| Aftermath Entertainment | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Parent company | Universal Music Group |
| Founded | March 22, 1996; 29 years ago (1996-03-22) |
| Founder | Dr. Dre |
| Status | Active |
| Distributors |
|
| Genre | |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Location | Santa Monica,California, U.S. |
Aftermath Entertainment is an Americanrecord label founded by rapper and record producerDr. Dre in 1996. It operates as asubsidiary ofUniversal Music Group, and is distributed throughInterscope Records.
The label's roster includes artists such asEminem,Marsha Ambrosius,Anderson .Paak, andEz Mil, while former artists include50 Cent andKendrick Lamar,Busta Rhymes among others.
Upon his departure fromDeath Row Records on March 22, 1996, Dr. Dre quickly launched Aftermath Entertainment through Death Row's former parent label, Interscope Records. It was founded as a "boutique label" that prides itself on "quality over quantity", focusing on small numbers of high-profile releases.[1]
Dr. Dre Presents: The Aftermath was the label's first release. The compilation, featuring artists who were amongst the label's first signees, was released on November 26, 1996. The album entered the charts at #6 and went platinum.
A few months prior to the album's release Dr. Dre had grabbed the cover of the Source Magazine. The title of the issue was "Dr. Dre Leaves Death Row" and in the article he alludes to a couple of tracks that Dre was cooking up for the album—"East Coast/West Coast Killaz" and RBX "Blunt Time". The first single/video for the album was the aforementioned "East Coast/West Coast Killaz" which was one of the more timely tracks in hip-hop history, as it was released amidst the height of the East/West rap wars and nearly to the date of 2pac's murder. The track featured A-list artists from both coasts—B-Real, RBX, Nas, KRS1—under the name Group Therapy—and the music video even featured a cameo from Southern rap star Scarface, as people in a smoke-filled room talked about a secret plan to shut down hip-hop. The track appealed to artists to "Kill that Noise" and end the East/West beef before it was too late. Though critically acclaimed, the track failed to make a major impression in mainstream radio play and influence. The same holds true for Dr. Dre's second single for the album in which Dre performs every verse for the track as a solo artist. The song "Been There, Done That" received some moderate video play on MTV and BET, but featured a more subdued and laid back version of Dre, that failed to make a huge impact commercially. These singles were released well ahead of the album—along with a feature segment on Dre and his Aftermath Presents Compilation that ran repeatedly on MTV. The hype did earn Dre a top 10 album upon its release, another platinum plaque, yet somehow was still considered to be a flop according to Dre's exorbitantly high expectations. It remains somewhat of a cult classic to this day. Most the artists on the album wouldn't be around when the label would take off a couple years later on the back of Eminem, but Mel-Man appears as a solo rapper/producer for the cut "Shttin On The World" and would remain a key producer for the label on upcoming hit projects.
A year later, on October 21, 1997, Aftermath released the only collaborative project by hip hopsupergroupThe Firm, composed ofNas,Foxy Brown,AZ andNature. Despite the highly anticipated album featuring production and cameo appearances by Dr. Dre himself, debuting atop theBillboard 200 and being certified platinum,[2] it sold below commercial expectation. The group was subsequently dropped from Aftermath and later disbanded.
Upon recommendation from Interscope co-founder and Dre's close friend,Jimmy Iovine, he signedEminem to Aftermath on March 9, 1998.[3] On February 23, 1999, Eminem's major-label debut album,The Slim Shady LP was released. The album debuted at number two on theBillboard 200 and number one on theTop R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, went on to be certified quadruple platinum, and arguably became the label's first successful album release. Also in 1999, on November 16, after a seven-year hiatus from releasing an album, Aftermath released2001, Dr. Dre's follow-up to his 1992 album,The Chronic. The album went on to be certified sextuple platinum.
