Terror Squad Entertainment

Last updated
Terror Squad Productions
Parent company
Founded1997
Founder Fat Joe
StatusActive
Distributor(s)
Genre Hip Hop
Country of origin United States

Terror Squad Productions (later Terror Squad Entertainment) is an American Hip hop and Rap record company founded by Fat Joe in 1997. The label has been distributed by Atlantic, Virgin Records, and Columbia Records. The label's flagship artist was Big Pun.

Contents

History

Early Years (1997-1999)

Fat Joe decided to form Terror Squad Productions in 1997 with help from Craig Kallman, Greg Angelides, and his manager Mick Bentson.

After being disappointed with the previous album sales at Relativity Records, Fat Joe left Relativity and signed to Atlantic Records. After signing to Atlantic, Fat Joe was granted his own record label, Terror Squad Productions. Atlantic would allow Fat Joe to sign artists to Terror Squad. Under the terms of the deal, Fat Joe was responsible for putting their albums together and they would fund, promote and distribute the releases from the label. In addition to himself, Fat Joe also signed the rap group Terror Squad and its members Armageddon, Prospect, Triple Seis, Cuban Link, and Big Pun. The label's first release was Big Pun's debut album Capital Punishment which was released on April 28, 1998. It was executive produced by both Fat Joe and Big Pun and featured guest appearances from Prospect, Armageddon, Triple Seis, Cuban Link and Fat Joe. The album peaked at number 5 on the Billboard top 200 and was certified Platinum by the RIAA. The label's second release was Fat Joe's Don Cartagena , which was released September 1, 1998. The album was executive produced by Fat Joe and featured guest appearances from Big Pun as well as the debut official appearance of the rap group Terror Squad. It peaked at number 7 on the Billboard 200 chart and was certified Gold by the RIAA.

Don Cartagena introduced the rap group Terror Squad, and Terror Squad released their debut album The Album on September 21, 1999. Terror Squad artist Armageddon contributed production to the album. The album sold 250,000 units to date. Although not commercially successful, it was critically successful and was meant to be the foundation for other members to release their own albums.

2000-2005

On February 7, 2000, Big Pun died of a heart attack, and his album Yeeeah Baby was released posthumously that year on April 4. The album debuted and peaked at number 3 on the Billboard Top 200. The album featured guest appearances from Prospect, Cuban Link, Fat Joe and Tony Sunshine. Remy Ma (then known as Remy Martin), who was Big Pun's protege, made her debut appearance on the album. In October 2017, the album was certified Platinum in America. Shortly after Big Pun's death, Triple Seis left Terror Squad Productions and parted ways with the Terror Squad group. Cuban Link would follow suit shortly thereafter after his long-awaited debut studio album that was scheduled for a summer 2000 release, 24K, was shelved due to bootlegging, problems with Atlantic Records, and issues with Fat Joe.

On December 4, 2001, Fat Joe released his fourth studio album Jealous Ones Still Envy (J.O.S.E.) through Terror Squad Productions. It featured the hit singles "We Thuggin'" and "What's Luv", and featured guest appearances from Armageddon (who co-executive produced the album along with Fat Joe), Prospect, and Remy Ma. The following year in 2002, Fat Joe released Loyalty . The album was a commercial disappointment, only peaking at number 31 on the Billboard 200 and failing to achieve a RIAA certification. In 2004, Terror Squad released its second and final studio album True Story through Steve Rifkind's SRC Records, Universal Records and Terror Squad Entertainment. The album peaked at number 7 on the Billboard 200. Though Prospect, Tony Sunshine, and Armageddon had made guest appearances on Fat Joe's albums and Terror Squad albums, they never released solo debut studio albums, and they all left by 2006.

In 2005, Fat Joe released All or Nothing . [1] The album did better than his previous album but was still a commercial failure, and it was Fat Joe's final album on Atlantic Records

Later years & Signing of DJ Khaled (2005-present)

In September 2006, Fat Joe finalized a distribution deal for Terror Squad through Imperial Records and EMI. [2] "Make It Rain" featuring Lil Wayne was the debut single for Fat Joe's Me Myself & I . The label also released the debut album from DJ Khaled & PRO's Super Produced Listennn... the Album that year on Koch. The label followed the success of these two albums into 2007, which led to the 2nd album from DJ Khaled We The Best which featured the hit single "We Takin' Over", which had guest appearances from Akon, T.I., Rick Ross, Fat Joe, Baby, and Lil Wayne.

