Stuart Pflaum, better known as DJ Xplosive is an American music industry figure and digital music pioneer. Pflaum was born on June 29, 1981, in Nashville, Tennessee, (age 35). Based in New York City, Pflaum previously worked as consultant to street teams and lifestyle promotions at Asylum Records and Warner Music Group.
Pflaum founded the Element 9 company in 2005 to assist in the development of independent musicians. [1]
In 2007, Pflaum began working with teen hip-hop sensation, Soulja Boy Tell'em as his music publisher and head of online promotions.
Pflaum published The Hip-Hop Stimulus Plan in February 2009, a series of writings that explore the role of the internet in the modern music industry. [2]
In November 2009, the Element 9 company partnered with Fontana Distribution, the independent distribution arm of Universal Music Group, to release albums from artists signed to the company's record label. [3] Pflaum will serve as Vice President for the label.
In 2010, Element 9 announced a deal with Blacksmith Records to release a series of albums with the label headed by Talib Kweli. Their first release is scheduled to be the album Arms & Hammers by West Coast hip hop trio Strong Arm Steady [4] and released in February 2011.
Hollywood Records is an American record label of the Disney Music Group. The label focuses in pop, rock, alternative, hip hop, and country genres, as well as specializing in mature recordings not suitable for the flagship Walt Disney Records label.
Cash Money Records is an American record label founded in 1991 by brothers Ronald "Slim" Williams and Bryan "Birdman" Williams. Early years Cash Money Records released albums of Juvenile, B.G., and Hot Boys. Distributed by Republic Records, the label has been home to a roster of mostly hip hop artists, including Lil Wayne, Drake, and Nicki Minaj. The company is regarded as one of the most successful record labels of the 2000s–2010s.
Def Jam Recordings is an American multinational record label owned by Universal Music Group. It is based in Manhattan, New York City, specializing predominantly in hip hop, contemporary R&B, soul and pop.
Incredibad is the debut studio album of the American comedy troupe The Lonely Island, released on February 10, 2009, through Universal Republic Records. Composed of writers and childhood best friends Andy Samberg, Akiva Schaffer, and Jorma Taccone, the album consists of hip hop-inspired comedy songs and skits with a satirical slant on traditional hip hop culture.
Mario Sentell Giden Mims, known professionally as Yo Gotti, is an American rapper. In 1996, he released his debut album Youngsta's On a Come Up under the alias Lil Yo. He went on to release From Da Dope Game 2 Da Rap Game (2000), Self-Explanatory (2001), Life (2003), Back 2 da Basics (2006), Live from the Kitchen (2012), I Am (2013), The Art of Hustle (2016), I Still Am (2017), Untrapped (2020) and CM10: Free Game.
Hip Hop Is Dead is the eighth studio album by American rapper Nas, released December 19, 2006, on Def Jam Recordings. His first album for the label, it was co-financed by Nas's previous label, Columbia Records, which once distributed for Def Jam. The album's title was inspired by Nas's view of the music industry and the state of hip hop music at the time. The album features appearances from Nas's then-wife Kelis, Def Jam label-mates Kanye West, Jay-Z, and Chrisette Michele, as well as will.i.am, Snoop Dogg, and The Game, among others.
Blacksmith is a music management company and a record label founded by Harlem born Corey Smyth and Talib Kweli of Black Star.
Richard Preston Butler Jr., better known by his stage name Rico Love, is an American record producer, songwriter, singer, and rapper. He was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, but split his childhood between Milwaukee, Wisconsin and New York City's Harlem neighborhood. He attended Florida A&M and, while visiting Atlanta, Georgia, worked his way into the music industry through connections with Usher, who would become one of Love's frequent collaborators.
Obese Records was a record label that released music from the Australian hip hop genre. It was the largest Australian independent hip hop label, including performers : Pegz, Hilltop Hoods, Thundamentals, Andy Struksha, and Dialectrix. Obese Records also operated two retail stores in Melbourne, a record distribution company, a soul imprint named Plethora Records, and operates the artists' management and touring company Obese Records Artist Management.