Several more artists were signed to, and later dropped from Aftermath, including Hittman,Rakim,King T,Dawn Robinson andEve, due to production, creative or business conflicts. Following the June 25, 2002 release of her debut album under Aftermath,Truthfully Speaking, singerTruth Hurts, Dr. Dre and producerDJ Quik faced a multi-million dollar lawsuit fromLata Mangeshkar over the unauthorized usage of one of her songs as a sample for her hit single, "Addictive".[4] This caused sales from her debut album to dwindle and Truth Hurts to subsequently cut ties with the label soon after.[5][6]
In 2002,New York City rapper50 Cent was signed to Aftermath by Dr. Dre through a joint venture with Eminem'sShady Records.[7] His major-label debut album,Get Rich or Die Tryin', was released on February 6, 2003, through the three labels. It mainly featured production from Dr. Dre and Eminem, who also executive produced the album. Highly anticipated and anchored by the success of the singles "21 Questions", "If I Can't" and the number one hit, "In da Club", the album debuted at number one on theBillboard 200. Selling 872,000 copies in its first week, the album went on to be certified 9× Platinum by theRecording Industry Association of America in 2020 with "In da Club" going diamond in 2023.[8]
Compton rapperThe Game signed with the label in mid-2003 through a joint venture with 50 Cent'sG-Unit Records, after a negotiation between Dre and Iovine.[9][better source needed] On January 18, 2005, Aftermath and G-Unit released his debut album,The Documentary, to commercial and critical acclaim. It stood upon theBillboard 200's number one position for a total of two weeks and went on to sell two million copies in the United States.[10] Shortly after the release ofThe Documentary, tensions between the Game and 50 Cent ignited, with the latter dropping the former from his G-Unit imprint during an interview on a radio show, which provoked a shooting causing Game's friend to sustain a non-fatal bullet wound in his leg.[11] After a truce,[12] Game and 50 continued to clash through interviews and diss tracks, with the former catapulting the catchphrase, "G-Unot", a parody and boycott ofG-Unit.[13] This action resulted in Dr. Dre forcing the Game off of Aftermath in 2006.[14] Game was transferred from Interscope to its subsidiary,Geffen Records, which is also a part of Universal Music'sInterscope Geffen A&M Records, to help terminate his contractual obligations with Aftermath and G-Unit.[15][16]
Busta Rhymes was signed and released one album on June 13, 2006,The Big Bang, which would later debut at number one, becoming his first and only album in his career to make the number one slot on theBillboard 200.[17] In 2008, after internal conflict with Jimmy Iovine over the delaying of his planned eighth studio album,Blessed, Busta Rhymes was released from Interscope, causing him to lose his deal with Aftermath.[18] The album would later be reworked intoBack on My B.S. which would later be released in the spring of 2009, under Interscope's now-defunct sister label,Universal Motown, in conjunction with his own label, Flipmode Entertainment (nowConglomerate).[19]
Stat Quo, a rapper fromAtlanta, was released from Aftermath and Eminem'sShady Records in 2008 after being a part of the joint deal for five years, citing differences in direction over whether or not to release his debut album,Statlanta.[20][21][22] The album was later reworked and released independently in the summer of 2010.
