| Interscope Records Inc. | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Parent company | Universal Music Group |
| Founded | 1990; 35 years ago (1990)[1] |
| Founder | |
| Status | Active |
| Distributors |
|
| Genre | Various |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Location | Santa Monica, California, U.S. |
| Official website | interscope.com |
Interscope Records is an Americanrecord label based inSanta Monica, California, owned byUniversal Music Group through itsInterscope Geffen A&M imprint. Founded in late 1990 byJimmy Iovine andTed Field as a $20 millionjoint venture withAtlantic Records ofWarner Music Group andInterscope Communications,[2] it differed from most record labels by lettingA&R staff control decisions and allowing artists and producers full creative control.[3] Interscope's first hit records arrived in under a year, and it achieved profitability in 1993.[4] Chair andCEO until May 2014, Iovine was succeeded byJohn Janick.[5]
In 1992, Interscope acquired the exclusive rights to market and distribute releases fromhardcore hip hop labelDeath Row Records, a decision that ultimately put the label at the center of the mid-1990sgangsta rap controversy. As a result,Time Warner, then the parent of Warner Music Group, severed ties with Interscope by selling its 50 percent stake back to Field and Iovine for $115 million in 1995. In 1996, 50% of the label was acquired for a reported $200 million byMCA Inc.,[4][6][7] later known as Universal Music Group.
In 1989, Ted Field began to build Interscope Records as a division of his film company,Interscope Communications. To run it, he hired John McClain, who had played a central role inJanet Jackson's success atA&M Records, and Tom Whalley, who had been the head ofA&R atCapitol Records. Separately, Iovine, who had produced records forU2,Bruce Springsteen,Stevie Nicks, andJohn Lennon, among others, was trying to raise money to start a label. "I thought, 'Music is going to change,'" Iovine said in 1997. "'Young bands aren't going to be asking for me.' But I love working with the new thing. I always liked the part of the business that's the first time you hear something, and I knew I wasn't in that business anymore."[8]
Iovine and Field were introduced byPaul McGuinness, thenU2's manager. After a series of negotiations led byDavid Geffen, they came to an agreement, and in 1990, Interscope Records was founded as a joint venture withAtlantic Records. In a 1997 article inRolling Stone,David Wild wrote: "Interscope's start-up coincided with a period of incredible change in the music world. Nirvana had ushered in the alternative revolution... While the major labels were packed with rosters full of expensive veteran artists who had to redefine themselves for a new rock era, Interscope was in the business of signing new artists and could – as Iovine puts it – 'move on a dime.'"[8][9][10][11]
Based inLos Angeles, California in theWestwood neighborhood at an office building on 10900Wilshire Boulevard, Interscope was run by "music men". It was a departure from the music industry practices of the 1970s and 1980s, when labels traditionally appointed lawyers and promotion executives to senior positions. A founding tenet of the label was that artists would have complete creative control.[4]
Interscope's first release was "Rico Suave" by Ecuadorian rapperGerardo in December 1990; the single reached number seven on theBillboard Hot 100 charts in April 1991.Primus' Interscope debut,Sailing the Seas of Cheese, was released in May, followed byMarky Mark and the Funky Bunch'sMusic for the People in July. It included the number-one single "Good Vibrations". Two days after first hearing his demo, Whalley signedTupac Shakur in August 1991, and by November, Interscope released2Pacalypse Now, Shakur's studio debut.[12]
Interscope began to develop a significant presence in the genre ofalternative rock in 1992. In addition to a second Primus album, the label releasedNo Doubt'sself-titled debut,Helmet'sMeantime,4 Non Blondes'Bigger, Better, Faster, More!, acquired and re-releasedRocket from the Crypt'sCirca: Now!, and, through a joint venture withTVT/Nothing Records, theNine Inch Nails EPBroken. However, Interscope's success with alternative and rock music was eclipsed by controversy which began in September 1992, when Vice PresidentDan Quayle called on Interscope to withdraw2Pacalypse Now, stating that it was responsible for the death of a Texas state trooper, who was shot to death in April by a suspect who allegedly was listening to the album on the tape deck of a stolen truck when he was stopped by the officer. The trooper's family filed a civil suit against Shakur and Interscope, claiming the record's violence-laden lyrics incite "imminent lawless action".[12][13]
