Top Dawg Entertainment Explained

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Founder:Anthony Tiffith
Country:United States
Location:Los Angeles, California, U.S.

Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE) is an American independent record label. Specializing in hip hop and R&B artists, TDE is based in Carson, California. The label was founded in 2004 by record producer Anthony "Top Dawg" Tiffith, who is the chief executive officer. His son, Anthony "Moosa" Tiffith Jr., and Terrence "Punch" Henderson are the presidents of the label.

TDE concentrates on artist management, publishing and merchandising, and have worked with the "Big Three" record companies (Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group, and Sony Music Entertainment) for distribution ventures. The label also oversees subsidiaries such as TDE Films and their sports agency. The label is most notable for being the label that represented Kendrick Lamar, who was signed from 2005-2022, as he rose to stardom. There are currently eleven artists signed to TDE; flagship artists include SZA, Jay Rock, Ab-Soul and Schoolboy Q.[1]

History

2004–2007: Foundation

Top Dawg Entertainment was founded in 2004 by Anthony Tiffith, a record producer who previously worked with rappers The Game and Juvenile, among others. After his uncle found success as a manager for singer Rome, whose single "I Belong to You (Every Time I See Your Face)" was a major hit, Tiffith began scouting local talent as an escape from the street life of his Watts neighborhood.[2] He built a recording studio, dubbed it "House of Pain", and established the record label based on his nickname, Top Dawg. TDE's first signing was Jay Rock, who joined the label in 2005. Two weeks after his acquisition, Kendrick Lamar was signed to the label.[3] [4] In 2007, TDE signed Ab-Soul,[5] while rapper Terrence "Punch" Henderson and record producer Dave Free assumed the role as presidents of the label.[6] Jay Rock signed joint venture contracts with Warner Bros. Records and Asylum Records, but left after the labels failed to properly distribute his debut album Follow Me Home (2011).[7]

2008–2013: Joint ventures and breakthrough

The label released their first compilation mixtape, Do It Nigga Squad, Volume 1, in May 2008, which featured appearances from Lil Wayne and will.i.am.[8] Schoolboy Q, who had been affiliated with the label since 2006, signed with TDE in 2009. Before signing, the four rappers created the hip hop supergroup Black Hippy.[9] [10] In March 2012, The Fader reported that TDE closed a joint venture deal with Aftermath Entertainment and Interscope Records. Under the agreement, Lamar signed to Aftermath and Interscope, while Schoolboy Q joined Interscope.[11] [12] TDE partnered with BET for their Music Matters Tour in July,[13] and held its first "appreciation week" for their fans in August.[14]

Lamar's second studio album, Good Kid, M.A.A.D City (2012), debuted at number two on the US Billboard 200 chart and earned the highest first-week sales of the year by a male rapper.[15] It later became the first hip hop studio album to spend ten consecutive years on the Billboard 200.[16] On August 15, 2013, singer-songwriter SZA signed with TDE, becoming the first female artist to join the label.[17] [18] The label announced the signing of rapper Isaiah Rashad on September 20,[19] [20] after publications reported on his acquisition in June.[21] [22] Lamar, Jay Rock, Schoolboy Q, Ab-Soul and Rashad were featured in a TDE cypher at the 2013 BET Hip Hop Awards.[23] [24]

2014–2017: Signings and recognition

At the 56th Annual Grammy Awards (January 2014), Good Kid, M.A.A.D City earned seven nominations, including for Best Rap Album and Album of the Year.[25] Tiffith announced that TDE would be releasing six projects in 2014, beginning with Rashad's debut album Cilvia Demo.[26] Schoolboy Q released his third album Oxymoron on February 25, while SZA released her third extended play Z on April 8.[27] [28] Oxymoron earned the biggest first-week streams of 2014 on Spotify (3.3 million).[29] Ab-Soul released his third album, These Days..., on June 24.[30] To Pimp a Butterfly (2015), Lamar's third album, became TDE's first project to debut atop the Billboard 200 and set Spotify's global first-day streaming record (9.6 million).[31] [32] It won five awards at the 58th Annual Grammy Awards, including Best Rap Album.[33]

