Rawkus Records was established in 1995 by Brian Brater and
Jarret Myer, with financial backing from their high school friend
James Murdoch, son of
Rupert Murdoch. In 1996, Rupert Murdoch bought a majority of Rawkus. In 1999 the label entered into a distribution deal with
Priority Records. Over the years, Rawkus recorded several notable independent hip-hop artists, including
Reflection Eternal,
Company Flow, the
High and Mighty,
Mos Def and
Talib Kweli (as
Blackstar),
Eminem,
Common,
Pharoahe Monch and
Skillz. In 2000, Rawkus released New York City rapper
Big L's second and final studio album,
The Big Picture. Released posthumously after Big L's 1999 murder, the album debuted and peaked in the top 15 on the
Billboard 200. Anchored by the success of the single,
Flamboyant, the album was certified Gold by the
RIAA for selling over 500,000 copies in America. In 2002, Rawkus signed a joint venture deal with
MCA. Soon after, MCA folded and
Interscope/
Geffen bought Rawkus. After the sale of its catalog in 2004, Rawkus split from Geffen. In 2006, Rawkus signed with
RED (a
Sony Music distribution company) and reemerged with a new lineup of notable independent hip-hop artists:
The Procussions,
Mr. J. Medeiros,
Kidz in the Hall,
Marco Polo, and
Panacea. In early 2007, Rawkus Records accepted album submissions from hip-hop artists, known or unknown, to be considered for their new campaign. The 50 artists chosen to wear the Rawkus 50 badge were signed to a digital distribution deal through IODA's (Independent Online Distribution Alliance) digital distribution network and had their albums released under the banner "Rawkus 50 presents". Since 2007, Rawkus has not released a new project. ==Discography==