MISSION STATEMENT

PRESIDENT/FOUNDER

GRAMMY®-Nominated singer, songwriter, and producer ‘Matt B’ was born and raised in Chicago, IL. He signed to StarBase Records Japan as of July 2014. Matt released his Japanese debut album “LOVE & WAR” in September 2014, and it went #1 on the iTunes R&B Charts. His hit single “Plain Girl” also went #1 on the iTunes R&B Charts. “LOVE & WAR” became available for physical distribution at over 1,400 TSUTAYA music stores, and sold out in several locations. His sophomore album “DIVE” released in January 2016 and achieved similar success, hitting #1 on the iTunes R&B Charts in less than 24 hours. “DIVE” was also made available in TSUTAYA stores. His two singles ‘Tokyo Girl’ and ‘My Dreams’ charted at #3 and #8 respectively on the iTunes R&B Charts. After reaching critical acclaim in Japan, Matt’s imprint continued to spread overseas. His single ‘Color Blind’ went viral in China, accruing over 158 million streams on the NetEase platform.

Matt B released his debut US album, ‘EDEN’, on March 12, 2021. It immediately debuted at #3 in the US and #5 in Canada on the iTunes R&B/Soul Albums Chart. Additionally, ‘EDEN‘ debuted in the Top 40 on the Billboard R&B Albums Chart, landing at #39. The album also landed on three other Billboard Charts: Digital Albums, Heatseekers, and R&B/Hip-Hop Albums. To date, the album has accrued over 1M streams globally. ‘EDEN‘ features production from GRAMMY®-winning legends Bryan- Michael Cox and Tricky Stewart. 

Matt B continues to pave his own path in the mainstream industry and expand his global audience. On March 4, 2022, he released his hit single ‘Gimme Love’, which served as the leading single for his forthcoming album 'ALKEBULAN'. 'Gimme Love' debuted in the top 50 on the Billboard US Afrobeats Chart and peaked at #36. It has gone on to accrue more than 5M streams globally across all platforms and secured Matt B his very first GRAMMY® nomination. ‘ ALKEBULAN’  released on August 18, 2023 and debuted on the Billboard Top Current Albums chart in the Top 100. The album has won over 20 awards, including Best Album at the Global Music Awards. Matt B was also named 'Critically Acclaimed Artist of the Year' by the Los Angeles Tribune and one of the ‘100 Most Influential People In Entertainment 2023’ by Ranks Africa.  He was also awarded the prestigious Hollywood Music In Media Award (HMMA) for Best Music Video (Independent) for 'GUNJALE'.

CEO/CO-FOUNDER

Angela V. Benson is a business entrepreneur, artist manager, producer, and a Professional member of the Recording Academy. She is most recognized for her work with GRAMMY® nominated recording artist, Matt B. Born and raised in Chicago, Angela co-founded independent record label, Vitae Records, in 2014. Her ultimate goal with her label is to work with promising, rising talent in the underground music scene and highlight the importance of artist development when bringing new talent into competitive music markets. 

Angela has been instrumental in leading Matt B from the underground music scene into mainstream success. From working as a producer on Matt’s Billboard charting studio albums ’EDEN’ and ‘ALKEBULAN’ to his very first GRAMMY® nomination for his critically acclaimed record ‘Gimme Love’, she has set up a strong foundation for Matt B to have success and longevity throughout the course of his career in music. In addition to working as a producer and artist manager, Angela is also a multi-award winning director. She recently won a Hollywood Music In Media Award in 2023 for directing the music video ‘GUNJALE’ by Matt B.

Angela currently serves on the Recording Academy Los Angeles Chapter Professional Development Committee 2023/2024. She also acted as a committee member for Chicago DCASE (Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events), where she helped to plan and execute music events for 2020 in the city of Chicago. Additionally, Angela also opened Vitae Records for internship opportunities with Chicago universities. Students interested in the music business are able to intern with the label, receive a hands-on learning experience in the world of artist management and running a record label, and earn college credit while doing so. Columbia College Chicago was the first university to take advantage of the internship program. In January 2021, Angela was asked to serve as a Course Creator for Ari's Take Academy by Ari Herstand, who Forbes recognized as the "posterchild of DIY music". She currently aids their team in developing courses for independent musicians that will give them access to the tools they need to achieve success and navigate the music business. Angela has also served as the Assistant Vice Chair of Events for the Chicago Chapter of Women In Music. She helped to plan and execute events that aimed to educate, empower, and offer new opportunities for women across various aspects of the music industry.