Brandon Alexander Howard, known as "B. Howard," is an American singer, record producer and songwriter. -- Photo: Mike Ruiz

Ottawa, Canada - His name has been synonymous with his work with R&B legends such as NeYo, Akon, Teddy Riley, Wyclef Jean and Marqus Houston. As a producer, he's already gone platinum worldwide. And his musical pedigree? Impressive, to say the least.

Now, R&B / POP singer and producer B. HOWARD is taking his already storied career in a new direction by joining forces with KING EMPIRE ENTERTAINMENT, a small start-up record label and artist management company based in Canada's capital, Ottawa.

"Signing an artist with the talent, scope and credibility of B. Howard would be a coup for any record label. For KEE, it represents the culmination of our entire approach to supporting music through collaborative artist development. There really is no one else with a sound like B. Howard's. He has the expertise to put together songs for Top 10 artists, and now he's doing it for himself," says Angie Haddad, founder owner.

Phil Quartararo, widely regarded as one of the most promotion-minded executives in the industry, will manage B. Howard in partnership with Tribeca/Perfection Management. Quartararo was instrumental in the careers of countless artists, from Linkin Park, Janet Jackson and Madonna to Keith Urban.

"We are proud to be associated with Brandon and the promise of his budding career," he says.

B. Howard's inate talent as a singer, songwriter and producer has led to collaborations with some of the biggest names in the industry, including Miguel, Vanessa Hudgens, Jason Derulo and Ciara. His 2010 FIFA world cup song, "Ke Nako", with J. Pre, Wyclef Jean and Jazmine Sulivan,was officially endorsed by the late Nelson Mandela before he died.

In addition, he carries a significant musical legacy. Born Brandon Alexander Howard to R&B singer Miki Howard, he spent much of his early years at Hayvenhurst-the Jackson family home-and his musical family included legends like Gerald Levert, Chaka Khan and Howard McCrary.

"My music is a reflection of who I truly am as an artist-not who people or the media think I am. The title of my first North American album with KEE is Nothing to Prove. That pretty much says it all. I'm looking forward to dropping it later this year," says B. Howard.

"When Angie and I decided to partner up, we wanted combine our methods into a new label form that works. I see this going further than anyone expects; something equal to MoTown or Def Jam," he says.