Interscope-Geffen-A&M
Encyclopedia
Interscope-Geffen-A&M is an umbrella label, owned by Universal Music Group
. The company was formed in 1999, when Geffen Records
and A&M Records
were merged into Interscope Records
—the flagship imprint of the operation.
Interscope-Geffen-A&M is one of two UMG units in North America to deal primarily with hip hop, pop, rock, and urban performers - the other being The Island Def Jam Motown Music Group
.
, G-Unit Records
, Kon Live Distribution Aftermath Entertainment
, Shady Records
, Cherrytree Records
, Fontana Records
, Mosley Music Group
, Star Trak Entertainment
, Suretone Records
and will.i.am music group
. It also distributes newer releases by the UK-based Polydor Records
in the United States and Canada (usually under A&M, but sometimes through Interscope or Geffen), while Polydor in turn distributes Interscope-Geffen-A&M releases internationally.
Additionally, it manages the pop/rock/urban back catalogs of MCA Records
, DreamWorks Records
, ABC Records
, Dunhill Records
, Song Bird Records
, Peacock Records
, Duke Records
, Back Beat Records
, and the Famous Music
Group (which included Dot Records
and Paramount Records
), among other labels (releases by these labels that fell under other music genres are managed by other Universal divisions that deal with these genres). Most of these catalogs are under the Geffen subdivision.
Universal Music Group
Universal Music Group is an American music group, the largest of the "big four" record companies by its commanding market share and its multitude of global operations...
. The company was formed in 1999, when Geffen Records
Geffen Records
Geffen Records is an American record label, owned by Universal Music Group, and operated as one third of UMG's Interscope-Geffen-A&M label group.-Beginnings:...
and A&M Records
A&M Records
A&M Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group that operates under the mantle of its Interscope-Geffen-A&M division.-Beginnings:...
were merged into Interscope Records
Interscope Records
Interscope Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group that currently operates as one third of UMG's Interscope-Geffen-A&M label group.-History:...
—the flagship imprint of the operation.
Interscope-Geffen-A&M is one of two UMG units in North America to deal primarily with hip hop, pop, rock, and urban performers - the other being The Island Def Jam Motown Music Group
The Island Def Jam Motown Music Group
The Island Def Jam Motown Music Group, formerly The Island Def Jam Music Group, is an umbrella label formed in 1999 when Universal Music Group merged two of its daughter companies, Island Records and Def Jam Recordings, to create a label group. In 2011, Motown Records was split from the Universal...
.
Imprints
Interscope-Geffen-A&M also encompasses A&M/Octone RecordsA&M/Octone Records
A&M/Octone Records is an American record label and a joint venture between Universal Music Group and Octone Records, also known as OctoScope Music...
, G-Unit Records
G-Unit Records
G-Unit Records is an American record label, specializing in hip hop music, founded in 2003 by rapper 50 Cent and his manager Sha Money XL. Upon its inception, it operated as a subsidiary of, and was distributed through, Universal Music Group's Interscope Records...
, Kon Live Distribution Aftermath Entertainment
Aftermath Entertainment
Aftermath Entertainment is an American record label founded by Dr. Dre. It operates as a subsidiary of, and is distributed through, Universal Music Group's Interscope Records. Current acts include Dr. Dre, Eminem, 50 Cent and Slim da Mobster, with former acts including Busta Rhymes, Game, Raekwon,...
, Shady Records
Shady Records
Shady Records is an American record label specializing in hip hop music. Eminem and his manager Paul Rosenberg founded the label in 1999 after the release of The Slim Shady LP.Since the formation, the label has signed nine acts...
, Cherrytree Records
Cherrytree Records
Cherrytree Records is an American record label and is an imprint of Interscope Records.-History:Cherrytree Records was founded in 2005 by Martin Kierszenbaum, being German for cherry tree...
, Fontana Records
Fontana Records
Fontana Records is a record label which was started in the 1950s as a subsidiary of the Dutch Philips Records; when Philips restructured its music operations it dropped Fontana in favor of Vertigo Records. In the seventies PolyGram acquired the dormant label....
, Mosley Music Group
Mosley Music Group
Mosley Music Group is a record label created by producer Tim "Timbaland" Mosley. It operates as an imprint of, and is distributed through, Universal Music Group's Interscope Records.-History:...
, Star Trak Entertainment
Star Trak Entertainment
Star Trak Entertainment is a record label, founded by record producers Chad Hugo and Pharrell Williams in 2001. Today it operates as a subsidiary of Universal Music Group, and is distributed by Interscope Records.-Beginnings:...
