Rap-A-Lot Records
Rap-A-Lot is a Hip Hop record label founded by James Prince in 1987.[2] Sub-labels include Smoke-A-Lot. The label, with its most famous act The Geto Boys, is widely credited for rising the popularity of southern hip-hop and making it relevant. It is considered by many to be one of the greatest hip-hop labels of all time.
Rap-A-Lot | |
---|---|
Parent company | Sony Music Entertainment |
Founded | 1986[1] |
Founder | James Prince |
Distributor(s) | RED Distribution |
Genre | Southern hip hop |
Country of origin | United States |
Location | Houston, Texas, U.S. |
Official website | www |
Rap-A-Lot was first distributed by A&M for a short time with the release of Raheem's 1988 debut The Vigilante.[3] The label was later distributed through the 1990s by EMI's Priority (1991–1994), Noo Trybe (1994-1998) and Virgin (1998–2002). During the rest of the 2000s, it was distributed by Asylum and then Fontana.
The Geto Boys were the label's first nationally popular act, while Devin the Dude, whom The New York Times called "a brilliant oddball with a spaced-out flow,"[4] and whose contract ended in 2008, was, for 15 years, the label's longest-running act.
On August 22, 2013, Rap-A-Lot announced that it recently signed a distribution deal with RED. Artists currently on its roster include Z-Ro and Bun B among others.[5]
Current artists
- Bun B
- YBN Nahmir
- Young Lyric
- HoneyKomb Brazy
Discography
1980s
1987
- Ghetto Boys - Car Freak
- Ghetto Boys - You Ain't Nothing / I Run This
- 2 Bad Brothers
- 1988
- Raheem - The Vigilante
- Ghetto Boys - Making Trouble
- Royal Flush - Uh Oh!
- Def IV - Nice and Hard
1989
1990s
1990
- Choice - The Big Payback
- Geto Boys - The Geto Boys
1991
- O.G. Style - I Know How to Play 'Em
- Big Mike & 3-2 - Convicts
- Geto Boys - We Can't Be Stopped
- Scarface - Mr. Scarface Is Back
1992
- The Terrorists - Terror Strikes; Always Bizness, Never Personal
- Too Much Trouble - Bringing Hell on Earth
- Ganksta N-I-P -The South Park Psycho
- Choice - Stick-N-Moove
- Big Mello - Bone Hard Zaggin'
- Prince Johnny C - It's Been a Long Rhyme Coming
- Raheem - The Invincible
- Rap-a-Lot's Underground Masters - Rap-A-Lot's Underground Masters
- Bushwick Bill - Little Big Man
- Willie D - I'm Goin' Out Lika Soldier
- Geto Boys - Uncut Dope
- Seagram - The Dark Roads
1993
- Geto Boys - Till Death Do Us Part
- 5th Ward Boyz - Ghetto Dope
- Ganksta N-I-P - Psychic Thoughts
- Too Much Trouble - Player's Choice
- Scarface - The World Is Yours
- DMG - Rigormortiz
1994
- 2Low - Funky Lil Brotha
- 5th Ward Boyz - Gangsta Funk
- Odd Squad - Fadanuf Fa Erybody!!
- Trinity Garden Cartel - Don't Blame It on da Music
- Tim Smooth - Straight Up Drivin' Em
- Blac Monks - Secrets of the Hidden Temple
- Seagram - Reality Check
- Big Mello - Wegonefunkwichamind
- Big Mike - Somethin' Serious
- Scarface - The Diary
1995
- CJ Mac - True Game
- 5th Ward Juvenilez - Deadly Groundz
- Bushwick Bill - Phantom of the Rapra
- Poppa LQ - Your Entertainment, My Reality
- Menace Clan - Da Hood
- 5th Ward Boyz - Rated G
1996
- 3-2 - The Wicked Buddah Baby
- The Almighty RSO - Doomsday: Forever RSO
- Geto Boys - The Resurrection
- Do or Die - Picture This
- Facemob - The Other Side of the Law
- Ganksta N-I-P - Psychotic Genius
- Various artists - 10th Anniversary
1997
- Scarface - The Untouchable
- Big Mike - Still Serious
- Ghetto Twiinz - In That Water
- Seagram - Souls on Ice
- Too Much Trouble - Too Much Weight
- 5th Ward Boyz - Usual Suspects
1998
- Scarface - My Homies
- Devin the Dude - The Dude
- Do or Die - Headz or Tailz
- Geto Boys - Da Good Da Bad & Da Ugly
