The new year has only just begun, but at UM, the future of music is already here. For more than 30 years, ‘Cane Records has helped launch the University’s next big artists.
In January 2026, ‘Cane Records revealed 10 new talents: Alivia Clark, Dreilu, Lena Joy, Koro, Maeve McMahon, IAMKHAOS, Isamary, Ry Greenwald, Skyrise and Matthew Jost.
All of these artists portray a wide variety of different genres and styles that make them unique. They bring their ideas to life by creating music and telling their stories.
‘Cane Records is a student-run record label with University professor Guillermo Page serving as advisor. Their team includes an incredible mix of A&R managers, marketing admins and is led by President Adyna Blair, a senior majoring in Music Industry.
A&R stands for “Artist & Repertoire” which is a sector of the music business that uses a manager or publisher to find and develop new talent.
“I lead event production, strategize release roll outs and give the staff all the resources they need to benefit our artists,” Blair said. “Not only am I helping with the releases of these artists, but I’m contributing to their artist development and helping them be seen and supported.”
Through a student-run record label, artists are able to simulate real-life experiences that mimic being signed to a mainstream record label.
IAMKHAOS is an artist who you might recognize from opening the A Boogie Wit da Hoodie homecoming concert earlier this year. He performed with his band, “PosterChild” and primarily focuses on hip hop and R&B.
“Having people behind me helps me have actual structures to my releases,” IAMKHAOS said. “I feel like that’s the area I am more disorganized in.”
He has a single called “Ambidextrous” that was released in September of 2025 and a song with his band on Jan. 23 called “Miss Misfortune.”
Another artist, Isamary, is making strides in the music world. Isamary is a Puertorican artist who blends her Latin roots with classical music.
Her musical style focuses on storytelling, harmonization and syncopation, which are concepts she says she tries to reflect in performance as well. Take a look at her single “Bello Amanecer” to hear how she blends her rich culture into her sound.
“In the process of releasing my first single, ‘Cane Records has provided me with the tools to navigate the confusing realm of releasing music and helped keep me on track with my goals,” Isamary said.
Isamary says that they also once woke her up at 6 a.m. to help her film a promotional video.
Artist Matthew Jost is another example of success through guidance from ‘Cane Records. The label helped Jost, a guitarist and singer, combine his love for every music genre into an unforgettable sound.
“I don’t confine myself to one genre or sound even if that might be more commercially viable so I do everything from pop to house to rap and everything in between.” Jost said.
He has released two singles while being at the University of Miami and is planning on releasing more, creating a fan base and working with other artists.
These artists provide a small glimpse into their future in the music industry. Tune into Patio Jams and more off-campus events to hear these voices live. Maybe they’ll even appear on you Spotify wrapped.