Rawkus Records is an American hip-hop record label known for jump-starting the careers of both Mos Def and Talib Kweli. Rawkus started in 1996 with initial releases ranging from hip-hop to drum and bass. Label heads Brian Brater and Jarret Myer then signed some of the top underground talent from the New York area, notably Mos Def, Talib Kweli, Hi-Tek and Company Flow, who went on to define the label's sound. The string of 12" releases and full length albums that followed helped initiate a resurgence in the New York/East Coast sound. Many of these are considered classics among hip-hop aficionados. During the mid to late '90s, Rawkus became a dominant label in the underground hip-hop scene, producing a string of gold albums and a platinum album with Mos Def's Black On Both Sides.
Contents |
Rawkus Records was established in 1996 by Brian Brater and Jarret Myer, with financial backing from James Murdoch,[1][2][3] son of Rupert Murdoch. In 1999 the label entered into a distribution deal with Priority Records.
Over the years, Rawkus has recorded several notable independent hip hop artists,[4] including Reflection Eternal, Company Flow, the High and Mighty, Mos Def and Talib Kweli (as Blackstar), Eminem, Common, Pharoahe Monch, and Skillz.
In 2002, Rawkus signed a joint venture deal with MCA. Soon after, MCA folded and Interscope/Geffen bought Rawkus. After the sale of its catalog in 2004, Rawkus split from Geffen.
In 2006, Rawkus signed with RED, a Sony Music distribution company and reemerged with a new line up of notable independent Hip Hop artists including The Procussions, Panacea, Mr. J. Medeiros and Kidz in the Hall, among others.
In early 2007, Rawkus Records accepted album submissions from hip-hop artists, known or unknown, to be considered for their new campaign. The 50 artists chosen to wear the Rawkus 50 badge were signed to a digital distribution deal through IODA's (Independent Online Distribution Alliance) digital distribution network and had their albums released under the banner "Rawkus 50 presents".
The Rawkus 50, according to the promotional materials, is a group of "the 50 next important Hip hop artists." In early 2007, Rawkus Records accepted album submissions from Hip Hop artists, known or unknown, to be considered for their new campaign. The 50 artists chosen to wear the Rawkus 50 badge were signed to a digital distribution deal through IODA's (Independent Online Distribution Alliance) digital distribution network and had their albums released under the banner "Rawkus 50 presents".
The Rawkus 50 project is a landmark undertaking in the music business. In an industry plagued with low physical album sales and digital music becoming more and more the norm in society, record labels have been trying various strategies to adjust to the new landscape. The Rawkus 50 project focus' on a digital distribution model to get the music to the masses and mixes part traditional marketing and internet/social networking based forms of promotion. The idea is to use the accumulated fan base of all 50 artists to promote the project as a whole via mediums such as Myspace and Rawkus Records owned site MyRawkus. In addition, Rawkus has taken out an ad in a major Hip Hop magazine XXL listing the names of all artists in the 50. Other promotional efforts are to include National Internet marketing and promotion, sponsored NY and LA Showcases for the artists to perform and blog and podcast hosting, marketing and promotion. Critics of this way of distributing and promoting hip hop argue that the idea is not, in fact, raw.
The musicians in the Rawkus 50 and their respective releases are listed below in alphabetical order by artist name:
| Artist | Album | |
| 12Bit | 12Bit | |
| 3rd Brillyance | Grass Roots | |
| 6th Sense | It's Coming Soon | |
| Aarophat | Aarodynamix | |
| Atllas | Arizona Ceasr | |
| Barak Yalad | A Loss For Words | |
| Bekay | The Horror Flick | |
| Chuck Taylor | Black Hop | |
| Clan Destined | And For Our Next Trick | |
| Custom Made | Truth Be Told | |
| Cy Young | Exactly | |
| Cymarshall Law | Hiphop In The Flesh | |
| Doujah Raze | Where You Are | |
| Dutchmassive | Crush Your System | |
| Dynas | Me, Myself & Rhymes | |
| East | The Right Direction | |
| Finale | Develop | |
| Grand Agent | Peak Oil / Agent & Raynge | |
| Hassaan Mackey | Soul For Sale | |
| Intricate Minds | Self-Hypnosis | |
| Kaimbr | Why Be Somebody Else | |
| Kaze | Block 2the Basement | |
| kojoe | Rawnin | |
| Krukid | Afr-I-Can | |
| L.E.G.A.C.Y. | L.E.G.A.C.Y. | |
| Laws | Super Thug Killa Rap EXCLAMATION | |
| Mookie Jones | Catch Me If You Can | |
| Mr. Metaphor | The Evolution of Marc Bars | |
| Phenetiks | Revolutionary Non-Pollutionary Mechanical Wonder | |
| Pizon | I Am Hip Hop | |
| Prime | From The Ground Up | |
| Protoman | Grey Area | |
| Red Clay | The Red Dawn | |
| Roddy Rod | Blunt Park Sessions (413) | |
| scanz | Prelude To A Legacy | |
| Scavone | The Rehab Record | |
| Sev Statik & Dust | Back To Dust | |
| Silent Knight | Hunger Strike | |
| Span Phly | Two Weeks Notice | |
| Spit Supreme | Whole Life For This | |
| Spokinn Movement | 60 Min. Spin Cycle | |
| SunN.Y. | Sun.N.Y. | |
| The Foundation | Forever Behind The Music | |
| The Regiment | The Come Up | |
| The Smile Rays | Smilin' On You | |
| The1shanti | the1shanti | |
| TheBREAX | theBREAX | |
| Together Brothers | Together Brothers | |
| Wildabeast | Many Levels | |
| Willie Evans Jr. | Communication | |