| Tommy Boy Entertainment | |
|---|---|
| Whats_That_Noise_cover.jpg | |
| Founded | 1981 |
| Founder | Tom Silverman |
| Status | Active |
| Distributor(s) | Self-distributed (1981–1985; 2002–present) Warner Bros. Records (1985–2002) |
| Genre | Hip hop, R&B, Post-disco |
| Country of origin | US |
| Location | New York, New York |
Tommy Boy Entertainment (formerly known as Tommy Boy Records) is an independent record label started in 1981 by Tom Silverman.
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After borrowing $5,000 from his parents, the label was an outgrowth of Tom Silverman's Disco News bi-weekly publication (later titled Dance Music Report), which spanned 14 years, beginning in September 1978.
In 1985, Warner Bros. Records bought 50% of the label, eventually buying all of it in 1990. Silverman and Monica Lynch became Vice Presidents of Warner as well. Warner allowed Tommy Boy to use independent distribution as it saw fit, with the option to put artists through the major-label channel through Warner Bros. Records or its sister label Reprise Records. Silverman bought 50% back from Warner Bros. in 1995. Also the same year, the first incarnation of Penalty Recordings, a joint venture with Neil Levine, was created, but it was absorbed by Tommy Boy in 1999. The imprint Tommy Boy Gospel was launched in 1998 under the direction of Max Siegel and Marvie Wright—and Tommy Boy Black Label (specializing in underground hip hop music) and Tommy Boy Silver Label (specializing in dance music) were founded as well. Tommy Boy, as part of Warner, also provided independent distribution to sister imprints that already had label deals with WEA, including American Recordings’ Ill Labels, Mute Records’ NovaMute, and Cold Chillin' Records’ Livin’ Large. During this time, label had distribution deals with labels such as Timber Records, Outcaste Records, and 75 Ark Records as well.
In January 2002, Tommy Boy became independent again. Silverman purchased the remaining 50% he did not own; the master tapes released until that time became property of Warner Music, the then-current Tommy Boy artists were shopped to the various WEA labels, the trademark remained with Silverman, and the company was redubbed Tommy Boy Entertainment LLC. The label then licensed its trademark to Warner for use on its reissues through Rhino/Atlantic Records.
In 2005, Tommy Boy Silver Label conceived by Rosie Lopez and co-founded by Lopez and Victor Lee was spun off from its parent and was renamed Silver Label, specializing in LGBT-oriented content. The launch included highly acclaimed soundtracks of the shows Queer as Folk and The L Word, and artists such as the Cliks, Matt Alber, and Chavela Vargas.
(Warner)
(post-Warner)