Avatar Records is a Los Angeles

Los Ángeles

Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...

, California

California

California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...

 based independent record label

Independent record label

An independent record label is a record label operating without the funding of or outside the organizations of the major record labels. A great number of bands and musical acts begin on independent labels.-Overview:...

. Avatar is also a leading digital distributor, providing music to online retailers like Apple's iTunes Music Store. Some of the projects released on Avatar include The Oz

Oz (TV series)

Oz is an American television drama series created by Tom Fontana, who also wrote or co-wrote all of the series' 56 episodes . It was the first one-hour dramatic television series to be produced by premium cable network HBO. Oz premiered on July 12, 1997 and ran for six seasons...

Soundtrack, Planet Asia

Planet Asia

Planet Asia aka King Medallions is an underground hip hop MC from Fresno, California who is a member of hiphop groups the Cali Agents, and Skhool Yard...

, Martin Luther

Martin Luther McCoy

Martin Luther McCoy is an American musician and actor. The San Francisco native collaborated extensively with musicians like The Roots and Cody ChesnuTT and appears as one of the six lead characters in the 2007 Beatles musical Across the Universe in the role of "Jo-Jo", who reflects Jimi Hendrix...

, Fear of a Black Hat

Fear of a Black Hat

Fear of a Black Hat is a 1994 American mockumentary film on the evolution and state of American hip hop music. The film's title is derived from the 1990 Public Enemy album Fear of a Black Planet...

 Soundtrack, One Block Radius

One Block Radius

One Block Radius is an alternative hip hop group made up of Marty James , MDA , and emcee Z-Man . Both Marty James and MDA were part of the group Scapegoat Wax. One Block Radius was formed in late 2003...

, Deux Process

Deux process

Deux Process is a rap group composed of rapper Chief Nek and rapper/producer Vise Versa. The group was formed in 1999 and based in Colorado before making the move to Los Angeles in 2004...

, Bishop Don Magic Juan, the NVA Straight from the Crates compilation which features Mos Def

Mos Def

Dante Terrell Smith is an American actor and Emcee known by the stage names Mos Def and Yasiin Bey. He started his hip hop career in a group called Urban Thermo Dynamics, after which he appeared on albums by Da Bush Babees and De La Soul. With Talib Kweli, he formed the duo Black Star, which...

, Blackmoon, Pharcyde & Jurassic 5

Jurassic 5

Jurassic 5 was an American alternative hip hop group formed in 1993 from members of two previous groups, Rebels of Rhythm and Unity Committee by rappers Charles Stewart , Dante Givens , Courtenay Henderson , Marc Stuart , and disc jockeys Mark Potsic and Lucas Macfadden...

, and others. Avatar's digital distribution clients include Anya Marina

Anya Marina

Anya Marina is a singer-songwriter based in San Diego, California. Her music has primarily gained notice after being on a variety of television sitcoms and has been featured on prime time dramas.the ABC television drama Grey's Anatomy as well as CBS's How I Met Your Mother, MTV's The Real World,...

, Lord Tariq, Aaron Carter

Aaron Carter

Aaron Charles Carter is an American singer. He came to fame as a pop and hip hop singer in the late 1990s, establishing himself as a star among pre-teen and teenage audiences during the early-first decade of the 21st century....

, Dinco D, Steve Harvey

Steve Harvey

Broderick Steven "Steve" Harvey is an American actor, comedian, entertainer, television and radio personality and best-selling author. He is best known as the star of the WB sitcom The Steve Harvey Show, and as one of the four comedians featured in the Spike Lee film The Original Kings of Comedy...

, Taylor Hawkins and the Coattail Riders

Taylor Hawkins and the Coattail Riders

Taylor Hawkins and the Coattail Riders is a band founded by Taylor Hawkins, drummer for the Foo Fighters. Hawkins is the drummer and vocalist for the trio. Other band members include Chris Chaney on bass and Gannin Arnold on guitar...

, Tony Chasseur, Aurele, Martin Luther, and many others.

