| Interscope Geffen A&M | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Parent company | Universal Music Group (UMG) |
| Founded | January 1999; 27 years ago (1999-01) |
| Distributors |
|
| Country of origin | United States |
| Location | Santa Monica, California |
| Official website | Official Interscope website |
Interscope Geffen A&M Records (IGA) is an American umbrella label operating as a unit of Interscope Capitol Labels Group, owned byUniversal Music Group.[1] It currently consists of record labelsInterscope Records (with its subsidiary,A&M Records) andGeffen Records. It is one of the two umbrella labels that is a part of the Interscope Capitol Label Group, the other beingCapitol Music Group.
On December 10, 1998, Canadian distillery and conglomerateSeagram completed its seven-month $10.6 billion plan to acquirePolyGram.[2][3] Shortly after, Seagram merged PolyGram withUniversal Pictures; its music division was merged with recording labels under the music faction ofMCA Inc. The expensive merger created what is today, the biggest major music company,Universal Music Group.[4] On time for New Year's Day 1999, Universal Music combined the operations of MCA sister labelsInterscope Records andGeffen Records with PolyGram subsidiaryA&M Records. The combined labels were altogether consolidated into an umbrella unit known publicly as Interscope Geffen A&M Records. The label unit operated as one of the newly formed Universal Music Group's four umbrella companies; the other three being theUniversal Motown Republic Group,Verve Records andThe Island Def Jam Music Group.[5] The reorganization, expected to produce $300 million in savings annually, was described by theLos Angeles Times as underscoring the "changing economics and direction of the music business."[6][7] Interscope co-foundersJimmy Iovine andTed Field were named co-chairmen of IGA at its launch.[8][9]
As a result of the merger, on January 22, three weeks after the PolyGram-UMG merger, both A&M Records and Geffen divisionDGC Records went dormant with a certainty of artists drafted to either Geffen or Interscope,[6] while a significant percentage of artists and/or bands were dropped from A&M and Geffen. With Geffen now existing as the only active label under the IGA shade, over 280 jobs were eliminated (including 110 from Geffen)[6] and A&M's formerCharlie Chaplin studio/Jim Henson company lot offices were closed.[10][11][12] Enraged, A&M co-foundersHerb Alpert andJerry Moss filed suit against Universal and parent company Seagram in June forbreach of contract, citing a breach of the company's integrity clause following the merger of A&M into IGA and later dormancy. The lawsuit sought over $20 million in damages.[13] The case was settled out of court in March 2003, in exchange for UMG considering A&M as an active one-off label of Interscope Records while its operations in the United Kingdom would be handled byPolydor Records, with sister labelIsland Records' UK division taking over Geffen's duties. Alpert and Moss received $200 million fromVivendi,[14] a French mass media conglomerate which Seagram merged with in 2000 in exchange for acquiring Universal Pictures and its music division.[15][16]
As independent labels, A&M and Geffen were revered, having had achieved substantial commercial and artistic success. Both had been sold by their founders, however, and suffered from budget restraints and unproductive band signings over the previous years. At the time of the merger, neither labels had hit singles upon the top forties ofBillboardcharts while Interscope, in turn, had "defined the new sound of young America" with hit records from artists includingDr. Dre,Snoop Dogg,Tupac Shakur,Nine Inch Nails,No Doubt,Limp Bizkit, andBush, among others.[citation needed] In 2000, thanks to growing integrity of IGA, Universal Music Group became the first music corporation to break the $1 billion mark inearnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization. The company held the top position in music sales with 28.03% market share, with Interscope being the top-selling Universal label, outperforming sister labelDef Jam Recordings, with an 8.97% market share.[17] By 2001, Interscope Geffen A&M began to recover commercially, despite the February departure of Ted Field.[18][19] Over eighteen top fortyBillboard hits occurred between the spring and summer of the year. Two of which,Eve's "Let Me Blow Ya Mind" became a top threeBillboard Hot 100 hit, helping to garner her the first everGrammy Award for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration a year later;[20] No Doubt's "Hey Baby" cracked the top five of the chart by October and earned the band theirGrammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals in2003.[21] Eve is also known to be one of the five female hip hop rappers to have a number one album on theBillboard 200 with 1999'sLet There Be Eve...Ruff Ryders' First Lady, also making her Interscope Geffen A&M's first, and thus far, only female rapper to have a number oneBillboard 200 album in the label's catalogue, following the unit's inauguration that year.[22][23] Meanwhile, No Doubt were recovering from the mediocre performance of their 2000 predecessor,Return of Saturn, with their fourth follow-up,Rock Steady, released on December 11, 2001, performing better, peaking within the top ten of theBillboard 200.[24]
