Mike Clark Jr. Signs to Atlantic, and the Majors Take Notice

When a major label signs a Southern Soul artist, it's news. When that artist is barely out of his teens, it's a signal.

Mike Clark Jr.'s run of recent hits, led by 'Keep On Steppin'' and 'Straddle Me', made him the most-watched young name in the genre. That momentum earned him a deal with Atlantic Records, putting major-label muscle behind a sound that has historically been built almost entirely by independents.

He's not alone: Tonio Armani's signing to Death Row is part of the same story. After decades of doing it themselves, Southern Soul artists are suddenly fielding calls from the biggest companies in music. How that relationship plays out (creative control, royalties, authenticity) is the storyline to watch.