Avatar's physical releases are distributed worldwide by a network of leading independent distributors including E1 Entertainment Distribution (North America), Pinnacle (UK)

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

, PIAS

PIAS Recordings

[PIAS] Recordings is the recorded music division of the [PIAS] Entertainment Group, a European independent artist and label services company.The record labels that operate under the [PIAS] Recordings umbrella are: Play It Again Sam, Wall of Sound and Different Recordings.Aside from the three London...

 (Europe

Europe

Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...

), Kartel (Poland

Poland

Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...

), Venus (Italy

Italy

Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...

), JVC

JVC

, usually referred to as JVC, is a Japanese international consumer and professional electronics corporation based in Yokohama, Japan which was founded in 1927...

 (Japan

Japan

Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

) and others.

Avatar also publishes songs recorded by artists including Tony Toni Tone, DMX

DMX (rapper)

Earl Simmons , better known by his stage name DMX, is a multiplatinum American rapper and actor who rose to fame in the late 1990s. His stage name pays tribute to the Oberheim DMX drum machine, an instrument he used when he made his own rap beats in the 80's...

, Brandy

Brandy Norwood

Brandy Rayana Norwood , known professionally as Brandy, is an American singer-songwriter, producer, actress, and dancer. In 2009, she introduced her rap alter-ego Bran'Nu....

, Tupac

Tupac Shakur

Tupac Amaru Shakur , known by his stage names 2Pac and Makaveli, was an American rapper and actor. Shakur has sold over 75 million albums worldwide as of 2007, making him one of the best-selling music artists in the world...

, Redman, Foxy Brown, Spice 1

Spice 1

Robert L. Green, Jr., better known by his stage name Spice 1, is an American rapper from Hayward, California. He has consistently been releasing solo and group albums since 1992. Spice 1 was ranked number 56 in The Source magazine's Top 115 Hip-Hop Artists from 1988–2003...

, Vanessa Williams

Vanessa L. Williams

Vanessa Lynn Williams is an American pop-R&B recording artist, producer, dancer, model, actress and showgirl. In 1983, she became the first woman of African-American descent to be crowned Miss America, but a scandal generated by her having posed for nude photographs published in Penthouse magazine...

, Bell Biv Devoe

Bell Biv DeVoe

Bell Biv DeVoe is an American R&B musical group which branched off from New Edition. It consists of three of New Edition's previous members, Ricky Bell, Michael Bivins, and Ronnie DeVoe...

, Patti Labelle

Patti LaBelle

Patricia Louise Holte-Edwards , better known under the stage name, Patti LaBelle, is a Grammy Award winning American singer, author and actress who has spent over 50 years in the music industry...

, One Block Radius

One Block Radius

One Block Radius is an alternative hip hop group made up of Marty James , MDA , and emcee Z-Man . Both Marty James and MDA were part of the group Scapegoat Wax. One Block Radius was formed in late 2003...

, Boyz II Men

Boyz II Men

Boyz II Men is an American R&B vocal group best known for emotional ballads and a cappella harmonies. They are the most successful R&B group of all time, having sold more than albums worldwide. In the 1990s, Boyz II Men found fame on Motown Records as a quartet, but original member Michael McCary...

, Ja Rule

Ja Rule

Jeffrey Atkins , better known by his stage name Ja Rule, is an American rapper, singer, and actor.Born in Hollis, Queens, he began his career in the group Cash Money Click and debuted in 1999 with Venni Vetti Vecci and its single "Holla Holla"...

, Guy

Guy (band)

Guy are a hip hop, R&B and soul band most closely associated with the new jack swing style of the 1980s and 1990s.-Origins :Guy was formed in Harlem, New York in 1987 by R&B singer-songwriters Aaron Hall, young musician/record producer Teddy Riley and Timmy Gatling...

, Vinx, Planet Asia

Planet Asia

Planet Asia aka King Medallions is an underground hip hop MC from Fresno, California who is a member of hiphop groups the Cali Agents, and Skhool Yard...