TDE previewed releases from the roster on February 29, 2016, and hinted at signing new artists.[34] Singer and rapper Lance Skiiiwalker signed to the label on May 20, and released his debut album Introverted Intuition on October 18.[35] [36] On January 19, 2017, TDE announced the signing of singer SiR.[37] Lamar's fourth album, DAMN., spent four nonconsecutive weeks atop the Billboard 200 and yielded TDE's first number-one single on the Billboard Hot 100, "Humble".[38] [39] SZA signed a joint recording contract with RCA Records on April 28,[40] [41] and her debut studio album, Ctrl, debuted at number three on the Billboard 200.[42]

2018–present: Spotify criticisms and Lamar's departure

Damn won five awards at the 60th Annual Grammy Awards (January 2018), including for Best Rap Album.[43] Ctrl received four nominations at the ceremony, including for Best Urban Contemporary Album.[44] SiR released his second album, November, on January 19.[45] On February 9, TDE released Black Panther: The Album, the soundtrack album for the Marvel Studios superhero film Black Panther. It was curated and executive produced by Lamar and Tiffith.[46] From May to June, artists embarked on TDE's first full-label tour, The Championship Tour.[47] [48] During the tour, Tiffith and Lamar entered into a publicized dispute with Spotify over their Hate Content & Hateful Conduct policy, which removed artists such as XXXTentacion and R. Kelly from their editorial and algorithmic playlists due to their respective legal issues.[49] [50] Tiffith, along with Henderson, claimed that the policy promoted censorship, and threatened to pull TDE's catalog from the platform if they kept the policy as it stood.[51] [52] Spotify reversed their policy in response to the criticism and reinstated XXXTentacion's music back onto playlists after other artists followed suit in threatening to pull their musical works.[53] [54]

Jay Rock signed a joint contract with Interscope Records, and released his third album Redemption on June 15, 2018.[55] [56] Rapper Reason joined the label on August 8.[57] On January 25, 2019, TDE announced the signing of singer Zacari, who has been affiliated with the label since 2017.[58] He released his first extended play, Run Wild Run Free, on March 15.[59] Schoolboy Q released his fifth album, Crash Talk, on April 26.[60] SiR signed a joint contract with RCA Records and released his third album Chasing Summer on August 30.[61] [62]

Rolling Stone reported that Dave Free left the label in October 2019; his position as co-president was later succeeded by Tiffith's son, Anthony "Moosa" Tiffith Jr.[63] After rumors emerged of his departure in 2020,[64] Lamar confirmed that he was producing his final album under TDE on August 20, 2021.[65] Five days later, the label announced the signing of rapper Ray Vaughn, who began working with them in 2020.[66] On March 31, 2022, TDE partnered with Capitol Records and signed rapper Doechii. She is the second female rapper to join the label.[67] [68] SZA's second studio album, SOS (2022), broke several Billboard chart records and spawned TDE's second number-one single "Kill Bill".[69] [70]

Other ventures

Philanthropy

TDE has held their annual Christmas concert and toy drive in Nickerson Gardens since 2014.[71] The concerts featured performances by the roster, and included guest appearances from Rihanna, E-40, and Chris Brown.[72] [73] In February 2018, the label and Interscope Records purchased five screenings of Black Panther in three theaters to allow 1,000 children from three Watts public housing complexes to view the film for free.[74] [75] In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Tiffith paid the rent of over 300 families in Los Angeles' public housing developments.[76]

Sports

TDE established a sports division agency in January 2018, led by agent Faddie Mikhail.[77] American football player Derrius Guice became the first athlete to sign with the agency.[78]

TDE Films

On November 8, 2016, TDE announced the creation of their film production company TDE Films, and began looking for writers, producers, and directors.[79] [80] For their work on Lamar's "Alright" and "Humble", the division has won the Grammy Award for Best Music Video twice.[81]

Artists

Current acts

ActYear
signed		Releases
under the label		Other labels
Punch2004—
Jay Rock200513Interscope
Ab-Soul20077
Schoolboy Q20096Interscope
SZA20133RCA
Isaiah Rashad20133Warner Bros.
Lance Skiiiwalker20164Rocketeer
SiR20174RCA
Zacari20191
Ray Vaughn20201
Doechii20221Capitol

Former acts

ActYears on
the label		Releases
under the label
Kendrick Lamar[82] 2005–202212
Black Hippy2008-2022—
Reason2018–20244

In-house producers

Current

Former

Discography

See main article: Top Dawg Entertainment discography.