IGA's biggest success story would be immortalized when in 2002, rapper50 Cent, who had beenblacklisted and shot nine times in 2000,[25] would sign to Interscope subsidiariesShady Records andAftermath Entertainment, respectively founded by labelmatesEminem and Dr. Dre.[26][27][28] On February 9, 2003, he released his debut studio album,Get Rich or Die Tryin', having sold over thirteen million copies internationally with nine million being sold in the U.S.[29] The success of the album garnered 50 Cent his own label,G-Unit Records, in a distribution deal with Interscope Geffen A&M Records, rather than a division deal.[citation needed]
Throughout 2003, many sister labels were either acquired by UMG and later merged or folded into IGA. The first wasMCA Records, which had been occupant since its 1934 foundation under theDecca Records banner. MCA's final album release was rapperCommon's fifth studio album,Electric Circus, which was released in December 2002; the album's lukewarm commercial performance was the main factor and reason of MCA's demise and later absorption into Geffen Records, with not only Common being drafted to the label, but various artists at the time includingBlink-182,Mary J. Blige,The Roots andShaggy altogether being transferred into the imprint.[30] Following president Jay Boberg's resignation, the merger between MCA and IGA completed in July 2003.[31] Over seventy-five staffers were laid off following MCA's folding into Geffen.[32] A month later, in August, DGC artistsBeck andSonic Youth would fully be drafted to the Geffen roster, following their completed imprint fulfillment, despite DGC having been inactive since 1999 following the IGA merger by Universal Music. Coincidentally, Universal Music acquiredDreamWorks Records in October 2003, having permanently merged the label into Geffen. Artists includingPapa Roach,Rise Against,Nelly Furtado,Lifehouse,AFI,the All-American Rejects,Jimmy Eat World andRufus Wainwright were moved to the Geffen and/or Interscope imprints.[33][34][35][36] Fatal results involving divisions or subsidiaries under DGC, MCA and DreamWorks resulted in transfers to mostly Geffen other than Interscope includingRawkus Records,Flawless Records and various others. Because of the DreamWorks Records merger into Geffen, DreamWorks Records Nashville was made into a spun-off subsidiary ofUniversal Music Group Nashville, as was MCA Nashville; DreamWorks Nashville was dissolved in 2005.[37]
In 2004,Star Trak Entertainment, a label run by production duoThe Neptunes (Pharrell Williams andChad Hugo), ended their partnership withArista Records, shortly after the firing of its president, music executiveL.A. Reid,[38][39] which preceded the label's merger withRCA Records in reference to UMG's rival music company; RCA and Arista's parentBertelsmann Music Group's merger withSony Music that year.[40] Because of this, Star Trak were searching for a new distribution deal until Iovine convinced Williams and Hugo to sign with Interscope, thus putting Star Trak under the IGA banner.[citation needed] The final result wasFam-Lay, Snoop Dogg andSlim Thug being a part of the Interscope or Geffen rosters through the Star Trak imprint. It quickly scored a number one hit through the Geffen banner by Snoop Dogg, "Drop It Like It's Hot".[41]
Throughout 2005, the unit began to achieve alternative success from its A&M division with artistsBlack Eyed Peas,The Pussycat Dolls andKeyshia Cole.[42][citation needed] The former's album,Monkey Business, managed to sell three million copies, thanks in part to the success of "Pump It". Meanwhile, the latter's single, "(I Just Want It) To Be Over", managed to make the end of the top thirty of theBillboard R&B song chart. PCD's single, "Don't Cha", which was a leftover recorded byTori Alamaze, also became a top three hit under IGA.[43] However, the early stages of 2005 proved to be difficult for Interscope Geffen A&M as a violent feud between its breakout rappers 50 Cent andThe Game reached a heavy peak following a radio station shooting.[44] At the time, Game already released his debut album under G-Unit, Aftermath and Interscope,The Documentary, on January 18[45] with 50 Cent on schedule to releaseThe Massacre that March.[46] Although a truce between the two was settled,[47] Game continuously went against IGA chairman Iovine's wishes, deciding to attack 50 and the entirety ofG-Unit, using the catchphrase, "G-Unot".[48] The feud between 50 Cent and the Game caused the latter to cut ties with G-Unit and Dr. Dre's Aftermath imprint, while later being transferred from Interscope to Geffen to remain under the Interscope Geffen A&M umbrella, being able to help Game avoid contractual obligations with G-Unit.[49][50]