, Keith Murray, and many others. The company also licenses music into film

Film

A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...

 and television

Television

Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...

 programs and commercials. Additionally, the company collects royalties

Royalties

Royalties are usage-based payments made by one party to another for the right to ongoing use of an asset, sometimes an intellectual property...

 around the world on behalf of their writer and publishing partners.

Notable releases

One of Avatar's most successful releases is the soundtrack to the hit HBO series OZ. The soundtrack featured the hit single "Behind The Walls" by Kurupt

Kurupt

Ricardo Emmanuel Brown , better known by his stage name Kurupt, also known as Kurupt Tha Kingpin, Kurupt Young Gotti or Young Gotstra is an American rapper and former Executive Vice President of Death Row Records...

 & Nate Dogg

Nate Dogg

Nathaniel Dwayne Hale , better known by his stage name Nate Dogg, was an American musician. He is noted for his membership of rap trio 213 and his solo career in which he collaborated with Dr. Dre, Warren G, Tupac and Snoop Dogg on many hit releases. Nate Dogg released three solo albums, G-Funk...

. The song reached #1 status at over 20 radio stations in the US. The soundtrack also featured newly recorded music by Snoop Dogg

Snoop Dogg

Calvin Cordozar Broadus, Jr. , better known by his stage name Snoop Dogg, is an American rapper, record producer, and actor. Snoop is best known as a rapper in the West Coast hip hop scene, and for being one of Dr. Dre's most notable protégés. Snoop Dogg was a Crip gang member while in high school...

, Styles

Styles P

David Styles better known by his stage name, Styles P, is an American rapper, author, and entrepreneur. He is prominently known as a member of Hip Hop group The LOX and is also a part of the Ruff Ryders hip-hop group, and in addition has released multiple albums and mixtapes as a solo...

 & Jadakiss

Jadakiss

Jason Phillips , better known as Jadakiss, is an American rapper. He is a member of the group The LOX. Jadakiss is one of the three owners of the imprint known as D-Block. In early 2007, Jadakiss signed to Roc-a-Fella Records / Def Jam Records.-Early life:By the age of 16, Jadakiss was a freestyle...

, Master P

Master P

Percy Robert Miller , better known by his stage name Master P or his business name P. Miller, is an American rapper, actor, entrepreneur, investor, and producer. He is the founder of the popular label No Limit Records, which went bankrupt and was relaunched as New No Limit Records through Koch...

, Cypress Hill

Cypress Hill

Cypress Hill is an American hip hop group from South Gate, California. Cypress Hill was the first Latino hip-hop group to have platinum and multi-platinum albums, selling over 18 million albums worldwide...

, Wu Tang Clan and many others. A video for "Behind The Walls" directed by Gregory Dark garnered massive airplay at MTV

MTV

MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....

 and BET

Bet

Bet or BET may refer to:* A wager in gambling* Basic Economics Test * Bet , the second letter in many Semitic alphabets, including Aramaic, Hebrew, Phoenician and Syriac* Brunauer-Emmett-Teller isotherm. See BET_theory...

. The OZ Soundtrack remains the second highest selling soundtrack to an HBO TV series (second only to The Sopranos soundtrack). Simultaneous with the release of the OZ Soundtrack, Avatar Records donated $10,000 to the Innocence Project

Innocence Project

An Innocence Project is one of a number of non-profit legal organizations in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand dedicated to proving the innocence of wrongly convicted people through the use of DNA testing, and to reforming the criminal justice systems to...

, a non-profit organization which seeks to gain freedom for wrongfully convicted prisoners through DNA testing.

Avatar released Grammy nominee Planet Asia's 2004 solo debut album "The Grand Opening". The album featured the singles "Right or Wrong", "Its All Big" and "Pure Coke" featuring Martin Luther. Planet Asia's album the chosen as the Best Indie Release of 2004 by The Source

The Source (magazine)

The Source is a United States-based, monthly full-color magazine covering hip-hop music, politics, and culture, founded in 1988. It is the world's second longest running rap periodical, behind United Kingdom-based publication Hip Hop Connection. The Source was founded as a newsletter in 1988...

 magazine. Another Planet Asia track "G-s & Soldiers" featuring Kurupt was featured in the John Travolta film "Be Cool". Planet Asia now records for his own record company Gold Chain Music and has released several other independent albums.