Philadelphia rapper Eve, who had returned to the label in 2004, following her previous label,Ruff Ryders Entertainment, ending their distribution deal with Interscope, also ended her relationship with Aftermath for the second time, leaving the label in December 2007.[23] The first time Eve joined Aftermath and was later dropped in 1998 in exchange for the label signing would-be labelmate, Eminem, she claimed to be "devastated".[24] The second time is over Interscope and Geffen's constant delaying of her fourth studio album,Here I Am, which was set to be released under Aftermath,Swizz Beatz'sFull Surface Records and Interscope's Geffen. Following a falling out with Interscope co-founder Jimmy Iovine, Eve parted ways with Interscope Geffen A&M in December 2009[25] and went on a four-year hiatus from music, before returning with her reworked fourth album, now titledLip Lock, released independently in 2013.[26]
In January 2010, it was revealed thatBishop Lamont had left the label, due to the repeated delaying of his debut,The Reformation,[27] while singerMarsha Ambrosius had also left the label the same year to sign with the now-defunctJ Records.[28]
In March 2012, it was announced that Kendrick Lamar had signed with the label jointly throughTop Dawg Entertainment.[29] That October, his album,Good Kid, M.A.A.D City, was released. It received commercial and critical acclaim, becoming one of the best hip hop albums of that year and the 2010s overall.[30]
In October 2013,Jon Connor announced his signing to Aftermath during the2013 BET Hip Hop Awards.[31][32] However, in May 2019, he parted ways with the label after the constant delaying of his planned debut album,Vehicle City, ending his four-year relationship with Dre.[33][34] On February 20, 2014, 50 Cent announced his departure from Interscope Records, which included his joint deal with Aftermath and Shady.[35][36][37] He later signed to his own imprint, G-Unit Records, in a new distribution deal with Interscope's sister label,Capitol Records' former independent faction,Caroline Records (nowVirgin Music).[38]
On March 15, 2015, Kendrick Lamar's third studio album,To Pimp a Butterfly, was released a week earlier than expected, due to a marketing error on behalf of Interscope.[39][40] Despite this, the album received widespread acclaim and debuted at number one on theBillboard 200, becoming Lamar's first in his career to do so.[41] On August 7, after fifteen years and nine months of not releasing an official album, Dr. Dre released his latest album,Compton, in promotion for the year's biopic,Straight Outta Compton, which chronicled the rise and fall of Dre's previous group,N.W.A.[42] The album debuted at number two on theBillboard 200.[43] Through the album,Anderson .Paak, one of its core features, was in talks to sign with Aftermath. The deal did not complete until January 2016.[44] However, Anderson was not signed to Interscope through the imprint, instead signing a management deal withDoug Morris' 12Tone Music.[45] Through these labels, he released two albums,Oxnard (2018) andVentura (2019).[46]
In May 2022, Kendrick Lamar announced his final album under Top Dawg, a double album titledMr. Morale & the Big Steppers.[47] It was released under TDE and Aftermath without further input from Dr. Dre nor Top Dawg affiliates. It is unclear whether if this album is also Lamar's final album under Aftermath as he recently shifted his focus on his own production label,PGLang.[48]
In 2023, it was announced and later confirmed that after 50 Cent and Stat Quo, Filipino rapperEz Mil has officially signed to Aftermath and Shady.[49][50][51]
In December 2021, Dr. Dre confirmed that he had finished recordingCasablanco, an album withMarsha Ambrosius, with both artists describing the finished product as some of their “best work”.[52] The album was released in June 2024 to critical acclaim.[53]
In 2024,Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre's lifetime collaborator since 1992, signed with the label to record his upcoming twentieth studio albumMissionary, entirely produced by Dr. Dre. The album was released on December 13, 2024, via Dr. Dre's then-defunct founded and Snoop Dogg-revived record labelDeath Row Records. The album is aspiritual sequel to his debut studio albumDoggystyle (1993), while he was then known as Snoop Doggy Dogg.
