Former NFL player turned Stack or Starve Records CEO Curtis "Boonah" Brinkley and Def Jam Recordings Director of A&R Shana Sherman have formed a new joint venture under the Def Jam umbrella.

"With this partnership, I want to help our artists build wealth, understand financial literacy, and most importantly, I want them to be able to help others and pay it forward," Brinkley explained. "We aim to do this by connecting them with financial advisors and wealth coaches, building real estate portfolios, and helping them diversify their assets. The strategic moves that will be put in place for our artists and team will put them in a position that began with music but elevated them in all realms of life. Personally, I want them to be able to take care of their kids and families."

Based in Philly, Stack or Starve houses burgeoning hip-hop artists D Sturdy, The Philly Goats (D Sturdy, Sou and Spence), Yxng K.A., Lil Muk, Saadi Four and Yung Liv. The partnership blossomed out of viral songs and dance moves, including Zah Sosaa’s and D Sturdy’s “Shake Dhat,” which has racked up more than 17m YouTube views.

Sherman, who's previously worked with RCA and BMG alongside executives such as L.A. Reid and Tunji Balogun, will now serve as a Stack or Starve partner. She added, "All I’ve ever heard was ‘people don’t put on for their own people in Philly.' This JV changes that narrative from the beginning. We didn’t choose to work with anyone because of who they’re associated with or what neighborhood they’re from. We just see talent despite what the streets say."

Stack or Starve counts Universal Records, Interscope Geffen A&M, STEM and Columbia/Capalot Records among its label partners. Meanwhile, D Sturdy and The Philly Goats is one of the first acts to sign with Def Jam via the Stack or Starve JV. By the way, all this talk about starving has us wondering who's buying lunch?

Photo credit: Sik Harlan (@sikatheart)