Back Blocks Music is a Nashville-based artist development and publishing company founded in 2020 by Billboard Power Player Rakiyah Marshall. Following her tenure at Republic Records and BMG Publishing, Marshall launched Back Blocks Music to bring a new approach to artist development. Inspired by a family saying to ‘take the back blocks,’ Marshall named the company after the idea that there is always more than one way to get where you need to go. In less than one year, the company has already seen notable success with groundbreaking artist Lily Rose’s debut release “Villain,” which earned Rose a label joint venture with Big Loud Records, Back Blocks Music and Republic Records.

Back Blocks Music is also home to singer/songwriter and entrepreneur Ashley Cooke. Founder of the TikTok creator studio, The 615 House, Cooke released her debut album Already Drank That Beer in Aug. 2021 produced by award-winner Jimmy Robbins. The roster is rounded out with writer Blake Pendergrass, who earned his first major cut with Morgan Wallen’s “865.” An early fan-favorite from Wallen’s recent double album Dangerous: The Double Album, “865” marks Pendergrass as the only unsigned writer on the 30 song project. Pendergrass has also celebrated cuts with Chris Lane and Ashley Cooke in 2021.