In 2006 Avatar released the album "Rebel Soul Music" by the former guitarist of The Roots

The Roots

The Roots is an American hip hop/neo soul band formed in 1987 by Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter and Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are famed for beginning with a jazzy, eclectic approach to hip hop which still includes live instrumentals...

, Martin Luther. Martin's first single "Daily Bread" has been a hit single across Europe and Africa

Africa

Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...

 garnering airplay on BBC Radio 1

BBC Radio 1

BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...

 (UK), Radio Nova

Radio Nova (France)

Radio Nova is a radio station broadcast from Paris, created in 1981 by Jean-François Bizot.Its playlist is characterized by non-mainstream or underground artists of various music genres, such as electro, new wave, reggae, jazz, hip hop and world music....

 (France

France

The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

), MTV UK, MTV Bass (Europe), MTV Africa, and many other radio and video channels. Martin has toured Europe four times - most recently in 2006 when he played the Montreux Jazz Festival

Montreux Jazz Festival

The Montreux Jazz Festival is the best-known music festival in Switzerland and one of the most prestigious in Europe; it is held annually in early July in Montreux on the shores of Lake Geneva...

. In September 2007 Martin will star in the film Across The Universe

Across the Universe (film)

Across the Universe is a musical romantic drama film directed by Julie Taymor, produced by Revolution Studios, and distributed by Columbia Pictures. The film's plot is centered around songs by The Beatles. It was released in the United States on October 12, 2007. The script is based on an original...

, a $70- million Sony Pictures release.

Avatar recording artists One Block Radius

One Block Radius

One Block Radius is an alternative hip hop group made up of Marty James , MDA , and emcee Z-Man . Both Marty James and MDA were part of the group Scapegoat Wax. One Block Radius was formed in late 2003...

 released their debut album "Long Story Short" in 2006 in the US and in 2007 in Europe. OBR's catchy pop single "Black Mercedes" was released in the UK in May 2007 and has received airplay on many UK radio stations including BBC

BBC

The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...

, LBC London, BBC Radio Ulter, BBC Radio 2

BBC Radio 2

BBC Radio 2 is one of the BBC's national radio stations and the most popular station in the United Kingdom. Much of its daytime playlist-based programming is best described as Adult Contemporary or AOR, although the station is also noted for its specialist broadcasting of other musical genres...

 and other major stations. OBR's first European tour is scheduled for fall 2007. OBR's lead singer Marty James

Marty James

Marty James is an American singer-songwriter and record producer.As the front man and producer of Scapegoat Wax and One Block Radius, he has released multiple albums and singles with his two groups....

 was featured on the underground single "Stunna Glasses" by the group The Federation

The Federation (band)

The Federation is a hip-hop group from Fairfield, California, part of the San Francisco Bay Area. The group consist of Doonie Baby , Stressmatic, and Goldie Gold, along with their producer Rick Rock...

.

Legendary pimp

Pimp

A pimp is an agent for prostitutes who collects part of their earnings. The pimp may receive this money in return for advertising services, physical protection, or for providing a location where she may engage clients...

 turned preacher

Preacher

Preacher is a term for someone who preaches sermons or gives homilies. A preacher is distinct from a theologian by focusing on the communication rather than the development of doctrine. Others see preaching and theology as being intertwined...

 Bishop Don Magic Juan released a compilation of old school R&B love songs on Avatar in 2006 entitled "Green is for the Money, Gold is For the Honeys Vol. 1". The album featured songs by Willie Hutch

Willie Hutch

Willie McKinley Hutchison, known professionally as Willie Hutch was an American singer, songwriter as well as a record producer and recording artist for the Motown record label during the 1970s and 1980s....

, William DeVaughn

William DeVaughn

William DeVaughn is an American R&B singer, songwriter and guitarist, best known for the hit song "Be Thankful for What You Got".-Biography:...

, The Chi-Lites

The Chi-Lites

The Chi-Lites are a Chicago-based smooth soul vocal quartet from the early 1970s, one of the few from the period not to come from Memphis or Philadelphia...

