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| Profile Records | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Parent company | None - independent (1981–1998) Arista Records (1998–2004) Sony BMG Music Entertainment (2004–2008) Sony Music Entertainment (2008–present) |
| Founded | 1981 |
| Founder |
|
| Defunct | 1999 |
| Status | Defunct, back-catalog reissues only by Sony |
| Distributor | Legacy Recordings |
| Genre | Hip-hop |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Official website | profile-records.com |
Profile Records was one of the earliesthip-hoplabels. As well as hip-hop they releaseddisco,dance, andelectro records.
In 1980,Cory Robbins, who was 23 at the time and had worked briefly forMCA, wanted to start a record label. He invited his songwriter friend Steve Plotnicki to be a partner. They each borrowed $17,000 from their parents, purchased the little used Panorama Records subsidiary from MCA, and Profile Records was born.[citation needed] Their tiny office opened at 250 West 57th street in NYC on May 1, 1981.
With the success of “Genius Rap” byDr. Jeckyll & Mr. Hyde, they escaped financial ruin by a mere $2,000.[1] From there it wasGidea Park's “Seasons of Gold” that brought more commercial and financial success, becoming Profile Records’ first hit to make the Billboard Hot 100. In 1982 the fledgling label gained international recognition with the club hit "I Specialize in Love", recorded bySharon Brown,[2] licensed toVirgin Records in the UK. The label continued its commercial success, with gold and platinum sales with artists such asDana Dane,Twin Hype,Run DMC,Poor Righteous Teachers,Nemesis, andPaul Hardcastle among others.
In 1985, the label moved to a headquarters at 740 Broadway in New York. The label had numerous sub-labels such as Smile Communications (which later became independent and continued to be controlled by Plotnicki after Profile was acquired), Sea Bright Records, and Robert Hill's Zakia Records, the label that launched the career of King Sun and hip hop legendsEric B. & Rakim.
Profile's biggest act wasRun-D.M.C., which was introduced to Robbins when managerRussell Simmons sent him a demo cassette of "It's Like That".[citation needed] Robbins signed the group soon after.
The partners' less than amicable split severed not only all business ties but all personal ones too. Robbins, in 2008, said he had no regrets “except for an occasional loss, it was a good experience, a positive experience but I would not change a thing.”[3]
Profile was acquired byArista Records in 1998, and its catalogue and artists were transferred to Arista.[4]Sony Music Entertainment (owner of Arista since 2004) now manages much of Profile's back catalog and master recordings. Most recordings are currently out of print except for the albums ofDJ Quik,Rob Base and DJ E-Z Rock andRun-D.M.C.
Arista's purchase of theProfile Records name, catalog, master recordings, and current artists contracts...
