group label are signed to Atlantic Records, former partners with Warner. Drake is still signed as a solo artist to Republic Records through Young Money/Cash Money, but the artists he signs to OVO Sound have their content distributed through Warner. Upon founding the label in 2012, Drake and 40 signed frequent collaborators Boi-1da, T-Minus, and later Mike Zombie to the label as in-house producers. In April 2013, it was reported that Drake was close to signing the label's first recording artist, PARTYNEXTDOOR, which he ended up revealing shortly thereafter. In August 2013, Drake announced that he signed Toronto music duo Majid Jordan to OVO Sound. OB O'Brien and iLoveMakonnen would soon sign in 2014, with the latter being the first non-Canadian act and second non-Canadian signee after to Mike Zombie. Makonnen would eventually leave OVO Sound in April 2016, wishing to pursue his interests as a solo artist with Warner. Canadian rap artist Roy Woods and R&B duo dvsn, composed of singer Daniel Daley and producer Nineteen85, soon joined the label in 2015 and 2016, with each act releasing an EP and studio album respectively.
Roster
Current acts
Former acts
In-house producers
OVO committee
OVO Fest
OVO Fest is an annual concert hosted by Drake in Toronto that began in 2010. It's held on the Civic Holiday weekend in the city, which coincides with the Caribana festival. OVO Fest is notable for the special guests that perform at the concert. Artists such as Eminem, Jay Z, Kanye West, Lil Wayne, and Nas are frequent performers, as well as artists who used the concert as a platform to gain future success, including J. Cole, The Weeknd, A$AP Rocky, and Kendrick Lamar.
OVO Sound Radio
OVO Sound Radio is a radio program that airs on Beats 1, fortnightly on Saturdays. The show primarily airs newer material, with at least one song premiering in each broadcast. The show's initial airing was on July 11, 2015, and it was hosted by Drake and Oliver El-Khatib. The show is notable for debuting hit Drake singles, such as platinum-selling "Hotline Bling", and chart-topping "One Dance".
OVO Clothing
OVO Clothing was launched in 2011. The series of clothing began with a series of collaborations between Roots Canada and OVO, which produced several parkas, jackets and other collaborations. In 2013, merchandise for the OVO figurehead included collaborations with the Toronto Raptors, which coincided with Drake becoming the franchise's Global Ambassador. OVO has since morphed into a clothing line in itself, releasing a slew of clothes during every season of the year. T-shirts, sweatshirts, varsity jackets, baseball hats, and knit beanies are seasonal installations. OVO Clothing oversaw the opening of a flagship store for the brand's clothing in downtown Toronto, opening in December 6, 2014. Exactly a year after the opening in Toronto, OVO stores expanded to the United States, opening a flagship store in Los Angeles, California. Its New York store opened in December 2016 on Bond Street, and its Chicago store in August 2019 on Walton Street in Gold Coast. OVO also opened its first location in Vancouver in December 2018. Other OVO collaborations have included Canada Goose, and Air Jordan. Its pre-2016 collection was composed of basketball shorts, OVO jerseys, track jackets, and baggy hoodies.
