Rawkus Records

Rawkus Records
Founded1995 (1995)
FounderBrian Brater
Jarret Myer
James Murdoch
StatusInactive
Distributor(s)Priority Records (1999–2002)
MCA Records (2002–2003)
Geffen Records (2004)
RED Distribution (2006–2007)
GenreHip hop
Country of originU.S.
LocationNew York City

Rawkus Records was an American hip hop record label, owned by James Murdoch, known for starting the careers of many rappers. Rawkus started in 1995 with releases in hip-hop, drum and bass and fun-dustrial (Dystopia One).

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 1990s, Rawkus became a dominant label in the underground hip-hop scene, producing a string of gold[1][2][3] albums and a platinum[citation needed] album.

  1. ^ "Gold & Platinum". RIAA. Retrieved 6 September 2024.
  2. ^ "Gold & Platinum". RIAA. Retrieved 6 September 2024.
  3. ^ "Gold & Platinum". RIAA. Retrieved 6 September 2024.