By Nathan Hammond, Grade 8

There are many record labels that stand out in the Hip-Hop business. Some started with a mic and a dream. Others had a lot of money to begin with. But either way they became major labels in the industry. Record labels are a huge part of an MC blowing up to become main stream. There are some rappers, such as Hopsin, Puff Daddy, and Tyler the Creator,  that made it without a label that wasn’t their own, but I could count them on my fingers.

YMCMB stands for Young Money Cash Money Billionaires. Originally, the record label started in the 90’s, but really became popular around 2008 and 2009. The leading artists of this label are Lil Wayne, Drake, Nicki Minaj, Tyga, Bow Wow, and Busta Rhymes. They command the charts with hit after hit, making YMCMB a household name. From “Starships”, to “The Motto” to “Rack City”, there seems to be no stopping this powerhouse.

In the early 2000’s, Shady Records became very popular with rappers 50 Cent, Obie Trice, Stat Quo, and rap group D12. Now its been almost a decade, and Shady Records is being reborn: as Shady 2.0. While they have kept the two acts 50 Cent and D12, all the rest of the artists have disappeared. But, the labels owner Eminem has signed two new acts: Yelawolf, a rapper from Alabama who can spit flames and still stay lyrical, and the rap super group Slaughterhouse, which consists of Joe Budden, Joell Ortiz, Crooked I, and Royce da 5’9”. Lyrically, this group is one of the best hip-hop has seen in a long time. The future of Shady Records is looking fantastic. Hopefully they’ll get new artists to add to their roster.

Hopefully, these two labels will become something even greater than what they are at the moment. Shady Records and YMCMB are two of the most respected hip-hop labels in the game.