The discography of Top Dawg Entertainment currently consists of 25 studio albums, two compilation albums, six extended plays (EPs) and 17 mixtapes. Overall the label has sold more than ten million records in the US alone.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Ducker. Eric. July 23, 2014. A Rational Conversation: The Sound Of TDE's Success. NPR Music. July 16, 2021.
  2. Diehl . Matt . 2014-02-28 . Top Dawg's Kendrick Lamar & ScHoolboy Q Cover Story: Enter the House of Pain . 2023-08-10 . Billboard . en-US.
  3. Web site: Hopper . Jessica . October 9, 2012 . Kendrick Lamar: Not Your Average Everyday Rap Savior . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20160304193143/https://www.spin.com/2012/10/kendrick-lamar-not-your-average-everyday-rap-savior/ . March 4, 2016 . September 30, 2023 . Spin.
  4. Web site: 2011-01-06 . Kendrick Lamar: The West Coast Got Somethin' To Say . 2023-07-07 . HipHopDX . en.
  5. Web site: Ahmed, Insanu . Who Is Ab-Soul? – Joining TDE. Complex. July 10, 2012. July 11, 2012.
  6. Web site: 2012-10-24 . More Levels, The Brains Behind Top Dawg Entertainment [September 2012 Story] ]. 2023-08-10 . XXL . en.
  7. Web site: Rello says . Top Dawg Entertainment Making Mark……..TDE . https://web.archive.org/web/20131203023434/http://hiphopmoneymagazine.com/top-dawg-entertainment-making-its-mark-tde/ . dead . December 3, 2013 . Hiphopmoneymagazine.com . June 7, 2014.
  8. Web site: Top Dawg Ent. – Do It Nigga Squad // Free Mixtape. DatPiff. Idle Media Inc. 2008-05-08. 2013-08-30. February 26, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190226204027/http://www.datpiff.com/Jay-Rock-Do-It-Nigga-Sq%C2%AD-mixtape.14554.html. dead.
  9. Web site: Ahmed. Insanu. Who Is Schoolboy Q? - Joining Top Dawg Entertainment. Complex. February 3, 2012. February 6, 2012.
  10. Web site: Ahmed. Insanu. Who Is Schoolboy Q? – His group, Black Hippy. Complex. February 3, 2012. February 6, 2012.
  11. Web site: Alexis . Nadeska . March 8, 2012 . Kendrick Lamar, Black Hippy Ink Deals With Interscope And Aftermath . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20150908123927/http://rapfix.mtv.com/2012/03/08/kendrick-lamar-signs-with-interscope-aftermath/ . September 8, 2015 . March 8, 2012 . MTV .
  12. Web site: TDE's Punch On Next Moves, Signing SZA And The Rough Ryders . Xxlmag.com . 2013-10-24 . 2014-06-07.
  13. Web site: Isenberg . Daniel . October 11, 2012 . Watch TDE's Latest BET Music Matters Tour Vlog . August 10, 2023 . Complex . en-us.
  14. Web site:
    1. TDEFamAppreciationWeek
    . #TDEFamAppreciationWeek . 2DOPEBOYZ . 2012-08-19 . 2014-06-07.
  15. Caulfield . Keith . 2012-10-31 . Kendrick Lamar Debuts at No. 2 as Taylor Swift's 'Red' Tops Billboard 200 . 2023-08-10 . Billboard . en-US.
  16. Web site: Mahadevan . Tara C. . 2022-10-21 . Kendrick Lamar's 'Good Kid, M.A.A.D. City' Spends 10 Successive Years on Billboard 200 Chart . 2023-08-10 . Complex . en-us.
  17. Web site: 2013-08-14 . Presenting TDE's New Songstress. Listen To SZA's New Song, "Teen Spirit" . 2014-06-07 . TheSource .
  18. Web site: Britton . Luke Morgan . 2013-08-15 . SZA signs to Kendrick Lamar's Top Dawg Entertainment label . 2023-08-10 . The Line of Best Fit . en-US.