, The Temptations

The Temptations

The Temptations is an American vocal group having achieved fame as one of the most successful acts to record for Motown Records. The group's repertoire has included, at various times during its five-decade career, R&B, doo-wop, funk, disco, soul, and adult contemporary music.Formed in Detroit,...

, Peabo Bryson

Peabo Bryson

Peabo Bryson is an American R&B and soul singer-songwriter, born in Greenville, South Carolina...

 and many others. Bishop is heard "Skinin Game" in between the songs. Bishop Don Magic Juan is best known for giving up pimping for life as a preacher and spiritual advisor to many well known celebrities. He is currently developing a television reality show and a feature film. Bishop owns his own line of clothing and has been featured on numerous ring tones made for cell phones.

In the mid-1990s, Avatar released Pump Ya Fist, the rap companion album to Mario Van Peebles

Mario Van Peebles

Mario "Chip" Cain Van Peebles is an American director and actor who has appeared in numerous Hollywood films. He is son of filmmaker Melvin Van Peebles.-Life and career:...

 film Panther

Panther (film)

Panther is a 1995 film directed by Mario Van Peebles, from a screenplay adapted by his father, Melvin Van Peebles, based on his book. The film dramatizes the story of The Black Panther Party for Self-Defense...

. This critically acclaimed compilation featured newly recorded exclusive tracks by The Fugees

The Fugees

Fugees were a Haitian American hip hop group who rose to fame in the mid-1990s. Their repertoire included elements of Hip hop, soul and Caribbean music, particularly reggae. The members of the group were rapper/singer/producer Wyclef Jean, rapper/singer/producer Lauryn Hill, and rapper Pras Michel...

, Tupac, KRS-One

KRS-One

Lawrence Krisna Parker , better known by his stage names KRS-One , and Teacha, is an American rapper...

, Chuck D

Chuck D

Carlton Douglas Ridenhour , better known by his stage name, Chuck D, is an American rapper, author, and producer. He helped create politically and socially conscious rap music in the mid-1980s as the leader of the rap group Public Enemy.- Early life :Ridenhour was born in Queens, New York...

, Grand Puba

Grand Puba

Maxwell Dixon is an emcee best known as a member of the group Brand Nubian.-Biography:He made his debut with the group Masters of Ceremony. Its album Dynamite was hailed by critics, but probably due to lack of sales, the group soon disbanded, and Puba emerged as the lead emcee of Brand Nubian...

, Yo Yo

Yo-Yo (rapper)

Yo-Yo is a Grammy-nominated American hardcore rapper and actress. Much of her music has advocated female empowerment, denouncing the frequent sexism found in hip-hop music. She is the protege of gangsta rapper Ice Cube...

, and many others. The KRS-One track "Ah Yeah" became an underground hip hop anthem and #1 single college radio. Avatar donated $10,000 each to the Huey P. Newton Foundation and the Geronimo Pratt

Geronimo Pratt

Geronimo Ji Jaga , also known as Geronimo ji-Jaga Pratt born: Elmer Pratt, was a high ranking member of the Black Panther Party...

 Legal Defense Fund.

Avatar is also known for the release of the original soundtrack to the underground cult classic film Fear of a Black Hat

Fear of a Black Hat

Fear of a Black Hat is a 1994 American mockumentary film on the evolution and state of American hip hop music. The film's title is derived from the 1990 Public Enemy album Fear of a Black Planet...

. It featured the song, "Ice Froggy Frog" a parody of Snoop Dogg

Snoop Dogg

Calvin Cordozar Broadus, Jr. , better known by his stage name Snoop Dogg, is an American rapper, record producer, and actor. Snoop is best known as a rapper in the West Coast hip hop scene, and for being one of Dr. Dre's most notable protégés. Snoop Dogg was a Crip gang member while in high school...

's "What's My Name".