Discography

Artists

Related Research Articles

Terror Squad was an American hip hop collective that was first established in 1998. Based in the Bronx in New York City, the members of Terror Squad collectively debuted on a song in member Fat Joe's albums Jealous One's Envy and Don Cartagena. Terror Squad released its debut album, Terror Squad: The Album, in 1999, with its first major hit "Whatcha Gon' Do", credited mostly to Big Pun, who died of a heart attack in 2000. After Big Pun's death, his longtime partners Cuban Link and Triple Seis left the group and were subsequently replaced by Remy Martin and Tony Sunshine. In 2004, their song "Lean Back" peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Antonio Cruz, known professionally as Tony Sunshine, is an American R&B singer of Puerto Rican descent, famous for his affiliation with New York City hip hop group Terror Squad. He sang on tracks such as Cuban Link's "Still Telling Lies", Fat Joe's "All I Need" and Big Pun's "100%". He released his debut single on Jive Records entitled "Oh My God" in 2004.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cuban Link</span> Cuban American rapper

Felix Delgado, better known by his stage name Cuban Link, is a Cuban American rapper and original member of Terror Squad.

<i>Terror Squad: The Album</i> 1999 studio album by Terror Squad

Terror Squad: The Album is the debut recording studio album by Terror Squad. The group's line up at recording was Big Pun, Armageddon, Triple Seis, Prospect, Fat Joe and Cuban Link. Production was contributed by JuJu, The Infinite Arkatechz, Buckwild, and Armageddon as well as The Alchemist. The album is the only Terror Squad release to feature Big Pun before his death five months later. The LP has sold over 250,000 copies to date.

<i>Theres Something About Remy: Based on a True Story</i> 2006 studio album by Remy Ma

There's Something About Remy: Based on a True Story is the debut studio album by American rapper Remy Ma. It was released on February 7, 2006, by SRC Records, Universal Records and Terror Squad Entertainment. The album's release date served as the sixth anniversary of her mentor Big Pun's death. The title and cover art coincides with the 1998 film There's Something About Mary. The album sold over 35,000 copies in its first week and as of 2007, has sold over 160,000 copies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fat Joe</span> American rapper from New York (born 1970)

Joseph Antonio Cartagena, better known by his stage name Fat Joe, is an American rapper from New York City. He began his music career as a member of hip hop group Diggin' in the Crates Crew (D.I.T.C.) in 1992, he then embarked on a solo career a year later with his debut album Represent (1993). Cartegena formed the hip hop group Terror Squad and its namesake record label in the late 1990s, through which he would discover and sign fellow New York artists including Big Pun, Remy Ma, Tony Sunshine, and Cuban Link, as well as then-unknown producers DJ Khaled and Cool & Dre.

<i>Yeeeah Baby</i> 2000 studio album by Big Pun

Yeeeah Baby is the second and final studio album by rapper Big Pun, released April 4, 2000 through Columbia Records, SRC Records, Loud Records and Fat Joe's Terror Squad Productions. It was released as planned, peaking at number 3 on the Billboard 200, and selling 179,000 units during the week it was released. It was subsequently certified Gold in July three months later and would go on to be certified Platinum on October 31, 2017. Fat Joe executive producer, produced the album.

<i>Listennn... the Album</i> 2006 studio album by DJ Khaled

Listennn... the Album is the debut studio album by American hip hop artist DJ Khaled. It was released on June 6, 2006. by Terror Squad Entertainment and Koch Records. The album features guest appearances from Young Jeezy, Bun B, Birdman, Juelz Santana, Slim Thug, Krayzie Bone, Chamillionaire, Trina, Twista, Freeway, Jadakiss, Beanie Sigel, Styles P and Lil Scrappy, among others. Reviews for the record were generally positive but divided over the production, lyrical content and Khaled as an artist. Listennn... the Album debuted at number 12 on the Billboard 200, selling 44,000 copies in its first week in the United States. The album was supported by three singles: "Holla at Me" featuring Lil Wayne, Paul Wall, Fat Joe, Rick Ross and Pitbull, "Grammy Family" featuring Kanye West, John Legend and Consequence, and "Born-N-Raised" featuring Pitbull, Trick Daddy and Rick Ross.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Make It Rain (Fat Joe song)</span> 2006 single by Fat Joe

"Make It Rain" is a song by American rapper Fat Joe, released in 2006 as the first single from his seventh album Me, Myself & I. It features American rapper Lil Wayne, who only raps the chorus, and was produced by Scott Storch. The song peaked at number 13 on the US Billboard Hot 100. It was released through EMI, Virgin Records, and Fat Joe's Terror Squad Entertainment.

<i>We the Best</i> 2007 studio album by DJ Khaled

We the Best is the second studio album by Miami-based DJ and Terror Squad member DJ Khaled. It was released on June 12, 2007, by Terror Squad Entertainment, distributed by Koch Records. DJ Khaled alongside fellow rapper Fat Joe and collectively handled as the executive producers on this album. The album was produced by The Runners, Drumma Boy, Cool & Dre, J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League, the Diaz Brothers and Jim Jonsin; as well as the guest appearances from Bone Thugs-n-Harmony, Trina, Paul Wall and Bun B, among others.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fat Joe discography</span> Hip hop recording artist discography

