Fresh off the success of Amy Winehouse’s Back to Black and his own solo album, producer Mark Ronson has signed a contract that will see his own label Allido Records be distributed exclusively through Interscope Records. The first product of this new deal: Washington D.C. rapper Wale, who will finally release his proper debut album after a string of mixtapes and street singles later this year. Speaking about the deal with Allido, Interscope CEO Jimmy Iovine said “Mark has that rare ear for great songs and artists who will have extraordinary careers.” As for Ronson protégé Winehouse, the singer was supposed to begin work on the follow-up to Back to Black in the Bahamas with producer Salaam Remi but reportedly cancelled the recording sessions, pushing the new album’s release date tentatively to early 2009.

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