  19. Web site: 2013-09-21 . Top Dawg Introduces New Signee, Isaiah Rashad . 2023-08-10 . The Source . en-US.
  20. Web site: Udoko . Itoro . 2013-09-23 . Numbah 4,080: Isaiah Rashad Signs to Top Dawg Entertainment, Drops New Single and Video . 2023-08-10 . Nashville Scene . en.
  21. Web site: Paine . Jake . 2013-06-03 . TDE Reportedly Signs Chattanooga, Tennessee Rapper Isaiah Rashad . 2014-06-07 . HipHopDX.
  22. Web site: Josephs . Brian . 2013-06-02 . Kendrick Lamar Confirms There's a New Artist Joining TDE . 2014-06-07 . Complex.
  23. Web site: Keith Nelson Jr (@JusAire) . Kendrick Lamar Responds To Rivals In TDE's BET Hip Hop Awards Cypher (VIDEO) . AllHipHop.com . 2013-10-15 . 2014-06-07.
  24. Web site: Hughes . Josiah . Watch Kendrick Lamar, Rick Ross, Future, French Montana and More Perform at the BET Hip-Hop Awards • News • . Exclaim.ca . 2013-10-15 . 2014-06-07.
  25. 2014-01-27 . 56th Annual Grammy Awards: Full Winners List . 2023-08-10 . Billboard . en-US.
  26. Web site: VIBE . 2013-12-23 . Top Dawg Entertainment To Drop 6 Albums From Entire Roster In 2014? . 2023-08-10 . VIBE.com . en-US.
  27. Web site: Roberts . Randall . 2014-02-24 . Schoolboy Q's new album, 'Oxymoron,' lives up to hip-hop buzz . 2023-08-10 . Los Angeles Times . en-US.
  28. Ugwu . Reggie . 2014-04-07 . SZA Talks 'Z' Album & Being the Only Girl In Top Dawg Entertainment . 2023-08-10 . Billboard . en-US.
  29. Web site: Baker . Soren . 2014-03-07 . ScHoolboy Q's "Oxymoron" Has 2014's Biggest First-Week Spotify Stream . 2023-08-10 . HipHopDX . en.
  30. Web site: Thurm . Eric . 2014-06-24 . Ab-Soul loses control on These Days… . 2023-08-10 . The A.V. Club . en.
  31. Caulfield . Keith . 2015-03-25 . Kendrick Lamar Earns His First No. 1 Album on Billboard 200 Chart . 2023-08-10 . Billboard . en-US.
  32. Linshi . Jack . 2015-03-18 . Kendrick Lamar's 'To Pimp a Butterfly' Sets First-Day Streaming Record on Spotify . 2023-08-10 . Time . en.
  33. News: Bixby . Scott . 2016-02-16 . Kendrick Lamar galvanizes Grammys with politically charged performance . en-GB . The Guardian . 2023-08-10 . 0261-3077.
  34. Web site: Fleischer . Adam . March 1, 2016 . Top Dawg Entertainment Previews 2016 Releases For Kendrick Lamar, Schoolboy Q, And The Rest Of The Label . https://web.archive.org/web/20160302095953/http://www.mtv.com/news/2747619/tde-2016-album-release-schedule-kendrick-lamar-schoolboy-q-black-hippy/ . dead . March 2, 2016 . July 1, 2016 . MTV.
  35. Web site: Hernandez . Victoria . 2016-05-20 . TDE Announces Signing Of Lance Skiiiwalker . 2023-08-10 . HipHopDX . en.
  36. Web site: Breihan . Tom . 2016-10-18 . Stream Lance Skiiiwalker Introverted Intuition . 2023-08-10 . Stereogum . en.
  37. Web site: Bundy . Will . January 19, 2017 . TDE Announces SiR As Latest Signing . January 19, 2017 . The Fader.
  38. Caulfield . Keith . 2017-04-23 . Kendrick Lamar Earns Third No. 1 Album on Billboard 200 Chart With Biggest Debut of 2017 . 2023-08-10 . Billboard . en-US.
  39. Web site: Cowen . Trace William . 2017-04-27 . Kendrick Lamar's "Humble" Takes the Top Spot on Billboard Hot 100 . 2023-08-10 . Complex . en-us.