Earlier in 1992, Interscope negotiated a $10-million deal withDr. Dre andMarion "Suge" Knight to finance and distribute their label,Death Row Records. It was initiated by McClain, who met Dre when he was recording his solo debut,The Chronic. Original plans had called for the album to be released through Sony, but Sony passed onThe Chronic due to "the crazy things going on around Death Row" and the contractual status of Dr. Dre. After hearing the album, Iovine agreed to put it out, although doing so required a complicated distribution agreement withPriority Records, Dre's label as a member ofN.W.A.The Chronic was released in December 1992.[14][15]
By the end of the following year,The Chronic had sold almost 3 million copies.Snoop Dogg's debutDoggystyle had sold more than 800,000 copies in its first week alone, and Primus and 4 Non-Blondes had released records which hit the US Top 20. In 1993, with an estimated gross of $90 million, Interscope became profitable ahead of projections.[16][17]
Interscope further established its strength in the alternative and rock genres in 1994. A $2.5 million investment to establish a joint venture withTrauma Records yielded three number-one Modern Rock tracks and a platinum-certified album withBush'sSixteen Stone. The Nine Inch Nails albumThe Downward Spiral went to number two on the US charts and was widely acclaimed.Marilyn Manson'sPortrait of an American Family,The Toadies albumRubberneck and Helmet'sBetty were commercially successful and critically embraced.[18][19]
In May 1995, the controversy related to gangsta rap and explicit lyrics intensified asU.S. Senate Majority LeaderBob Dole accused Interscope of releasing music that glorified violence and degraded women. Among others, the label was criticized byWilliam J. Bennett, a former Education Secretary, andC. DeLores Tucker, the chairwoman of the National Political Congress of Black Women. In September, Time Warner announced it would disassociate itself from Interscope by selling its half-interest in the company to Field and Iovine for $115 million.[16][20] Ownership in Interscope was aggressively pursued byEMI,BMG,PolyGram and MCA. On December 1, 1995, theLos Angeles Times noted that with five albums on that week's pop charts and sales of $350 million over the previous three years, "what may have been a smart move politically for Time Warner is now looking like a financial fiasco."[21] In February 1996,MCA Records—then owned bySeagram—bought 50% of Interscope for a reported $200 million. Under the agreement, Interscope retained complete creative control over the label's recordings. MCA was not required to distribute material that it deemed offensive.[22] MCA also acquired Interscope's music publishing arm.[23]
Dre left Death Row in mid-1996 due to what was then reported as tension over the creative direction of the label, and foundedAftermath Entertainment, a new joint venture with Interscope. In November that same year, Aftermath debuted with the albumDr. Dre Presents the Aftermath. The Death Row deal remained in place until 1997, when Knight was imprisoned for parole violations.[24][25][26]
In November 1996, with records by Bush, Snoop Dogg, No Doubt, and Tupac Shakur, Interscope became the first label in 20 years to hold the top 4 positions on theBillboard charts. Six additional Interscope releases were in the Top 100. The label was frequently criticized for overspending on artist acquisitions and joint ventures, however, with revenue for 1996 estimated at $250 million, it operated at a profit.[27]
In 1996, MCA Music Entertainment was renamedUniversal Music Group. In 1998, the Universal Music Group parent company Seagram acquiredPolyGram Records. MCA'sGeffen Records and PolyGram'sA&M Records were merged into Interscope, and in early 1999, Interscope Records began operating under the umbrella ofInterscope Geffen A&M Records, with Iovine and Field serving as co-chairmen.[28]
Iovine's assistant (and former intern) Dean Geistlinger sawEminem perform at the Rap Olympics in Los Angeles in 1997 and passed Eminem's CD on to Iovine; Iovine, in turn, passed it on to Dre. In February 1999, Interscope and Aftermath releasedThe Slim Shady LP.[29] The album entered the charts at number two, and won two Grammy Awards.[30] Later in 1999 Eminem and his manager,Paul Rosenberg, foundedShady Records.[31]
In 1998, Interscope signed a joint-venture deal withRuff Ryders.
On June 22, 1999, Interscope/Flip records releasedLimp Bizkit's second studio albumSignificant Other selling 643,874 copies in the first week. It would go on to sell 16,000,000 copies worldwide.
