Blackground Records

infobox record label


parent =
founded = 1993
founder = Barry Hankerson
distributor = Universal Records (US)
genre = Various
country = US
url = [http://www.blackground.net/ Official website of Blackground Records]

Blackground Records is an American record label, owned by entertainment attorney and artist manager Barry Hankerson and his son Jomo Hankerson. The label is home to Aaliyah, JoJo, Timbaland & Magoo, Tank, Kali Girls and JAK.

In 1993, when Hankerson's teenaged niece Aaliyah couldn't get a record deal, Hankerson formed the label, and she became its first signee. At the time, Hankerson was managing R. Kelly, and was able to get his label Jive Records to distribute Blackground's releases. In 1996 Blackground obtained a lucrative distribution deal with Atlantic Records, just before the release of Aaliyah's second album, "One in a Million".

Often playing distributor hopscotch, in 2000, Blackground switched over to EMI's Virgin Records. Two years later, it moved again, this time finding a home at Universal Motown Records Group.

Currently the most successful acts from the label are JoJo & Aaliyah.

The following artists signed to Blackground

*Aaliyah
*Ashley Parker Angel
*Timbaland & Magoo
*Timbaland
*JoJo
*Tank
*Playa
*Static Major
*Toni Braxton (2003-2007)
*Kasey Butler
*Kali Girls
*JAK

See also

* List of record labels

References