, Suretone Records
Suretone Records
Suretone Records is an American record label established in 2006 as a joint venture by Jordan Schur, former CEO of Geffen Records, and Interscope Records, to release alternative rock music...
and will.i.am music group
Will.i.am music group
will.i.am music group is a vanity label founded by hip hop artist will.i.am of the The Black Eyed Peas. Other than will.i.am, there are popular artists such as Fergie, Macy Gray and Sérgio Mendes signed to the label...
. It also distributes newer releases by the UK-based Polydor Records
Polydor Records
Polydor is a record label owned by Universal Music Group, headquartered in the United Kingdom.-Beginnings:Polydor was originally an independent branch of the Deutsche Grammophon Gesellschaft. Its name was first used as an export label in 1924, the British and German branches of the Gramophone...
in the United States and Canada (usually under A&M, but sometimes through Interscope or Geffen), while Polydor in turn distributes Interscope-Geffen-A&M releases internationally.
Additionally, it manages the pop/rock/urban back catalogs of MCA Records
MCA Records
MCA Records was an American-based record company owned by MCA Inc., which later gave way to the larger MCA Music Entertainment Group , of which MCA Records was still part. MCA Records was absorbed by Geffen Records in 2003...
, DreamWorks Records
DreamWorks Records
DreamWorks Records was an American record label. Founded in 1996 by David Geffen, Steven Spielberg and Jeffrey Katzenberg as a subsidiary of DreamWorks SKG, the label operated until 2005 when it was shut down...
, ABC Records
ABC Records
ABC Records was an American record label, founded in New York City in 1955 as ABC-Paramount Records. It originated as the main popular music label operated the Am-Par Record Corporation, the music subsidiary of the American Broadcasting Company . ABC-Paramount Records' first president was Samuel H....
, Dunhill Records
Dunhill Records
Dunhill Records was started by Lou Adler, Al Bennett, Pierre Cossette and Bobby Roberts in 1964 as Dunhill Productions, originally for the purpose of releasing Johnny Rivers recordings on Imperial Records. It became a record label in 1965 and was distributed by ABC Records...
, Song Bird Records
Song Bird Records
Song Bird Records was started at the end of 1963 as a second gospel music subsidiary of Houston, Texas based Duke/Peacock Records. Significant artists on this record label included the powerful contralto Inez Andrews , The Gospelettes with Liz Dargan , mixed vocal group The Kansas City Melodyaires...
, Peacock Records
Peacock Records
Peacock Records was a record label started in 1949 by Don D. Robey in Houston, Texas."Hound Dog" by Big Mama Thornton was a bit hit for Peacock in 1953. Other significant rhythm & blues artists on Peacock were Marie Adams, James Booker, Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown, Little Richard, Memphis Slim, and...
, Duke Records
Duke Records
Duke Records was an American record label, started in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1952 by David James Mattis and Bill Fitzgerald, owners of Tri-State Recording Company. Their first release was Roscoe Gordon singing "Hey Fat Girl", issued on Duke R-1, later amended to R-101.After forming a partnership...
, Back Beat Records
Back Beat Records
Back Beat Records was the soul sub-label of Duke Records started in 1957. It was later acquired by ABC Records in the 70's. The label's biggest hits included "Treat Her Right" by Roy Head & The Traits, "Tell Me Why" by Norman Fox and The Rob Roys, and "Everlasting Love" by Carl Carlton...
, and the Famous Music
Famous Music
Famous Music was the worldwide music publishing division of Paramount Pictures, a division of Viacom since 1994. Its copyright holdings span several decades and includes music from such Academy Award-winning motion pictures as The Godfather and Forrest Gump...
Group (which included Dot Records
Dot Records
Dot Records was an American record label and company that was active between 1950 and 1977. It was founded by Randy Wood. In Gallatin, Tennessee, Wood had earlier started a mail order record shop, known for its radio ads on WLAC in Nashville and its R&B air personality Bill "Hoss" Allen...
and Paramount Records
Paramount Records (1969)
Paramount Records was a record label started in 1969 by Paramount Pictures after acquiring the rights to the name from George H. Buck. The previous label with the same name had been unconnected to Paramount Pictures. The new Paramount label reissued pop releases by sister label Dot Records, which...
), among other labels (releases by these labels that fell under other music genres are managed by other Universal divisions that deal with these genres). Most of these catalogs are under the Geffen subdivision.