By the close of the decade, Interscope sales accounted for nearly one-third of Seagram's 27% share of the U.S. music market. Records by Limp Bizkit, Eminem, Dre,Eve,Nine Inch Nails,Enrique Iglesias,Blackstreet,Smash Mouth and others generated an estimated $40 million in profit during the final six months of 1999.[32]
Interscope/Shady released Eminem'sThe Marshall Mathers LP on May 23, 2000. The fastest-selling rap album in history, it sold 1.76 million copies in its first week.[33] On October 19, 2000, Interscope/Flip records released Limp Bizkit's third studio album,Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water and it would shift 1.05 million copies in its first week in the United States, becoming the fastest-selling rock album in history. CementingNu Metal's status in pop culture as a top selling genre during the 2000s. Also Interscope began its relationship with U2 after it acquired the US rights to market and distribute the albumAll That You Can't Leave Behind. Iovine had been trying to sign U2 since 1990.[4]
In 2001, Field resigned as co-chairman of Interscope to start a new label.[34] Described as an amicable parting, Field said he was "anxious to become an entrepreneur again." An agreement with Universal allowed Field to resign a year before his contract was set to expire.[35][36] Conversely, Whalley, Interscope's president since 1998, accepted the position of chairman of Warner Bros. Records in May 2000 and was not released from his Interscope contract until it expired in August 2001.[37]
Interscope/Shady releasedThe Eminem Show, in May 2002 and the soundtrack for Eminem's semi-autobiographical film8 Mile in October; the two titles combined sold more than 11,000,000 records before the end of the year.[38][39] In 2002,New York City rapper50 Cent signed to Interscope with a $1 million advance.[40] 50 Cent's major-label debut albumGet Rich or Die Tryin' was released on February 6, 2003, through Interscope. The album debuted at number one on theBillboard 200 and the album went on to be certified 9× platinum in America. In April, it was announced that 50 Cent would sign and develop artists for release onG-Unit Records, which would be marketed and distributed through Interscope.[41] 50 Cent's success allowed G-Unit artists to release their own projects. 50 Cent's groupG-Unit released their debut album,Beg for Mercy, through Interscope. It debuted and peaked in the top 3 on Billboard 200. With the success of the singlesWanna Get to Know You,Poppin' Them Thangs andStunt 101, the album was certified double platinum by the RIAA.
On September 23, 2003, Interscope/Flip Records released Limp Bizkit's fourth albumResults May Vary, selling 325,000 copies in the first week. Debuting at No. 3 onBillboard 200, ending Limp's number 1 streak from their previous releases. It would go on to be certified Gold in 2003 and later Platinum in 2008. Ending Limp Bizkit's commercial peak, the album would be their lowest-selling of their career up to that point. The band would go in hiatus in 2006, after releasingThe Unquestionable Truth (Part 1), their first EP and later their first greatest hits album calledGreatest Hitz in 2005. They both would sell 2,000,000 and 3,500,000 for a combined total of 5,500,000 worldwide.
In November 2003, Universal Music Group acquiredDreamWorks Records and in 2004 it was merged into Interscope Geffen A&M. The DreamWorks A&R staff was retained, and the label's artists were divided between Geffen and Interscope. Among others, Interscope inheritedBlink-182,The All-American Rejects, andNelly Furtado.[42] G-Unit artistLloyd Banks released his debut studio album,The Hunger for More in June 2004 through Interscope. Anchored by the success of the single,On Fire, the album debuted atop theBillboard 200 and achieved platinum status by the RIAA.