In 2006, producerTimbaland joined Interscope Geffen A&M in a label division deal through his imprint,Mosley Music Group, while helping the unit resign Nelly Furtado under his wing. The resulting collaboration was the single, "Promiscuous", which made its way to the radio market in April.[51] Later that year, Geffen president Jordan Schur departed to form his own music label.[52] In 2007, a reorganization commenced at IGA. DGC Records was revived as a direct subsidiary of the unit while A&M Records was revitalized asA&M Octone Records. With DGC, Beck,Weezer andSonic Youth were brought back into the fold, while many of A&M's artists were moved to either Geffen or Interscope including the Black Eyed Peas.[citation needed] Those who stood under A&M or Octone, which had been sold off by Sony Music (formerlySony BMG), were now under the guidance of A&M Octone through IGA; one of which wasMaroon 5. A&M Octone was seen as a joint venture between the co-owners of Octone and IGA.[53]
IGA struck more success with pop singerLady Gaga through her single, "Poker Face", which released in 2008.[54][55]
In 2010, IGA and19 Entertainment announced a strategic alliance to develop, distribute and globally market records byAmerican Idol finalists and winning contestants.[56] A year later, in May 2011, Ron Fair was one of the few executives related to Universal Music to part ways through its labels, having been a part of the IGA team as vice president of A&M Records from 2002 to 2007, before being chairman of Geffen until that time being.[57] In October, Geffen was reorganized following Fair's departure, with music manager and formerAtlantic Records A&R Gerald "Gee" Roberson being the label's chairman, having to report to IGA chairman Jimmy Iovine and relocating Geffen's operations from its UMG offices inSanta Monica, California to New York City.[58][59] IGA scored more hits in 2012 withImagine Dragons' "Radioactive",Carly Rae Jepsen's "Call Me Maybe" andChief Keef's "I Don't Like".[60][61][62] In 2013, following the release of the Game's fifth album,Jesus Piece, in December 2012, DGC Records went inactive with some of its remaining artists deferring back to either Interscope or Geffen. IGA fully acquired Octone Records.[63] As a result, A&M Octone Records was absorbed into Interscope Records, with the entirety of its roster being deferred, finally ending the A&M label name completely while following suit with DGC.[citation needed]
Jimmy Iovine served as chairman and CEO of IGA until May 2014.[64][65][66] He was succeeded byFueled by Ramen co-founderJohn Janick, who had been a part of IGA as president and COO since 2012.[67][68] This was during this period that a company reorganization concerning parent Universal Music Group was happening, of which not only Iovine departed from IGA, but its sister unit, the Island Def Jam Music Group was dismantled with Island, Def Jam and affiliated labels being autonomously solidified on their own.[69]
Despite Janick's promotion to CEO of IGA, many artists felt discomforted including Keyshia Cole, 50 Cent, Beck,Chief Keef and Nelly Furtado. 50 Cent left Interscope Geffen A&M, taking his G-Unit imprint with him to sign with UMG sister labelCapitol Records through its independentCaroline Records faction (nowVirgin Music).[70][71] Beck also followed suit, signing with Capitol as well.[72] Cole's album,Point of No Return, performed underwhelmingly, causing her to get dropped from Interscope.[73] Chief Keef was also released from his deal with Interscope after discontempt with Janick and refusal to release new music under his demand.[74] Furtado, following a heated dispute with Janick, was released from Geffen Records, ending her tenure with Timbaland's Mosley Music imprint.[75]
Later in 2014, IGA began to sign new talent. The three artists signed to the Interscope faction wereDreezy,Tory Lanez andSelena Gomez.[76][77][78]
Interscope Geffen A&M began to see more dominance withLana Del Rey, whose sophomore studio album,Ultraviolence, managed to debut at number one on theBillboard 200 upon release that July.[79] Then, in 2015,Kendrick Lamar, who had previously releasedGood Kid, M.A.A.D City, on October 23, 2012, helped the unit score another number one album withTo Pimp a Butterfly.[80][81] That year, Tory Lanez topped theBillboard R&B song chart with "Say It", bringing the unit anRIAA-certified platinum plaque.[82] In March 2016, after nine years on a hiatus, No Doubt lead singerGwen Stefani returned with the release ofThis Is What the Truth Feels Like. It managed to top theBillboard 200, despite 84,000 album-equivalent units sold in its first week, making it the lowest-equivalized number one album of that year under the unit.[83] By the end of 2016, over five albums and eleven singles under IGA made its way to theBillboard Year-End charts.
