Rawkus Records is an American hip hop record label known for jump-starting the careers of both Mos Def and Talib Kweli. Rawkus was searching for a new sound at first, with initial releases being in the genres of House and Drum & Bass. Label heads Brian Brater and Jarret Meyer were introduced to local talent from the New York area, notably Mos Def, Talib Kweli, and Company Flow among others. From these introductions began a new direction for them....
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Rawkus Records is an American hip hop record label known for jump-starting the careers of both Mos Def and Talib Kweli. Rawkus was searching for a new sound at first, with initial releases being in the genres of House and Drum & Bass. Label heads Brian Brater and Jarret Meyer were introduced to local talent from the New York area, notably Mos Def, Talib Kweli, and Company Flow among others. From these introductions began a new direction for them. Rawkus developed into one the dominant hip-hop labels of the '90s, issuing a string of 12" releases. These releases helped initiate a resurgence in the New York/East Coast sound. Many of Rawkus' releases are considered "classics" among hip hop aficionados.
At the time of the mid to late '90s Rawkus among other burgening labels was considered a top independent record label in the underground hip hop scene. News began to surface that Rawkus was not truly independent but in fact funded in an indirect way by Rupert Murdoch through son James...
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