| Act | Years | Releases |
|---|---|---|
| Dr. Dre | Founder | 2 |
| Eminem | 1998–present | 13 |
| Marsha Ambrosius[54] | 2006–2009 2023–present | 1 |
| Anderson .Paak[55] | 2016–present | 2 |
| Ez Mil | 2023–present | 1 |
| Act | Years on the label | Releases under the label |
|---|---|---|
| RBX | 1996–1999 | – |
| King T | 1996–2001 | –[A] |
| The Firm | 1997–1998 | 1 |
| Dawn Robinson | 1997–1998 | – |
| Eve | 1998–1999, 2004–2007 | – |
| Hittman | 1998–2001 | – |
| Rakim[57] | 2000–2003 | – |
| The Last Emperor | 2000–2003 | – |
| Shaunta | 2000–2003 | – |
| Truth Hurts | 2001–2003 | 1 |
| Joe Beast | 2001–2003 | – |
| Brooklyn | 2001–2003 | – |
| 50 Cent | 2002–2014 | 5 |
| Ice Cube[58] | 2002–2004 | – |
| The Game | 2002–2005 | 1 |
| Stat Quo | 2003–2008 | – |
| Busta Rhymes | 2004–2008 | 1 |
| Suga Suga | 2005–2009 | – |
| Dion[59] | 2005–2007 | – |
| G.A.G.E.[60] | 2005–2007 | – |
| Bishop Lamont | 2005–2010 | – |
| Joell Ortiz | 2006–2008 | – |
| YV | 2006–2012 | – |
| Bohagon | 2008–2012 | – |
| Hayes[61] | 2009–2010 | – |
| Slim the Mobster | 2009–2012 | – |
| Kendrick Lamar | 2012–2022 | 5 |
| Jon Connor | 2013–2019 | – |
| Justus | 2015–2016 | – |
| Silk Sonic | 2021–2022 | 1 |
| Snoop Dogg | 2023–2024 | 1 |
| Producer | Years on the label |
|---|---|
| Chris "The Glove" Taylor | 1996–1999 |
| Bud'da | 1996–2001 |
| Mel-Man | 1996–2004 |
| Flossy P | 1996–1999 |
| Stu-B-Doo | 1996–1999 |
| Artist | Album | Details |
|---|---|---|
| The Firm | The Album | |
| Eminem | The Slim Shady LP | |
| Dr. Dre | 2001 | |
| Eminem | The Marshall Mathers LP | |
| The Eminem Show (released withShady) | ||
| Truth Hurts | Truthfully Speaking |
|
| 50 Cent | Get Rich or Die Tryin' (released with Shady andG-Unit) | |
| Eminem | Encore (released with Shady) | |
| The Game | The Documentary (released with G-Unit) | |
| 50 Cent | The Massacre (released with Shady and G-Unit) | |
| Busta Rhymes | The Big Bang (released withFlipmode) | |
| 50 Cent | Curtis (released with Shady and G-Unit) | |
| Eminem | Relapse (released with Shady) |
|
| 50 Cent | Before I Self Destruct (released with Shady and G-Unit) |
|
| Eminem | Recovery (released with Shady) |
|
| Kendrick Lamar | Good Kid, M.A.A.D City (released withTop Dawg) |
|
| Eminem | The Marshall Mathers LP 2 (released with Shady) |
|
| Kendrick Lamar | To Pimp a Butterfly (released with Top Dawg) |
|
| Dr. Dre | Compton |
|
| Kendrick Lamar | Damn (released with Top Dawg) |
|
| Eminem | Revival (released with Shady) |
|
| Kamikaze (released with Shady) |
| |
| Anderson .Paak | Oxnard (released with 12Tone Music) |
|
| Ventura (released with 12Tone Music) |
| |
| Eminem | Music to Be Murdered By (released with Shady) |
|
| Silk Sonic | An Evening with Silk Sonic (released withAtlantic) |
|
| Kendrick Lamar | Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers (released with Top Dawg andPGLang) |
|
| Ez Mil | DU4LI7Y: REDUX (released with Shady) |
|
| Marsha Ambrosius | Casablanco |
|
| Eminem | The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grâce) (released with Shady) |
|
| Snoop Dogg | Missionary (released withDeath Row) |
|
| Artist | Album | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Various Artists | Dr. Dre Presents: The Aftermath |
|
| The Wash | ||
| Eminem | Curtain Call: The Hits (released withShady) | |
| Kendrick Lamar | Untitled Unmastered (released withTop Dawg) |
|
| 50 Cent | Best of 50 Cent (released with Shady) |
|
| Various Artists | Black Panther (released with Top Dawg)[97] |
|
| Eminem | Curtain Call 2 (released with Shady) |
|
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