Avatar released the underground hip hop compilation NVA Straight From The Crates Vol. 1 in April 2004. This project—conceived as a tribute to the hip hop DJ and vinyl records—featured artists including Mos Def

Mos Def

Dante Terrell Smith is an American actor and Emcee known by the stage names Mos Def and Yasiin Bey. He started his hip hop career in a group called Urban Thermo Dynamics, after which he appeared on albums by Da Bush Babees and De La Soul. With Talib Kweli, he formed the duo Black Star, which...

, Pharcyde featuring Jurassic 5

Jurassic 5

Jurassic 5 was an American alternative hip hop group formed in 1993 from members of two previous groups, Rebels of Rhythm and Unity Committee by rappers Charles Stewart , Dante Givens , Courtenay Henderson , Marc Stuart , and disc jockeys Mark Potsic and Lucas Macfadden...

, Blackmoon, Rakaa and Babu of Dilated Peoples

Dilated Peoples

Dilated Peoples is an American hip hop group from Los Angeles, California. The group achieved notability in the underground hip hop community, although they have had little mainstream success in the US, with the exception of the song "This Way," a 2004 collaboration with Kanye West and Xzibit...

, Phil da Agony and Planet Asia

Planet Asia

Planet Asia aka King Medallions is an underground hip hop MC from Fresno, California who is a member of hiphop groups the Cali Agents, and Skhool Yard...

, Joey Zozza featuring D12

D12

D12, an acronym for The Dirty Dozen, is an American hip hop group from Detroit, Michigan. D12 has had chart-topping albums in the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia...

, and Grouch and Ely. Three singles off of the compilation went top 5 at college radio in the US.

Avatar released Colorado

Colorado

Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...

-based artists Deux Process in 2006. The album, In Deux Time featured the singles "Take the Dance" and "The Process".

In 2009 Avatar released the soundtrack to the long running CW Network television show "Girlfriends" which featured an all female lineup of singers including Jill Scott

Jill Scott

Jill Scott is an American soul and R&B singer-songwriter, poet, and actress. In 2007, Scott made her cinematic debut in the films Hounddog and in Tyler Perry's feature film, Why Did I Get Married? That year, her third studio album, The Real Thing: Words and Sounds Vol. 3, was released on...

, Chaka Khan

Chaka Khan

Chaka Khan , frequently known as the Queen of Funk, is a 10-time Grammy Award winning American singer-songwriter who gained fame in the 1970s as the frontwoman and focal point of the funk band Rufus. While still a member of the group in 1978, Khan embarked on a successful solo career...

 & Mary J. Blige

Mary J. Blige

Mary Jane Blige is an American singer-songwriter, record producer and occasional actress. She is a recipient of nine Grammy Awards and four American Music Awards, and has recorded eight multi-platinum albums. She is the only artist with Grammy Award wins in Pop, Rap, Gospel, and R&B. Blige has...

, Chrisette Michele

Chrisette Michele

Chrisette Michele Payne , known professionally as Chrisette Michele, is an American R&B and soul singer-songwriter....

, Angie Stone

Angie Stone

Angie Stone is an American R&B and soul singer-songwriter, record producer, and occasional actress. She has been nominated for three Grammy Award. She is more successful on the charts R&B charts, with four Top 10 albums, forms including a number one album and 10 singles on the R&B chart,...

, Erykah Badu

Erykah Badu

Erica Abi Wright , better known by her stage name Erykah Badu , is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. Her work includes elements from R&B, hip hop and jazz. She is best known for her role in the rise of the neo soul sub-genre, and for her eccentric, cerebral musical...

, Amy Winehouse

Amy Winehouse

Amy Jade Winehouse was an English singer-songwriter known for her powerful deep contralto vocals and her eclectic mix of musical genres including R&B, soul and jazz. Winehouse's 2003 debut album, Frank, was critically successful in the UK and was nominated for the Mercury Prize...

, India Arie, Estelle

Estelle (musician)

Estelle Fanta Swaray commonly known as Estelle, and formerly as Est'elle, is an English R&B singer-songwriter, rapper and record producer.-Early Life:Estelle was born 18 January 1980 in Hammersmith, London, England...