The discography of American rapper Fat Joe consists of ten studio albums, two collaborative albums, three mixtapes and twenty-two singles, as well as other artists' singles in which Fat Joe did a guest performance. Fat Joe is an American rapper known for his solo work and membership in the rap groups D.I.T.C. and Terror Squad. His first solo album was Represent, released in 1993, followed by Jealous One's Envy in 1995. From 1998 to 2006, he was signed to Atlantic Records, releasing four albums under the label, Don Cartagena in 1998, Jealous Ones Still Envy (J.O.S.E.) in 2001, Loyalty in 2002, and All or Nothing in 2005. Starting in 2006, when his album Me, Myself, & I was released, Fat Joe was signed to Imperial Records, which distributes through Terror Squad Entertainment. His follow-up album was The Elephant in the Room, which was released in 2008; Jealous Ones Still Envy 2 , the sequel to his successful album Jealous Ones Still Envy (J.O.S.E.), was released in 2009.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">What's Luv?</span> 2002 single by Fat Joe

"What's Luv?" is a song by American rapper Fat Joe, released through Atlantic Records and Fat Joe's Terror Squad Productions as the second single from his fourth studio album, Jealous Ones Still Envy (J.O.S.E.) (2001). The song features additional vocals from singer Ashanti and from rapper Ja Rule on the remix and album version on the song. "What's Luv" was produced by Irv Gotti and Chink Santana. The lyrics of the song's chorus are based in part on the title refrain of the 1984 Tina Turner hit "What's Love Got to Do with It". The song additionally includes a lyric that references the 1998 song "Still Not a Player" by Big Pun. Fat Joe, Ja Rule, and the song's two producers are credited as the writers of "What's Luv", as are Big Pun and the lyricist of "What's Love Got to Do with It", Terry Britten.

<i>We Global</i> 2008 studio album by DJ Khaled

We Global is the third studio album by Miami based mixtape DJ and Terror Squad member, DJ Khaled. The album was released on September 16, 2008. This was his third album distributed by Koch Records, and the first released on his We the Best Music Group label. The album's guest appearances from Game, T-Pain, Bun B, Rick Ross, Ace Hood, Plies, Akon, Trick Daddy, Lil Boosie, Nas, Kanye West, Fabolous, Fat Joe, Sean Paul, Busta Rhymes, Pitbull, Casely and Flo Rida among others.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Holla at Me</span> 2006 single by DJ Khaled featuring Lil Wayne, Paul Wall, Fat Joe, Rick Ross and Pitbull

"Holla at Me" is the debut single by American musician DJ Khaled featuring American rappers Lil Wayne, Paul Wall, Fat Joe, Rick Ross, and Pitbull, released in 2006 from the former's debut studio album Listennn... the Album. Produced by Cool & Dre, it samples Afrika Bambaataa & the Soulsonic Force's 1983 song "Looking for the Perfect Beat".

"Born-N-Raised" is the third single from DJ Khaled's debut album, Listennn... the Album, produced by The Runners. The single features Pitbull, Trick Daddy and Rick Ross. It was released on June 6, 2006. The song is also included on Pitbull's second studio album El Mariel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Big Pun</span> American Puerto Rican rapper (1971–2000)

Christopher Lee Rios, better known by his stage name Big Pun, was an American rapper of Puerto Rican descent. Emerging from the underground hip hop scene in the Bronx borough of New York City in the early 1990s, he came to prominence upon being discovered by fellow Bronx rapper Fat Joe, and made his earliest appearance on his 1995 album Jealous One's Envy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I'm Not a Player</span> 1997 single by Big Pun

"I'm Not a Player" is the debut single from rapper Big Pun, produced by Minnesota. The song peaked at number 57 of the Billboard Hot 100. "I'm Not a Player" helped the album become number one on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, selling more than one million copies in America.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">It's So Hard (Big Pun song)</span> 2000 single by Big Pun and Donell Jones

"It’s So Hard" is the first posthumous single by Puerto Rican-American rapper Big Pun, from his 2000 second studio album, Yeeeah Baby. It features singer Donell Jones and was produced by Younglord and Jay "Waxx" Garfield, and was released following his sudden death two months prior.

<i>The Darkside Vol. 1</i> 2010 studio album by Fat Joe

The Darkside Vol. 1 is the tenth studio album by American rapper Fat Joe. The album was released July 27, 2010 by Terror Squad Entertainment and E1 Music. The album's production was handled by Cool & Dre, Streetrunner, DJ Infamous, Just Blaze, Scram Jones, DJ Premier, Raw Uncut, and Scoop DeVille, among others. The album also featured guest appearances came from Trey Songz, Too Short, R. Kelly, Cam'ron, Clipse, Lil Wayne and Young Jeezy.

The discography of American rapper Cuban Link.

References

  1. Prato, Greg. "Fat Joe > Biography". allmusic. Retrieved June 10, 2010.
  2. Reid, Shaheem (September 11, 2006). "'Fat Joe Is Signed To Fat Joe' — Newly Independent MC, Lil Wayne Shoot 'Rain' Video -Testing At 10:16". MTV News. Retrieved June 10, 2010.