Terror Squad (record label)

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Terror Squad (record label)
Parent company EMI
Founded 1992
Founder Fat Joe
Distributing label Virgin Records
Genre Hip Hop
Country of origin USA

Terror Squad (formerly Terror Squad Entertainment) is a hip hop and R&B record label founded by Fat Joe in The Bronx, New York. The label has been distributed by the likes of Relativity Records and Atlantic Records, but now, except for DJ Khaled is distributed by Imperial Records and Virgin Records of EMI.

Contents

[edit] History

[edit] Beginnings

Fat Joe decided to form Terror Squad Entertainment after he began to associate himself with Big Pun, which was around 1992. Early on, Fat Joe used the label for mixtape releases until he struck up a distribution deal with Relativity Records in 1993. The deal with Relativity led to the release of Fat Joe's debut album Represent in 1993. The label got plenty of exposure in New York with the release of Joe's hit single "Flow Joe". In 1994, he signed Big Pun, Prospect, and Cuban Link to the label. In 1995, Terror Squad would release Fat Joe's second album Jealous One's Envy and Big Pun's debut album. Soon after these releases Fat Joe would begin his search for a new distributing label.

After seeing the success of the Terror Squad label and Fat Joe being disappointed with the album sales at Relativity, Fat Joe would move the label into the Atlantic Records umbrella. During this time, Terror Squad added rapper Pistol Pete to their roster. In 1998, the label began to associate themselves with an upcoming Irv Gotti and his Murder Inc. Records label. In 1998, they released Big Pun's second album along with Fat Joe's Don Cartagena, which featured some production from the Murder Inc. boss. This release was quickly followed by the self-titled debut by the Terror Squad. The album was somewhat successful and made a legit name for the group and the label. In 2000, they released Big Pun's album Yeeeah Baby, but sadly, the label's central star would die of a heart-attack the same year.

[edit] Life after Pun, Terror Squad/Atlantic

In 2001, the label released the fourth LP from CEO Fat Joe, Jealous Ones Still Envy (J.O.S.E.) the album featured more production from Irv Gotti. The album featured the R. Kelly-assisted "We Thuggin" and the Ja Rule and Ashanti featured "What's Luv". The album was a commercial and critical success. It was a classic and the highest selling Terror Squad album to date.

In 2002, Terror Squad released Fat Joe's fifth album Loyalty. During this time they signed on Tony Sunshine and DJ Khaled. The album was a moderate success, just not on the level of past label releases. There was one hit for the label "Crush Tonight" with Ginuwine. In 2004, the label released Terror Squad's second album True Story. The album went Platinum making it tied for the highest-selling album in the label's history, in addition, the song "Lean Back" got more airplay than any other hip hop song in history. In 2005, the label released Fat Joe's platinum album All or Nothing.

[edit] Departure from Atlantic

In 2006, Fat Joe, looking at rappers like Cam'ron, Mike Jones, and others, wanted more creative control over his recordings. Fat Joe said that he was thinking that he could do all of the things that a major label can do funding and supporting the album. He was searching for a deal similar to label-mate Cam'ron's. He first went to his label, Atlantic with his proposal, and they turned it down. With no obligations left at Atlantic and the label deal done, Fat Joe began talks with Virgin Records to sign there where he could fund all of the promotion with his own staff and his own production team. He was able to get himself and the label, excluding DJ Khaled, who records on Koch Records a deal with Imperial Records and Virgin Records to begin independently releasing his own music just using the major label as a distributor.

[edit] Terror Squad/Imperial/Virgin

In late 2006, Terror Squad Entertainment had another hit with Fat Joe featuring Lil' Wayne, "Make It Rain". This was followed by the release of his successful album Me Myself & I on November 21, 2006. The label also released the debut album from DJ Khaled Listenn!! that year on Koch Records. The label followed the success of these two album into 2007, which led to the second album from DJ Khaled We The Best which featured the hit single "We Takin Over", which had guest appearances from Akon, Rick Ross, Fat Joe, Baby, and Lil Wayne.

Armageddon and Prospect are said to be "okay" with the former and current members of the Terror Squad group. Kill All Rats Mafia, a group affiliated with the Terror Squad have released a diss to G-Unit because G-Unit recently released a mixtape dissing Terror Squad. March 28, 2008, KAR Mafia made a diss track to G-Unit again, this time including Fat Joe on the hook.

In 2008, Fat Joe shortened the name of the label from Terror Squad Entertainment, to simply Terror Squad.

[edit] Current roster

[edit] Artists

[edit] Producers

[edit] Former Artists

[edit] Associated Acts

[edit] Conflicts

[edit] G-Unit

In 2004, Fat Joe was featured on Ja Rule's hit single "New York, New York", which also featured rapper Jadakiss. Ja Rule at the time was beefing with G-Unit rapper 50 Cent. After hearing the song, 50 Cent became angered by this collaboration and went on to diss Fat Joe and Jadakiss. He said his reason for dissing the two was because Ja Rule took a subliminal shot at the G-Unit leader making it a diss track that Fat Joe participated in, which shows support to Ja. 50 Cent would take aim in the 2005 single "Piggy Bank" with the line "that fat nigga thought Lean Back was In Da Club, my shit sold eleven mil/his shit was a dud". Fat Joe was surprised by the 50 diss since he had just done a song with 50's boss Eminem. He did not take the diss laying down he quickly responded with "My Fo Fo", where he accuses 50 of taking steorids, calls him gay and a snitch. Fat Joe said that this would be the only diss towards G-Unit and if 50 wants anymore problems they can meet in the street. Despite saying this at the 2005 MTV VMAs, Fat Joe would diss G-Unit, while presenting an award by saying 'I feel safe in here thanks to all of the security, courtesy of G-Unit Records. After he says this 50 Cent and Tony Yayo could be heard shouting obscenities towards the rapper. Later in the show, 50 Cent would call him out during his performance. The beef was contained into interviews until 50 Cent released a new track that disses Cam'ron and Mims also.

You can read more on this feud here.

[edit] Terror Squad Discography

[edit] Future Releases

  • 2008: Terror Squad - A New Story
  • 2008: Tony Sunshine - Finally
  • 2008: DJ Khaled - We Global
  • 2008: K.A.R. - Kill All Rats The Album date: 08-19-2008