Clive Jay Davis is an American record producer, A&R executive, record executive, and lawyer. He has won five Grammy Awards and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, as a non-performer, in 2000.
Arista Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the American division of the Japanese conglomerate Sony. The label was previously a division of BMG Entertainment, the North American division of German conglomerate Bertelsmann. Founded in November 1974 by Clive Davis and deactivated in 2011, Arista was re-established in 2018. Along with RCA Records, Columbia Records, and Epic Records, it is one of Sony Music's four flagship record labels.
Jive Records was a British-American independent record label founded by Clive Calder in 1981 as a subsidiary of the Zomba Group. In the US, the label had offices in New York City and Chicago. Jive was best known for its successes with hip hop, R&B, and dance acts in the 1980s and 1990s, along with teen pop and boy bands during the late 1990s and early 2000s.
Jermaine Dupri Mauldin is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, record executive, entrepreneur, and DJ. Raised in Atlanta as the son of Columbia Records executive Michael Mauldin, he began his career in music production at the age of nine. In 1991, he discovered the teen hip hop duo Kris Kross. Dupri wrote and produced their breakout 1992 single "Jump," which peaked atop the Billboard Hot 100 and was named the 23rd most successful song of that decade. He established his own record label, So So Def Recordings in a joint venture with Columbia the following year.
Clifford Joseph Harris Jr., better known by the stage names T.I. and Tip, is an American rapper. Born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia, Harris is known as one of the pioneers of the hip hop subgenre trap music, along with fellow Atlanta-based rappers Jeezy and Gucci Mane. Harris first became aquainted with local music executive Kawan "KP" Prather, and joined his company Ghet-O-Vision Entertainment by the late 1990s. He was led to sign his first major-label record deal in 1999 with its parent company LaFace Records, an imprint of Arista Records. His debut studio album, I'm Serious (2001) was met with lukewarm commercial reception and became his only release with the label. He then signed with Atlantic Records, where he soon reached his mainstream breakthrough and co-founded his own label imprint, Grand Hustle Records by 2003.
So So Def Recordings is an American record label based in Atlanta, Georgia, founded by producer Jermaine Dupri in 1993. Specializing in Southern hip hop, R&B, and bass music, the label has managed artists such as Bow Wow, Kris Kross, Xscape, TLC, Usher, Dem Franchize Boyz, Anthony Hamilton, Jagged Edge, and The Ghost Town DJs.
Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik is the debut studio album by the American hip hop duo Outkast, released on April 26, 1994, by Arista Records and LaFace Records. Having befriended each other two years prior, rappers André 3000 and Big Boi pursued recording music as a duo and worked with production team Organized Noize, leading to a record contract with LaFace. With the team producing, Outkast recorded the album at the Dungeon, D.A.R.P. Studios, Purple Dragon, Bosstown, and Doppler Studios, all in Atlanta.
Antonio Marquis "L.A." Reid is an American record executive, A&R representative, and record producer. He has served as the chairman and CEO of Epic Records and The Island Def Jam Music Group, as well as the president and CEO of Arista Records. He co-founded the record label Hitco Entertainment in 2017, which was sold to Concord in 2022.
Although the music scene of Atlanta is rich and varied, the city's production of hip-hop music has been especially noteworthy, acclaimed, and commercially successful. In 2009, The New York Times called Atlanta "hip-hop's center of gravity", and the city is home to many famous hip hop, R&B, and neo soul musicians.
YoungBloodZ is an American Southern hip hop duo from Atlanta, Georgia composed of J-Bo and Sean Paul formed in 1997. The duo were discovered by Kawan Prather and signed by his company Ghet-O-Vision, an imprint of LaFace Records to release their debut studio album, Against Da Grain (1999). Their second album, Drankin' Patnaz (2003) reached number five on the Billboard 200 and spawned the single "Damn!", which peaked at number four on the Billboard Hot 100. Their third album, Ev'rybody Know Me (2003) was their release by LaFace and Zomba. YoungBloodZ are one of many commercially successful Atlanta-based hip hop acts.
P.A. was a Southern hip hop trio, part of the Atlanta-based Dungeon Family. The group composed of rappers/producers James "Mello" Hollins, Kawan "K.P." Prather and Maurice "Big Reese" Sinclair. In 1993, they released their debut studio album, Ghetto Street Funk. In 1998, they released their second full-length titled Straight No Chase via DreamWorks Records. The single "Like We Do" became a southern anthem while the group's second single, "Reservations" secured a spot on the Blade (soundtrack) earning the group a Gold Record for the soundtrack. My Life, Your Entertainment was the group's third album overall and their second record distributed by DreamWorks as well. The single "Sundown" featuring 8Ball filled the southeastern airwaves while BET played the video in heavy rotation.
I'm Serious is the debut studio album by American rapper T.I., released on October 9, 2001 through Arista Records.
Edward Ferrell is an American record producer, DJ, songwriter, and record executive. With business partner Heavy D, he formed the new jack swing group Heavy D and the Boyz in 1985, for which he served as the de facto producer and DJ. The group signed with the New York City-based record label Uptown Records to release seven studio albums to commercial success. He served as Vice President of A&R for LaFace Records from to 1993 to 1995, as well as for Motown from 1995 to 1997, and Executive Consultant for Def Jam Recordings from 2005 to 2007. In 1989, he founded the record label Untouchables Entertainment, through which he discovered and signed R&B singer Donell Jones.
Shakir Stewart, a native of Oakland, California, was a US record executive in a number of companies, the latest being Def Jam. At the time of his death he was the Senior Vice President of Island Def Jam Music Group and the Executive Vice President of Def Jam.
Shanti Das is an American music industry executive, marketing consultant, entrepreneur, philanthropist and author. She was most recently Executive Vice President of Urban Marketing and Artist Development at Universal Motown Records, where she managed the marketing campaigns for artists such as Akon, Erykah Badu, and Ashanti.
Outkast was an American hip hop duo formed in Atlanta, Georgia, in 1992, consisting of the rappers Big Boi and André 3000. The duo achieved both critical and commercial success from the mid-1990s to the early 2000s, helping to popularize Southern hip hop with their intricate lyricism, memorable melodies, and positive themes, while experimenting with a diverse range of genres such as funk, psychedelia, jazz, and techno. The duo are widely regarded as one of the most influential artists in hip hop.
Arena Rap is the first extended play by American rapper Yelawolf. It was released on December 28, 2008 under record label Ghet-O-Vision Entertainment and management group Redd Klay Entertainment.
Peter Edge is an English-American record executive. He is the chairman and CEO of RCA Records.
Atlanta has a thriving music industry and is considered to be a capital of hip-hop including crunk, of R&B and its offshoot neo-soul, and of gospel music - in addition to a thriving indie-rock and live music scene. Classical, country and blues have historically been well represented. From the 1920s through 1950s the city was a major center for country music.
LaFace Records was an American record label based in Atlanta, Georgia, that operated as a unit of Sony Music Entertainment from 2008 to 2011 and was historically a part of Bertelsmann Music Group from 1989 to 2004. It was most active and achieved its greatest commercial success during the 1990s, dealing largely in the field of urban music. It was originally distributed by its co-creator Arista Records from 1989 through 2001, after which it was shuttered and absorbed into Arista. In 2004, the label was rebooted, and it began operating through Jive Records until both were absorbed into RCA Records in 2011. Today, the label's back catalog and reissues are managed by Legacy Recordings.