Dominick Antron Wickliffe, better known by his stage names Crooked I and Kxng Crooked, is an American rapper from Long Beach, California. He is best known as a former member of the hip hop supergroup Slaughterhouse with other members Joe Budden, Joell Ortiz and Royce da 5'9". He is CEO of his own record labels, Dynasty Entertainment and C.O.B. Digital as well as Senior Vice President of Treacherous Records. Before starting his own label, he was also signed to Virgin Records and Death Row Records. He is currently one half of the rap duo Crook and Joell with his former Slaughterhouse bandmate, Joell Ortiz. Together, they released three studio albums.
Villebillies[VILL-BILL-EEZ] is an American band from Louisville, Kentucky. The Villebillies' signature sound encompasses hip hop, rock, country, blues, soul and bluegrass.
Jon Wells is an American record producer, record executive, and rapper. He is a member of the Likwit Crew.
Strong Arm Steady, often referred to as SAS, is a hip hop group in California's underground hip hop scene. As of December 2009, the act consists of members Phil Da Agony, Krondon, of Los Angeles, and Mitchy Slick of San Diego, California. Originally an amorphous collective of at least eight, formed as an alternative to the gang-focused productions of West Coast rap's then-dominant Death Row Records, SAS pared down to four members for recording in the studio and performing live, with Xzibit as the frontman. Since he left the group in 2006, the three remaining members have been a stable trio.
Amalgam Digital is an independent record label based in East Boston, Massachusetts. Founded in 2006 by Anyextee, the privately owned label had been home to a variety of artists throughout the decade before significantly downsizing in its later years. The label's online store was the first genre-specific digital download store specializing in hip hop music. It focuses on independent labels and artists through the implementation of a new user-generated content module that allowed artists to upload content directly to the site for immediate purchase. Amalgam Digital also houses an exclusive independent record label by the same name, specializing in hip hop music and distribution. In an April 2008 issue, The Source proclaimed that Amalgam Digital has "its finger on the pulse of hip-hop's future."
Coalmine Records is a Brooklyn, New York-based independent hip-hop record label. Coalmine's catalog includes Pharaohe Monch, El Da Sensei, Kool G. Rap, Talib Kweli, Large Professor, Heltah Skeltah, Dilated Peoples, Bekay, Big K.R.I.T, Custom Made, Emilio Rojas, Torae, Skyzoo, Termanology, Alchemist, J.R.Rotem, M-Phazes, Illmind, Khrysis, Shuko, Domingo, DJ Kayslay, DJ Revolution, and DJ Babu.
Drew "Dru Ha" Friedman is an American music and marketing executive based in New York City. Friedman is Co-Founder and CEO of Duck Down Music Inc., 3D Consulting & Distribution, General Manager for Cinematic Music Group, and former Director of Urban Music at Cornerstone Promotion. Born and raised in White Plains, New York, he is a graduate of Syracuse University's S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications where he studied advertising.
Element 9 is a music company founded by Stu Pflaum in 2005. The company is based in Cleveland, Ohio and has three divisions with specializations in music publishing, digital marketing and a record label.
1017 Global Music, LLC, also known as The New 1017 Records and formerly 1017 Brick Squad, So Icey Entertainment, & 1017 Eskimo, is an American record label founded by Gucci Mane after his departure from Mizay Entertainment and the closing of So Icey. The label's most successful artists include Mane, Young Thug, Waka Flocka Flame, Pooh Shiesty, OJ da Juiceman, and the late Big Scarr.
Maybach Music Group is a record label imprint founded by American rapper Rick Ross. Maybach Music Group albums are distributed by Atlantic Records, a division of the Atlantic Records Group. Atlantic took over distribution following the expiration of a deal with Island Def Jam. As of December 12, 2012, the label releases are now distributed by Atlantic Records. 19 solo and three compilation albums have been released by Maybach Music Group, including five certified Gold albums and three certified Platinum albums.
Only the Family, often abbreviated as OTF, is a rap group from Chicago, Illinois. The group was formed by rapper Lil Durk in 2010. The group is home to various Chicago-drill recording artists, including the late rapper King Von.