- Ghetto Twiinz - No Pain No Gain
- Blac Monks - No Mercy
- A-G-2-A-Ke - Mil Ticket
- Tela - Now or Never
- Johnny P - The Next
- Ganksta N-I-P - Interview with a Killa
- Yukmouth - Thugged Out: The Albulation
- Big Mike - Hard to Hit
1999
2000s
2000
- Scarface - The Last of a Dying Breed
- Do or Die - Victory
- Tela - The World Ain't Enuff
- Willie D - Loved by Few, Hated by Many
2001
- Dorasel - Unleash the Beast
- Yukmouth - Thug Lord: The New Testament
- Ghetto Twiinz - Got It on My Mind
- Snypaz - Livin' in the Scope
2002
- Devin the Dude - Just Tryin' ta Live
- Outlawz - Neva Surrenda
- Hussein Fatal - Fatal
- Luniz - Silver & Black
- Big Syke - Big Syke
- Do or Die - Back 2 the Game
- Tela - Double Dose
- Scarface - Greatest Hits
- Yukmouth - United Ghettos of America
- Geto Boys - Greatest Hits
- Project Playaz - The Return
- Facemob - Silence
- Snypaz - Snypaz
2003
- Scarface - Balls & My Word
- Yukmouth - Godzilla
- Slim Thug & Lil' Keke - The Big Unit
- DMG - Black Roulette
- Do or Die - Pimpin' Ain't Dead
- Dirty - Love Us or Hate Us
- Criminal Manne - Neighborhood Dope Manne
- Do or Die - Greatest Hits
2004
- Devin the Dude - To Tha X-Treme
- Thug Lordz - In Thugz We Trust
- Z-Ro - The Life of Joseph W. McVey
- Various artists - The Day After Hell Broke Loose
- UTP - The Beginning of the End
- 5th Ward Boyz - Greatest Hits
- Yukmouth - United Ghettos of America Vol. 2
- UTP - Nolia Clap
2005
- Lil' Flip & Z-Ro - Kings of the South
- Geto Boys - The Foundation
- Z-Ro - Let the Truth Be Told
- Pimp C - Sweet James Jones Stories
- Bun B - Trill
- Dirty - Hood Stories
2006
- Belo Zero - The Truth
- Do or Die - Get That Paper
- Z-Ro - I'm Still Livin'
- Pimp C - Pimpalation
- Scarface - My Homies Part 2
- Trae - Restless
- Partners-N-Crime - Club Bangaz
- Trilltown Mafia - It Goes Without Sayin
2007
- Trae - Life Goes On
- Devin the Dude - Waitin' to Inhale
- Z-Ro - Power
- Scarface - Made
- Dirty - The Art of Storytelling
- UTP - Back Like We Left Something
2008
- Yukmouth - Million Dollar Mouthpiece
- Scarface - The Best of Scarface
- Devin the Dude - Greatest Hits
- Yukmouth - Greatest Hits
- Bun B - II Trill
- Pimp C - Greatest Hits
- Geto Boys - Best of the Geto Boys
- ABN - It Is What It Is
- Geto Boys/Scarface - Best Of Geto Boys & Scarface
- Z-Ro - Crack
- Various Artists - Rap-A-Lot's Greatest Hits
- Devin the Dude - Hi Life
- Trae - The Beginning
- Various Artists - Rap-A-Lot Street Classics Vol. 1
- Scarface - Emeritus
2009
2010s
2010
- Z-Ro - Heroin
- Bun B - Trill O.G.
- Pimp C - The Naked Soul Of Sweet Jones
- Various Artists - Sex, Money, & Drugs
- Various Artists - Street Life
- Various Artists - Swagger Check
- Various Artists - Crazy & Psychotic Vol. 1
- Various Artists - Number 1 Streets Hits
- Various Artists - Gangstas And Hustlers
- Various Artists - Greatest Features
2011
- Pimp C - Still Pimping
- Z-Ro - Meth
2012
2013
2014
External links
References
- HP Cheung (April 3, 2017). "What Is Rap-A-Lot Records?". Hypebeast. Retrieved 2019-06-09.
- Brandon Caldwell (February 17, 2015). "A Brief History of Houston Rap Executive J. Prince Defending Everyone from The Geto Boys to Drake". Vice Media. Retrieved 2019-06-09.
- Faniel, Maco L. Hip Hop in Houston: The Origin and the Legacy (Paperback ed.). The History Press. pp. 117–118. ISBN 978-1-60949-978-5. Retrieved 2015-10-26.
- The New York Times > Arts > Music > A Visitor's Guide to the Houston Sound
- http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/news/id.25165/title.rap-a-lot-records-signs-distribution-deal-with-sony-red-plans-bun-b-album