In March 2005, Interscope launchedCherrytree Records withMartin Kierszenbaum, its head of international operations. Kierszenbaum, also a producer and A&R executive, focused initially on developing artists from outside the United States.Feist andRobyn were among Cherrytree's first artists.[43][44]
Four of Interscope's releases were in the top 10 of the year end sales charts in 2005:The Massacre (50 Cent) at number one,Encore (Eminem) at number two,Love.Angel.Music.Baby. (Gwen Stefani) at number six, andHow to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb (U2) at number eight.The Game'sThe Documentary appeared at number 16, andThe Black Eyed Peas albumMonkey Business charted at number 18.[45]
In 2006, Dre and Iovine establishedBeats Electronics. Dre had been approached by his attorney to start a line of sneakers, and when he told Iovine about the idea, Iovine said: "You know speakers, not sneakers." 'Beats by Dr. Dre Studio Headphones' were introduced in January 2008 at the annualConsumer Electronics Show. "It took us two years to get them right, but when I heard I knew it was going to be big," Iovine said in 2010. "It's just like listening to a hit record." The marketing for Beats integrated endorsements from Interscope artists includingGwen Stefani,M.I.A. andPharrell, Lady Gaga, andwill.i.am.[46][47]
Lady Gaga's studio debutThe Fame was released in August 2008; it was re-released with eight new songs asThe Fame Monster in November 2009. Interscope held the top four positions on the 2009 year-end Hot 100 charts with The Black Eyed Peas' "Boom Boom Pow" (number one) and "I Gotta Feeling" (number four); Lady Gaga's "Poker Face" charted at number two and "Just Dance" was at number three.[48]
In June 2010 Eminem'sRecovery entered theBillboard 200 at number one, his sixth album to do so.Born This Way by Lady Gaga was released in May 2011, and debuted at number one in 23 countries. In the US, with more than one million copies sold in its first week, it had the highest first-week album sales in five years. Four of the album's singles—"Born This Way", "Judas", "The Edge of Glory", and "You and I"—charted in the top ten of theBillboard Hot 100.[49][50]
Interscope signedMadonna andVan Halen in 2011. Both artists were previously signed toWarner Bros. Records; both released their first records for Interscope in 2012.[51]
In October 2012,John Janick was named president and COO of Interscope Geffen A&M. The founder ofFueled By Ramen, Janick had previous success with artists includingJimmy Eat World,Fall Out Boy,Panic! at the Disco andParamore. At the time of his appointment, it was reported that Iovine had chosen Janick as his eventual successor—Iovine's attention had increasingly turned to Beats, which dominated the headphone market with 2012 revenues of $512 million.[52][53] In May 2014, following Apple's acquisition of Beats, Iovine resigned. As anticipated, Janick was named chairman and CEO of Interscope Geffen A&M.[54][55]
Six Interscope releases appeared in theBillboard year end album charts in 2014:The Marshall Mathers LP 2 byEminem,Ultraviolence byLana Del Rey,V byMaroon 5,Native fromOneRepublic, Lady Gaga'sARTPOP, andOxymoron bySchoolboy Q.[56] In December 2014 it was announced thatSelena Gomez, previously signed toHollywood Records, had signed with Interscope.[57]
Imagine Dragons'Smoke + Mirrors debuted on theBillboard album charts at number one in March 2015. A week later,Kendrick Lamar's albumTo Pimp a Butterfly appeared at number one, a position it held for two consecutive weeks.[58] Lamar won five Grammys in 2016.[59] In August 2017,JoJo announced she had re-signed to Interscope, in a joint venture deal to launch her own music imprint,Clover Music.[60]
In October 2018,YG Entertainment teamed up with Interscope Records in a global partnership forBlackpink. Interscope and Universal Music Group would represent the girl group worldwide, outside of Asia.[61]
In May 2019, Australianpop rock band5 Seconds of Summer signed with Interscope Records, following their departure fromCapitol Records. On March 27, 2020, the band released their fourth studio albumCalm. The album was a commercial success and received generally positive reviews from critics who praised the band's artistic growth and maturity.[62] The album charted in more than 25 countries on several charts,[citation needed] the album peaked in the top 10 on 17 charts and debuted atop the charts at number one in Australia,[63] the UK[64] and Scotland.[65]
Interscope became the flagship label ofInterscope Capitol Labels Group beginning in 2024. The label also signed American singerJennifer Hudson, her first time being under a UMG label after being under four different labels withSony Music since 2006. The singer also announced she would release her fourth album,The Gift of Love, her first ever Christmas album, which was released on October 18, 2024.
Since its founding, Interscope has undergone multiple reorganizations within Universal Music Group's structure. Following Universal's acquisition of PolyGram in 1998, Interscope merged withGeffen Records andA&M Records to form theInterscope Geffen A&M Records group. In 2023, it was placed under theInterscope Capitol Labels Group (ICLG), which unified UMG's West Coast operations.
Interscope operates as part of Universal Music Group's Interscope Capitol Labels Group (ICLG), overseeing a wide range of labels and global partnerships across genres.