With 2017 approaching, Kendrick Lamar scored his first number-one Hot 100 hit and IGA's first number one single that year with "Humble".[84] That spring, IGA relaunched Geffen Records withNeil Jacobson as its president.[85] Three albums under the unit managed to make the number one position on theBillboard 200 throughout the year: Kendrick Lamar'sDamn, Lana Del Rey'sLust for Life andU2'sSongs of Experience.[86][87][88] Ultimately, Lamar'sDamn became the number oneBillboard 200-year end album of 2017.[89] IGA's number one album streak continued in 2018 with Eminem'sRevival andKamikaze, thesoundtrack to the filmBlack Panther, J. Cole'sKOD, and thesoundtrack to the2018 remake of the 1937 filmA Star Is Born. However, the only number one Hot 100 single under IGA wasMaroon 5's "Girls Like You". It helped parent company Universal Music Group see a 12.6% increase in a $7.1 billion with 31% streaming spikes.[90] Kendrick Lamar helped the prominence of the unit that year with six award wins at the2018 Billboard Music Awards.[91]
Between 2018 and 2019, A&RAaron Bay-Schuck (who had been a part of the staff since 2014 following Janick's promotion to CEO) left IGA to joinWarner Records. Geffen president Neil Jacobson also left to launch his own label, Crescent Drive.[92][93][94]
In 2019, Interscope Geffen A&M sustained another successful milestone withBillie Eilish becoming the firstGeneration Z and 21st century-born musical artist to have a number one debut album and single in the same period withWhen We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? and "Bad Guy".[95][96]
In 2020, IGA and UMG saw a 4.5% decrease in music and concert sales, due to theCOVID-19 pandemic.[97][98] UMG CEO Lucian Grainge contracted the disease and had to be quarantined.[99] Then, in the midst of theBlack Lives Matter protest of the police-relatedkilling of Breonna Taylor,[100] Interscope artistDaBaby helped to save the unit from financial straits with the "BLM" remix of "Rockstar", making the single reach number one on theBillboard Hot 100.[101] Another number one Hot 100 single would be from Interscope labelmate Lady Gaga; her song, "Rain on Me", debuted atop the chart in June.[102] Her album,Chromatica, also debuted at number one on theBillboard 200.[103] This helped IGA and UMG see a 3.5% increase in music sales by streams during the first half of 2020.[104] Interscope Geffen A&M became the number-one music unit of the year, according toBillboard's year end report with over 68 of its albums charted on theBillboard 200 throughout the year.[105] Joie Manda vacated his position as executive vice president of IGA in December, launching his own label, Encore Recordings, a year later.[106]
By the beginning of the 2020s decade in 2021, IGA recovered again, when Geffen artistOlivia Rodrigo scored the unit's first 2021 Hot 100 number one single with "Drivers License", making her another female Generation Z recording artist to have a number one single alongside Billie Eilish.[107][108] In May, her debut album,Sour, produced over 295,000 album-equivalent units.[109] It consumed 385 million streams onSpotify, outperforming the first-week streams of fellow UMG artists (labelmates of IGA sister labelRepublic Records)Ariana Grande andPop Smoke's albums.[110] This also helped the revived Geffen Records score their first number one album in their catalogue in over fourteen years and made Rodrigo the first female Geffen artist to have a number one album under the label since Mary J. Blige.[citation needed] Billie Eilish eventually scored another number one album under IGA withHappier Than Ever, which released in August,[111] but was commercially overshadowed[how?] three months later by her Interscope labelmateSummer Walker, whose album,Still Over It, produced 166,000 equivalent units in its first week, despite also debuting on theBillboard 200's number one.[112] With this amount of success alongside sister label Republic Records, Universal Music reported over 14.4% in revenue increasings by New Year's Eve 2021.[113] Unfortunately, for IGA, another label division merge occurred; after eight years of inactivity, DGC Records was permanently merged into Geffen Records in September, finally ending the label's operations.[114][115] Because of this, the remains of DGC's artist roster was drafted to Geffen, while some stood under Interscope.[115] Also, Alamo Records, which had been under a distribution deal with IGA since its foundation in 2016, including its artistsBlackbear,Wifisfuneral,Lil Durk andRod Wave, parted ways to sign a new distribution deal withThe Orchard, an independent distributor of UMG rival Sony Music, which in June, later acquired a majority stake in Alamo.[116][117]
In 2022, IGA sustained three number one albums,Mainstream Sellout byMachine Gun Kelly,Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers by Kendrick Lamar andBorn Pink byBlackpink.[118][119][120] However, several staff member departures increased, including A&R Caroline Diaz, who had been a part of Interscope/Geffen team since 2019; she formed her own label, Great Day Records.[121]
As 2023 commenced, singerKali Uchis, who had been a part of Interscope since 2017, was drafted to its subsidiary, Geffen, to release her fourth album,Red Moon in Venus, in March of that year.[122] IGA sustained a number one Hot 100 single with Olivia Rodrigo's "Vampire", as well as her album,Guts, which debuted at number one on theBillboard 200 upon release in September.[123]
UMG announced, in February 2024, plans to reorganize its operating units based on geography, with the Los Angeles-based labels combining to form Interscope Capitol Labels Group and Janick becoming its chairman. IGA andCapitol Music Group would continue to maintain their own separate identities, with former Geffen head Tom March taking over as chair of the latter.[124][1]
In November 2024, IGA revived A&M Records as a new subsidiary of Interscope.
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