, and South African star Lira

Lira

Lira is the name of the monetary unit of a number of countries, as well as the former currency of Italy, Malta, San Marino and the Vatican City and Israel. The term originates from the value of a Troy pound of high purity silver. The libra was the basis of the monetary system of the Roman Empire...

 among others.

Artists

• Planet Asia
  Planet Asia
  Planet Asia aka King Medallions is an underground hip hop MC from Fresno, California who is a member of hiphop groups the Cali Agents, and Skhool Yard...
  
  
• One Block Radius
  One Block Radius
  One Block Radius is an alternative hip hop group made up of Marty James , MDA , and emcee Z-Man . Both Marty James and MDA were part of the group Scapegoat Wax. One Block Radius was formed in late 2003...
  
  
• Blanca G
• The Prophet of CMe
• Martin Luther
  Martin Luther
  Martin Luther was a German priest, professor of theology and iconic figure of the Protestant Reformation. He strongly disputed the claim that freedom from God's punishment for sin could be purchased with money. He confronted indulgence salesman Johann Tetzel with his Ninety-Five Theses in 1517...
  
  
• Hogg Boss
• Don "Magic" Juan
• Rosalia de Souza
  Rosalia de Souza
  Rosalia de Souza is a Brazilian bossa nova singer. She was born in Nilópolis in the state of Rio de Janeiro, an area famous for Beija Flor Samba...
  
  
• Blaxuede
• Deux Process
  Deux process
  Deux Process is a rap group composed of rapper Chief Nek and rapper/producer Vise Versa. The group was formed in 1999 and based in Colorado before making the move to Los Angeles in 2004...
  
  
• Anya Marina
  Anya Marina
  Anya Marina is a singer-songwriter based in San Diego, California. Her music has primarily gained notice after being on a variety of television sitcoms and has been featured on prime time dramas.the ABC television drama Grey's Anatomy as well as CBS's How I Met Your Mother, MTV's The Real World,...
  
  
• Cazwell
  Cazwell
  Luke Caswell , known as Cazwell, is an American rapper and songwriter. He is best known for his explicit lyrics and collaborations with Amanda Lepore...
  
  

Releases

• Planet Asia
  Planet Asia
  Planet Asia aka King Medallions is an underground hip hop MC from Fresno, California who is a member of hiphop groups the Cali Agents, and Skhool Yard...
  
   "The Grand Opening"
• One Block Radius
  One Block Radius
  One Block Radius is an alternative hip hop group made up of Marty James , MDA , and emcee Z-Man . Both Marty James and MDA were part of the group Scapegoat Wax. One Block Radius was formed in late 2003...
  
   "Long Story Short"
• Don "Magic" Juan "Green is for the Money..."
• National Vinyl Association "Straight From The Crates"
• Mos Def
  Mos Def
  Dante Terrell Smith is an American actor and Emcee known by the stage names Mos Def and Yasiin Bey. He started his hip hop career in a group called Urban Thermo Dynamics, after which he appeared on albums by Da Bush Babees and De La Soul. With Talib Kweli, he formed the duo Black Star, which...
  
   "Workin' it Out"
• Various Artists "The OZ Soundtrack"
• Pharcyde feat Jurassic 5 "Hard Times"
• NWH "Fear of a Black Hat Soundtrack"
• Martin Luther
  Martin Luther
  Martin Luther was a German priest, professor of theology and iconic figure of the Protestant Reformation. He strongly disputed the claim that freedom from God's punishment for sin could be purchased with money. He confronted indulgence salesman Johann Tetzel with his Ninety-Five Theses in 1517...
  
   "Rebel Soul Music"
• The Prophet of MCe "Sworn In"
• Domingo Presentando "Dulce de Leche"
• Deux Process
  Deux process
  Deux Process is a rap group composed of rapper Chief Nek and rapper/producer Vise Versa. The group was formed in 1999 and based in Colorado before making the move to Los Angeles in 2004...
  
   "In Deux Time"
• Saigon "Do You Know"
• Various Artists "The Girlfriends Soundtrack"
• Various Artists "The L Word Soundtrack"