Several artists have criticized Interscope for delaying albums. The label was embroiled in controversy over delaying the release of the singerBilal's second album,Love for Sale, because of its creative direction.[66] Dr. Dre had assisted Bilal's production for the album in a limited role.[67] After itleaked in 2006, Interscope notoriously shelved the release indefinitely,[68] giving rise to rumors that the label had leaked it on purpose.[69]
In 2013, M.I.A. said her albumMatangi was held because the label felt the record she turned in was "too positive" for her fans.[70] In 2010, rapperEve left Interscope after a three-year delay of her albumLip Lock.[71]Blink-182,All Time Low, and50 Cent have similarly criticized Interscope.[72]
In discussing his 2006 albumThe Captain & the Kid withCameron Crowe inRolling Stone,Elton John said: "I was so furious with Interscope Records because they put it out and they dropped it. I had meetings in the South of France, and I said, 'I know this isn't a commercial album, I just want you to do your best,' and they dropped it like a fucking turd. It's probably why I didn't make another solo record. It was pure heartbreak."[73]John would later return to Interscope in the US in 2019.
In 2007,Nine Inch Nails frontmanTrent Reznor criticized Universal Music Group for the inflated price ofYear Zero in Australia. In an interview with theHerald Sun in Melbourne, he said that an employee of UMG stated that NIN had "a core audience that's gonna buy whatever we put out, so we can charge more...True fans will pay whatever."[74] Nine Inch Nails signed withColumbia Records in 2013.[75]
On November 7, 2011, it was reported that the South African hip hop/rave groupDie Antwoord was leaving Interscope Records over a dispute with the label wanting their second studio albumTension to be re-worked for "mainstream appeal".[76][77] Problems with Interscope first arose when the group decided the lead single for their second album would be "Fok julle naaiers" (loosely translated to "Fuck you fuckers").Tension was ultimately released through Zef Recordz in early 2012.[78]
On March 15, 2015,Kendrick Lamar's album,To Pimp a Butterfly, was released oniTunes,Spotify andGoogle Play eight days ahead of its scheduled release date (March 23). The CEO ofTop Dawg Entertainment,Anthony Tiffith, blamed Interscope for the album's unintentional release, and tweeted: "I would personally like to thank Interscope for fucking up our release. Somebody has got to pay for this mistake. #TOP!"[79][80] The tweet was later deleted. On the following day, the option to purchase the album was removed from iTunes. The album debuted at number one when it was officially released.[81]
In January 2023, a sex abuse lawsuit was filed alleging that Interscope and its now defunct subsidiaryNothing Records knew about sex abuse committed byMarilyn Manson against a girl in the 1990s when he was signed with Nothing Records.[82][83]
In September 2011, it was reported by federal prosecutors that the Interscope Geffen A&M Records building was used by a drug-trafficking ring as a transport center.[84] TheDrug Enforcement Administration inspected the year-long case and stated that theLos Angeles offices of Interscope Records were used for pickups and deliveries of hundreds of kilograms of cocaine in 2010 and 2011. Rock-It Cargo, a shipping company which has an immense list of musical clients, shipped music cases that allegedly contained drugs toNew York City studios.[85][86] Interscope Geffen A&M responded to the claims with a statement that read: "There is no evidence that any employee of UMG or Interscope Records had any involvement in the drug trafficking ring being prosecuted by that office, nor any knowledge of the contents of any of the packages that were purportedly shipped to its offices. Further, neither UMG nor Interscope Records are a subject or target of the investigation. UMG and Interscope will continue to cooperate with the United States Attorney's Office regarding this matter".[87]
In 1997,Trauma Records filed a $100 million lawsuit against Interscope that charged the company with fraud and the unfulfillment of a two-year promise to assign No Doubt to Trauma's roster. After a four-month dispute, the partnership was dissolved in an out-of-court agreement. Trauma Records principals reportedly received an additional $3 million; No Doubt remained with Interscope.[88]
In 2002, JCOR founderJay Faires filed a $30 million breach-of-contract suit that alleged that Interscope had withheld millions of dollars in an effort to drive it out of business. Interscope responded that JCOR had hid its true financial position at the time it signed its distribution contract and had attempted to use Interscope's money to finance its business.[89]
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