Best label of the 90s

[step one]

Slow day at work.
Use whatever criteria you like - quality of releases, depth of roster, life expectancy of artists, CEO least likely to be part of Illuminati, best business model, least shelved albums...anyone citing sales can expect to be ignored.

I might've forgotten a few so list alternatives if you want - I'm sure someone will mention Fondle Em but they really arent fucking with most of this list.

Loud
, Raekwon, Alkaholiks, Mobb Deep, Big Pun, Xzibit (and then MOP & Beatnuts in early 00s)

Wild Pitch
Lord Finesse, Main Source, UMCs, OC, Ultramagnetic MCs, The Coup, Hard Knocks

Jive
KRS ONE, A Tribe Called Quest, E40, Too Short, Spice 1, Souls Of Mischief, UGK

Relativity
Common, Beatnuts, Fat Joe, PMD, No ID, DJ Honda, Three 6 Mafia, Chi Ali, Dru Down, Eightball & MJG

Def Jam
LL, Redman, Jay Z, DMX, Method Man, Nice N Smooth, EPMD, Boss, Foxy Brown, Public Enemy, 3rd Bass, Slick Rick, Jayo Felony

Tommy Boy
Naughty By Nature, House Of Pain, Queen Latifah, De La Soul, Digital Underground, Screwball,

Elektra
KMD, Brand Nubian, LONS, Busta, Ol Dirty Bastard, Pete Rock & CL Smooth,

Death Row
Dre, Snoop, Dogg Pound, 2Pac, Lady Of Rage

Bad Boy
Biggie, Craig Mack, Black Rob, The LOX, Mase,

Rawkus
Mos Def, Talib Kweli, Pharoahe Monch, Lyricist Lounge & Soundbombing compilations

Rap A Lot
Scarface, Geto Boys, Willie D, Convicts, Devin, Big Mike, Willie D,

No Limit
meh.

[Comedy Quaddafi]

Judging by who put out the best albums, I'd have to say Death Row. Doggystyle, The Chronic, Dogg Food, Murder Was The Case, Above The Rim, All Eyez On Me, 7 Day Theory, and Retaliation, Revenge and Get Back.

[Philaflava]

The cool choice might be Loud because of the amount of classics and game changers they provided. But the 90's is a long period and it would be crazy to forget about the powerhouses like Def Jam.

[step one]

Def Jam has kind of a shakey period around 93/94ish. They seemed to be throwing money at a lot of stuff that didnt sell. It wasnt til they got back on track with Red/Meth/Warren G and then Jay Z/Ja Rule/DMX that they were back on track

I think I'd go with Loud - very consistent, lots of classic LPs and 12"s and not too many bricks.

Of the Death Row catalogue Id say only All Eyes, Doggystyle & The Chronic were real classics. They delayed things like the Rage album and just tended to focus on the money makers like Snoop and Pac rather than developing a well rounded roster.

Wild Pitch couldve been great if it was run by someone else - them and Electra definitely represent that early 90s East Coast sound

As far as commerical singles success Tommy Boy might take it - OPP, Hip Hop Hooray, Jump Around, Humpty Dance.Im guessing they shifted alot of albums off the back of those.

[Philaflava]

Def Jam has kind of a shakey period around 93/94ish. They seemed to be throwing money at a lot of stuff that didnt sell. It wasnt til they got back on track with Red/Meth/Warren G and then Jay Z/Ja Rule/DMX that they were back on track

True but you said the 90's not mid 90's.

It's impossible to forget some of their earlier catalog. And while I'm sure MANY people will be voting on labels that put out great singles like Rawkus, think of the plethora of dope singles Def Jam put out. Obscure shit like Joe Sinstr (JMJ) too.

1990

* 3rd Bass - Cactus Revisited (Def Jam/Columbia)
* EPMD - Business as Usual (Def Jam/RAL/Columbia)
* LL Cool J - Mama Said Knock You Out (Def Jam/Columbia)
* Public Enemy - Fear of a Black Planet (Def Jam/Columbia)
* Various artists - Def Jam Classics, Vol. 2 (Def Jam/Columbia)

[edit] 1991

* 3rd Bass - Derelicts of Dialect (Def Jam/Columbia)
* Alyson Williams - Alyson Williams (OBR/Def Jam/Columbia)
* Downtown Science - Downtown Science (Def Jam/Columbia)
* Public Enemy - Apocalypse 91... The Enemy Strikes Black (Def Jam/Columbia)
* Nice & Smooth - Ain't a Damn Thing Changed (RAL/Def Jam)
* Nikki D - Daddy's Little Girl (Def Jam/Columbia)
* Slick Rick - The Ruler's Back (Def Jam/Columbia)

[edit] 1992

* EPMD - Business Never Personal (RAL/Def Jam/Columbia)
* MC Serch - Return of the Product (Def Jam/Columbia)
* Public Enemy - Greatest Misses (Def Jam/Columbia)
* Redman - Whut? Thee Album (RAL/Def Jam/Columbia)

[edit] 1993

* Onyx - Bacdafucup (Def Jam)
* Erick Sermon - No Pressure (Def Squad/RAL/Def Jam)
* LL Cool J - 14 Shots to the Dome (Def Jam/Columbia)
* Prime Minister Pete Nice and Daddy Rich - Dust to Dust
* Boss - Born Gangstaz

[edit] 1994

* Flatlinerz - U.S.A.
* Method Man - Tical
* Public Enemy - Muse Sick-n-Hour Mess Age
* Redman - Dare Iz a Darkside (RAL/Def Jam)
* Slick Rick - Behind Bars
* South Central Cartel - 'N Gatz We Truss (G.W.K./RAL/Def Jam)
* Warren G - Regulate...G Funk Era (Violator/Def Jam)

[Philaflava]

And I'm not saying my pick is DJ, I just know many will overlook them and forget what they did in the 90s.

