10K Projects and Runway Records Launch Joint Venture to Develop Emerging Hip-Hop Talent

Atlantic Music Group’s 10K Projects has entered a joint-venture agreement with Runway Records, a newly created imprint led by Ben Bijur, recently appointed vice-president of A&R at Atlantic. The partnership designates Runway as a developmental hub for emerging hip-hop artists, with Atlanta-based rapper Aziedoesntexist, known for “Everglades,” as its inaugural signing.

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Runway Records operates under Atlantic Music Group, whose senior leadership includes Elliot, Zach and Tony. Ben Bijur, the imprint’s founder, previously ran Signal Records—a joint venture with Columbia Records—where he signed artists such as Topoppgen, Nino Paid, Vonoff1700, Bloodhound Q50 and Lil Scoom. Since joining Atlantic, Bijur has added Diamond*, Ksuuvi, Sorisa and the Russian duo Gorilla Glue & Lil Nakur to the label’s roster.

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Runway’s first artist is Aziedoesntexist. Bijur’s earlier signings at Signal include Topoppgen, Nino Paid, Vonoff1700, Bloodhound Q50 and Lil Scoom; his Atlantic signings to date are Diamond*, Ksuuvi, Sorisa and Gorilla Glue & Lil Nakur.

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Nico Ziangas, co-president of 10K Projects, praised Bijur’s “keen sense of culture” and his ability to spot emerging talent, noting the imprint’s entrepreneurial spirit. Zach Friedman, Atlantic’s COO, called Bijur “extraordinarily talented and determined” and expressed enthusiasm for his work across both companies. Bijur thanked Atlantic’s leadership for “redefining what a record label looks like in 2026,” citing their forward-thinking approach as a key draw.

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• “Ben has brought his keen sense of culture, the ability to identify emerging talent, and his entrepreneurial spirit to launching Runway Records, and we are here for it at 10K,” — Nico Ziangas, Co-President, 10K Projects

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• “Ben is extraordinarily talented and determined as both an executive and entrepreneur. We are thrilled to have him working across Atlantic and Runway.” — Zach Friedman, COO, Atlantic Music Group

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• “Under the leadership of Elliot, Zach, and Tony, the new Atlantic Music Group is redefining what a record label looks like in 2026. Their ability to think differently and identify gaps in the market has driven meaningful success across the roster, and that forward-thinking approach is exactly what drew me to the company. I’m deeply grateful for the opportunity to be part of what they’re building. At the same time, Nico has built a best-in-class infrastructure at 10K Projects — one that truly empowers entrepreneurial ventures like Runway Records to operate and scale at a high level — and I’m incredibly thankful to be partnering within that ecosystem.” — Ben Bijur, VP of A&R, Atlantic Music Group

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• “a developmental hub for emerging hip-hop artists,” — Press release

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The joint venture gives Atlantic Music Group a dedicated imprint that can move quickly to develop hip-hop talent while accessing the label’s distribution and marketing muscle. Bijur’s track record of spotting and nurturing artists is expected to help Runway fill market gaps and shape the next wave of commercially viable hip-hop releases, strengthening Atlantic’s position in a competitive genre.

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Runway will expand its roster beyond Aziedoesntexist, aiming to build a successful repertoire as noted by 10K Projects’ co-president. The joint venture will produce new music through Atlantic’s distribution, with Bijur steering talent identification.

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