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| Rap-A-Lot Records | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Parent company | Sony Music Entertainment |
| Founded | 1986; 39 years ago (1986)[1] |
| Founder | James Prince, Cliff Blodget |
| Distributor(s) | RED Distribution |
| Genre | Southern hip hop |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Location | Houston, Texas |
Rap-A-Lot is ahip hoprecord label co-founded byJames Prince and Cliff Blodget[2][3][4] in 1986.[5]Smoke-a-Lot Records is a subsidiary.
Rap-A-Lot was first distributed byA&M Records with the release of Raheem's 1988 debutThe Vigilante.[6] The label was distributed through the 1990s byEMI'sPriority Records (1991–1994),Noo Trybe Records (1994-1998), andVirgin Records (1998–2002). In the 2000s, it was distributed byAsylum Records and thenFontana Distribution.
On August 22, 2013, Rap-A-Lot announced a distribution deal withRED Distribution.[7]
The label was formed filling in a gap for recognition and promotion of southern talent especially in the Houston area. This was in part to label executives in other parts of the country passing on southern hip hop acts. During this period, DJ's from the east coast had been exploiting the region and pushing music from their domestic territories instead.[8]
James Prince was working as a bank teller in 1985 in the fault department, then getting laid off at the age of 20.[9][10] The initial goal prior to the label was to keep his younger stepbrother known as the rapperSir Rap-A-Lot out of street life, as well as friends Raheem and Jukebox from skipping school. They would meet on the porch of his grandmothers house to perform and practice.[11] After purchasing an abandoned building, he turned the property into on a used car dealership, known as Smith Auto Sales on the west side of Houston. At first he sold bucket cars then moving on to exotic cars which athletes would come and purchase.[9] The same rundown 2 storey building that Prince owned, was where the artists then moved on to record into during 1986.[2]
Prince co-founded Rap-A-Lot Records with Cliff Blodget, a Seattleite,[12][3][4] in 1987. Bloget was a computer science major,[10] who was an electrical engineer by trade and acted as the label's in-house engineer and producer alongside fellow producer Carl Stephenson.[13][12] Prince used his last bit of funds to invest into the label. He was inspired byRussell Simmons and the label he foundedDef Jam Recordings. He moved the company in 1988 to New York City with Blodget. Around this time Lyor Cohen would show Prince check books of Def Jam artistsLL Cool J andWhodini which showed him the potential revenue to be made in the music industry enlightening him to continue his vision with the Geto Boys moving the whole label back to Houston.[9][11]
The first group he formed in the label was theGeto Boys. The first incarnation was dancerBushwick Bill, DJ Ready Red, Sire Jukebox and Prince Johnny C. Prince moved on and then found new membersWillie D through the recommendation of his barber,[14] andScarface in the parking lot of a club he owned playing demos to a DJ who worked there. Bushwick was then made as a rapper. Prince's brother was a member but then was replaced at his discretion with Scarface. This was confirmed from afreestyle battle against each other where Scarface outperformed Sir Rap-A-Lot, with the younger brother then agreeing that was the better direction for the group also.[11] Using local radio stations likeKTSU to spread the reach of the label's music,[15] his first deal came in 1989 viaRick Rubin working with the Geto Boys on their 2nd albumGrip It! On That Other Level.[16]
Geffen Records who had been working with Rubin pulled the project a week before its release to the lyrical nature of the album, despite claims of racism andhypocrisy made by the Geto Boys and the fact that independently the album already had sold over 500,000 copies.[17] The controversy lead to Rubin splitting from Geffen and signing withWarner Records with the album being pushed there instead, it tripled the total sales of the project.
Prior to the success of "Ice Ice Baby", Prince wanted to sign rapperVanilla Ice after seeing him perform in 1990 atThe Summit. He did not follow through as a result of his business partner Blodget feeling that the artist lacked talent.[18]
Prince signed a deal withPriority Records in 1991 for distribution,[16] releasing the Geto Boys third albumWe Can't Be Stopped.[3] By the mid-1990s co-founder Blodget had parted ways from Rap-A-Lot.[13] In 1995 Prince signed the next distribution deal withNoo Trybe Records andVirgin Records.[3]
During the 1990s, twoDEA agents placed a probe on Prince and his label, believing the label was a front for a major trafficking network. At this time a concept for a music distribution label that would have acted dually as a union for recording artists was being planned between Prince,Suge Knight, andIrv Gotti which was eventually cancelled. The two agents were later convicted ofcorrupt conduct.[19][20][21][22]
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