[step one]

And I'm not saying my pick is DJ, I just know many will overlook them and forget what they did in the 90s.

no question they dropped a lot of good stuff but I think their financial position allowed them to sign a lot of average/dud acts aswell so you could say their ratio of success is tainted somewhat.
the Nikki D, Pete Nice, Flatlinerz, SCC and Downtown Science albums and things like 14 Shots To The Dome arent really label highlights.
Their attempts to buy into the West Coast market didnt really work aside from Warren G.
They definitely had a change in fortune when Kevin Liles and then Irv Gotti came on board, mainkly due to DMX, Rocafella and Murder Inc

[Krisch]

Delicious Vinyl and Profile should also be mentioned

[Teddy C.D.]

Wild Pitch, Jive, and Elektra. Possibly in that order.

[mud]

Loud.

[step one]

Delicious Vinyl and Profile should also be mentioned

yeah I did think about Profile but I think they were more prominent in the 80s to be honest, although they did have Smoothe Da Hustler, Special Ed and Run DMC

[Thun]

rawkus, obv.

[Freezy Pazzy]

No Ruthless Records? Even though they started back in the late 80's, they dropped their best releases in the 90's IMHO.

[Teddy C.D.]

This should be a poll.

[Krisch]

Delicious Vinyl and Profile should also be mentioned

yeah I did think about Profile but I think they were more prominent in the 80s to be honest, although they did have Smoothe Da Hustler, Special Ed and Run DMC

you're right, I also think of Profile as an 80's label, first and foremost. But they had a lot of great records in the 90's, too. Poor Righteous Teachers, King Sun, Nine, Camp Lo, DJ Quik and a couple more, besides the ones you mentioned.

[shadowmaster]

I go with Loud. Just the Mobb Deep and Wu stuff gave them the edge for the mid 90s stuff.

[Krisch]

and another one I forgot:

Payday (Jeru, Group Home, O.C., Show & A.G., W.C. & The Maad Circle)

[gaccu01]

I would probably go with Loud as well.
Def Jam had probably the highest and the lowest points of them all, in the nineties.

[Dap]

death row

[KITFUNK]

Priority had some heat too: Ras Kass, Heltah Skeltah, The BUMS, Killarmy, etc.

Too many record labels to just pick one.

[Dat_Triflin_Ass_Dude]

Loud & Death Row for consistency. But Def Jam was killin it like '97-'00 from what i remember.

and Columbia just for puttin out Illmatic

[strategy786]

Loud
, Raekwon, Alkaholiks, Mobb Deep, Big Pun, Xzibit (and then MOP & Beatnuts in early 00s)

Gotta add these noteworthy albums to the Loud list for the 90's:
Sadat X
Cella Dwellas
Pete Rock (Soul Survivor 1)
Inspectah Deck
Loud "Nudder Budders" album

Also, I think if you are giving label props you can't just track the albums, but also the dopeness of the 12"s. Loud, Rawkus, Elektra, and Relativity usually had remixes and ill b-sides on them. Death Row and Def-Jam 12"s were usually pretty straightforward with nothing new besides an instrumental.

Still, I am kind of undecided, but I am leaning toward Loud for being all-round dope (dope albums, dope singles, special releases and comps, etc.).

[strategy786]

Jive
KRS ONE, A Tribe Called Quest, E40, Too Short, Spice 1, Souls Of Mischief, UGK

Also: Keith Murray, Casual, D-Nice, Kool Rock Jay, Kool Moe Dee (in decline) and 2Pac (in ascent)

Relativity
Common, Beatnuts, Fat Joe, PMD, No ID, DJ Honda, Three 6 Mafia, Chi Ali, Dru Down, Eightball & MJG

Also: M.O.P

Elektra
KMD, Brand Nubian, LONS, Busta, Ol Dirty Bastard, Pete Rock & CL Smooth,

Also: Del the Funkee Homosapien, INI, Missy

Rawkus
Mos Def, Talib Kweli, Pharoahe Monch, Lyricist Lounge & Soundbombing compilations

Also: Company Flow, High and Mighty (almost Reflection Eternal & Big L in 2000)

Rap A Lot
Scarface, Geto Boys, Willie D, Convicts, Devin, Big Mike, Willie D,

Also: OG Style

There's probably many others to add but these are worth noting for this comparison.

Dope post. I'd like to see what happens if we have a poll after this discussion.

[Krisch]

Also, I think if you are giving label props you can't just track the albums, but also the dopeness of the 12"s. Loud, Rawkus, Elektra, and Relativity usually had remixes and ill b-sides on them. Death Row and Def-Jam 12"s were usually pretty straightforward with nothing new besides an instrumental.

Death Row & Def Jam had some great remixes and b-sides, too.

Just a few examples:

2Pac - Pain
2Pac - Hit Em Up
Dr. Dre - Puffin' On Blunts

EPMD - Brothers From Brentwood L.I.
Public Enemy - Shut Em Down (Remix)
Method Man - I'll Be There/All I Need
Foxy Brown - La Familia

[EMCEE DARTH MALEK]

good call krisch havent heard those is ages..... gonna go dl

i'm going with deathrow. between all the albums they put out i think it's no contest, and they also had more of an identity as a label than the others.

[Dat_Triflin_Ass_Dude]

Don't forget their soundtracks too like Above the Rim, Murder Was the Case, Gridlock'd, Gang Related, etc.

[jvg]

Great thread! I have to choose Loud. Great albums and I ordered one of their shirts

[ecwclown2]

Jive was the shit. I've got to go with them... KRS ONE & ATCQ. Hell yes.