4th & B'way Records
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| - | '''''Paid in Full''''' is the debut [[studio album]] of American [[hip hop music|hip hop]] duo [[Eric B. & Rakim]], released July 7, 1987 on [[Island Records|Island]]-subsidiary label [[4th & B'way Records]]. The duo recorded the album at [[Hip hop production|hip hop producer]] [[Marley Marl]]'s home studio and Power Play Studios in [[New York City]], following Rakim's response to Eric B.'s search for a rapper to complement his [[disc jockey]] work in 1985. The album peaked at number fifty-eight on the [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' 200]] chart and produced five singles, "[[Eric B. Is President]]", "[[I Ain't No Joke]]", "[[I Know You Got Soul (Eric B. & Rakim song)|I Know You Got Soul]]", "Move the Crowd", and "[[Paid in Full (Eric B. & Rakim song)|Paid in Full]]". | + | '''4th & B’way Records''' (spelled out completely as '''Fourth and Broadway Records''' in the UK) was a US-based subsidiary of [[Island Records]] that specialized in street-oriented music such as [[hip-hop music|hip-hop]]. Established in 1984, it was the flagship label of the Island Trading Company, the independent-distribution parent company of Island's other 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]], in the same building that held the legendary [[Greenwich 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 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 different roster than 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]]. |
| - | ''Paid in Full'' is credited as a benchmark album of [[golden age hip hop]]. Rakim's rapping, which pioneered the use of [[internal rhyme]]s in hip hop, set a higher standard of lyricism in the genre and served as a template for future rappers. The album's heavy sampling by Eric B. became influential in hip hop production. The record has sold over a million copies and the [[Recording Industry Association of America]] (RIAA) certified it [[RIAA certification|platinum]] in 1995. In 2003, the album was ranked number 227 on ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' magazine's list of [[The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time|the 500 greatest albums of all time]]. | + | Pop hit "[[Pump up the Volume]]" by [[MARRS]] was distributed by 4th & B'way in the USA. Other notable artists included [[Eric B and Rakim]] and [[Noel Pagan|Noel]]. |
| + | ==See also == | ||
| + | *[[List of former Island Records artists]] | ||
| + | *[[List of record labels]] | ||
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4th & B’way Records (spelled out completely as Fourth and Broadway Records in the UK) was a US-based subsidiary of Island Records that specialized 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 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, in the same building that held the legendary Greenwich 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 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 different roster than 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.
Pop hit "Pump up the Volume" by MARRS was distributed by 4th & B'way in the USA. Other notable artists included Eric B and Rakim and Noel.
See also
