Musicians with Their Own Successful Record Labels

It’s not uncommon for musicians to release music through their own labels. Usually, it gives them the chance to have creative control over their music and career. However, these labels don’t usually go much further than releasing an artist’s own music.

With that being said, there have been a handful of artists who have turned their personal labels into brands bigger than themselves. The practice seems to have worked well for hip-hop artists like Jay-Z, Diddy and Dr. Dre, who have impacted the scene heavily with their labels. Madonna’s Maverick label continues to represent today’s hottest pop and rock artists. Indie labels, like Third Man and Fueled By Ramen, have been launching careers like crazy over the last ten years or so.

Vinyl Bay 777, Long Island’s music outlet, is taking a look at some of the most well-known labels started by musicians. Here are eight that have been a springboard for their founders and the careers of other artists.

1.       Jay-Z: Started in 2008, Roc Nation has grown to become one of the biggest labels in hip-hop, pop and dance. Other than Jay-Z himself, artists currently on their roster include Grimes, J. Cole, Mariah Carey, Rihanna, Shakira, Jaden Smith and many, many more. The company has also branched off into sports, representing players like the Golden State Warriors’ Kevin Durant and the Mets’ Yoenis Cespedes.

2.       Madonna: Getting its start as an imprint of Time Warner and Warner Music Group, Madonna and executives Frederick DeMann and Veronica Dashev formed Maverick in 1992. The launch wasn’t without controversy, as the label’s first release was Madge’s ‘Erotica’ album and its companion book ‘Sex.’ Maverick has moved beyond that though, going on to release music from U2, Nicki Minaj, Fifth Harmony, Paul McCartney and more big-name artists.

3.       Pete Wentz: Fall Out Boy bassist Pete Wentz, one of the most recognizable faces in the pop-punk scene, started Decaydance in 2005. An imprint of Fueled By Ramen, a pop-punk label owned by another successful artist, Less Than Jake’s Vinnie Fiorello, the label was the first to discover Panic! at the Disco and Twenty One Pilots, as well as defunct but popular bands like The Academy Is… and Cobra Starship.

4.       Jack White: Since Jack White started Third Man Records in 2001 as a place to reissue White Stripes 45s, it has grown into one of the more interesting labels of today. I mean, what other label owns its own vinyl pressing plant? Besides releasing music from all of his own projects, Third Man has also put out music from artists as diverse as Beck, Bob Seger, The Kills, Cold War Kids, The Shins, Laura Marling and more.

5.       The Beatles: When you think of artist-run labels, there is none more legendary as Apple Records. Started by the Beatles in 1967, the label mostly released music from the band and solo albums from its members. However, there were a handful of notable signees, including James Taylor, Ravi Shankar, Yoko Ono, Modern Jazz Quartet, Ronnie Spector and Badfinger.

6.       Diddy: Before he was a rapper, Sean Comes (aka Diddy / Puff Daddy / P Diddy) was a label executive. He founded Bad Boy in 1993, four years before the release of his first record. The label launched the careers of Notorious B.I.G., Faith Evans and Mase, leading it to become one of the biggest labels for hip-hop in the 1990s and early 2000s. Though interest in the label has waned a bit, Bad Boy is still working with some respectable talent, releasing albums from current sensations Janelle Monae and Machine Gun Kelly.

7.       Dr. Dre: Rapper Dr. Dre launched Aftermath Records in 1996 following his departure from Bad Boy rival label Death Row Records. This turned out to be a good move for Dre, as his “boutique” label became a hot bed for new hip-hop in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Eminem launched his career there, releasing albums jointly between Aftermath and his own Aftermath imprint Shady Records. Together, they helped launch the career 50 Cent. Kendrick Lamar is the label’s latest big name.

8.       NoFX: If there was a punk band coming out of California in the 1990s, there is at least a fair chance that they were on Fat Wreck Chords, the label started by NoFX frontman Fat Mike in 1991. Bands who released music through the label at one time or another include Lagwagon, Against Me!, Anti-Flag, Rise Against, Good Riddance, Strung Out, Less Than Jake, No Use For A Name, Me First and the Gimme Gimmes and Descendents. Over the last 25 years or so, the label really hasn’t wavered in their commitment to the scene or sound, continuing to promote bands that embody that same punk ethos.

While this might not be the intent of most artists who create their own labels, the artists above prove that an artist can do more with their label than just keep creative control of their own music. These artists have all been able to make great impacts on the music scene through their personal record labels. This includes helping to launch the careers of other artists, some of which have become game changers in their own right.

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