From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
4th & B'way Records
(pronounced
and spelled out completely as
Fourth and Broadway Records
in the
UK
) is a
US
-based subsidiary of
Island Records
that specialised in street-oriented music such as
hip hop
. Established in 1984, it was the flagship label of the Island Trading Company, the independent-distribution parent company of Island's other
record labels
that operated in the US. However, 4th & B'way was not distributed through major-label channels?the flagship Island label was distributed by
Atlantic Records
at that time?until the label and distribution company were acquired by
PolyGram Records
in 1989, when Island Trading became a unit of PolyGram Group Distribution and was renamed
Independent Label Sales (ILS)
. It was also one of several US-based Island labels that were named after nearby
New York City
streets when Island's US headquarters were located at 14 East 4th Street in
Manhattan
, the same building that held the legendary
East Village
branch of
Tower Records
, and also nearby at 400 Lafayette Street. When Island moved its headquarters to the Worldwide Plaza Building at 825 8th Avenue in 1995, where PolyGram's US headquarters were also located, the empty 4th Street offices became the headquarters of
V2 Records
.
In the UK, Fourth and Broadway was established in 1992, and it had a roster different from its American version, although it did release titles from its American cousin and vice versa. 4th & B'way was shut down in 1998, shortly after
Chris Blackwell
left Island Records, and before the merger of the PolyGram and MCA label families that became
Universal Music Group
. 4th & B'way's remaining hip hop artists would be transferred to
Def Jam Recordings
.
[
citation needed
]
"
Pump Up the Volume
" by
MARRS
was distributed by 4th & B'way in the US. Other notable artists included
Eric B and Rakim
and
Noel
.
On April 12, 2013,
The Island Def Jam Music Group
reactivated the label as a dance-oriented imprint with Cazzette as its first artist on the reactivated imprint,
[1]
and has also signed
Route 94
,
Kiesza
, and
Loote
On November 17, 2020,
Island Records
relaunched the label again, naming LaTrice Burnette as the president of 4th and Broadway. Burnette will also continue her role as executive vice president of Island.
[2]
After being previously distributed by Island and strategically aligned with
Republic Records
in 2020, it was announced February 2022, 4th and B'way switched distribution to former sister label
Def Jam Recordings
.
[3]
See also
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]