  40. Web site: Cinnsealach . Somhairle . April 28, 2017 . SZA Signs To RCA Records . April 28, 2017 . HipHopDX.
  41. Web site: Schwartz . Danny . April 28, 2017 . SZA Announces Deal With RCA . April 28, 2017 . HNHH.
  42. Web site: Eustice . Kyle . 2017-06-19 . Hip Hop Album Sales: SZA's "CTRL" Debuts On Billboard 200 . 2023-08-10 . HipHopDX . en.
  43. Blistein . Jon . 2018-01-29 . Bruno Mars, Kendrick Lamar Dominate 2018 Grammy Awards . 2023-08-10 . Rolling Stone . en-US.
  44. Web site: Renshaw . David . 2017-11-26 . SZA is the most nominated woman artist at the 2018 Grammy Awards . 2023-08-10 . The FADER . en.
  45. Lamarre . Carl . 2018-01-19 . Stream TDE Signee SiR's Debut Album 'November' With ScHoolboy Q & Etta Bond . 2023-08-10 . Billboard . en-US.
  46. Web site: Tiffany. Kaitlyn. Kendrick Lamar produced the soundtrack for Black Panther. The Verge. January 4, 2018. January 4, 2018.
  47. Lamarre . Carl . 2018-01-22 . Kendrick Lamar & SZA to Headline TDE's The Championship Tour . 2023-08-10 . Billboard . en-US.
  48. Web site: Wicks . Amanda . April 17, 2018 . Watch Kendrick, SZA, More Play Sports and Train for TDE Championship Tour . April 17, 2018 . Pitchfork.
  49. News: Ch . Devin . 2018-05-25 . Kendrick Lamar Apparently Threatened To Pull Music From Spotify Following Censorship . HotNewHipHop . Urbanlinx Media . 2018-09-12.
  50. News: Joe. Coscarelli. January 12, 2019. Spotify Pulls R. Kelly and XXXTentacion From Playlists, Stirring a Debate. The New York Times. May 10, 2018. 0362-4331.
  51. Web site: January 12, 2019. Spotify Plans to Change XXXTentacion Policy After Outcry. Lucas. Shaw. May 24, 2018. Bloomberg.
  52. News: Strauss, Matthew. Kendrick Label Head Confirms He Threatened to Pull Music From Spotify. 21 October 2018 . . 1 June 2018.
  53. Web site: Fitzgerald, Kiana . Why Kendrick Lamar's Attempt to Stop Spotify's Hateful Conduct Policy Is So Dangerous. . Rich Antoniello . 2018-05-30. 2018-05-30.
  54. News: Snapes, Laura. Spotify to review its 'hateful conduct' policy following industry criticism. . . 2018-05-25 . 2018-09-12. London.
  55. News: Zisook . Brian . 2018-01-15 . Jay Rock to Release New Album Through TDE and Interscope . en . DJBooth . 2023-08-10.
  56. Web site: Purdom . Clayton . 2018-06-22 . Don't let the preposterous flood of major rap releases make you forget Jay Rock . 2023-08-10 . The A.V. Club . en.
  57. Web site: Berry . Peter A. . August 6, 2018 . California Rapper Reason Signs to Top Dawg Entertainment . August 8, 2018 . XXL.
  58. Web site: CH . Daniel . January 25, 2019 . TDE Officially Adds Zacari To Its Loaded Roster . 25 January 2019 . HotNewHipHop.
  59. Web site: Kim . Michelle Hyun . 2019-03-22 . Zacari: Run Wild Run Free . 2023-08-10 . Pitchfork . en-US.
  60. Web site: Williams . Kyann-Sian . 2019-04-26 . ScHoolboy Q – 'CrasH Talk' review . 2023-08-10 . NME . en-GB.
  61. Web site: Stassen . Murphy . 2019-08-07 . Top Dawg Entertainment and RCA team up again for new SiR album . 2023-08-10 . Music Business Worldwide . en-US.
  62. Web site: Ivey . Justin . 2019-08-29 . TDE's SiR Shares "Chasing Summer" Album Featuring Kendrick Lamar, Lil Wayne & More . 2023-08-10 . HipHopDX . en.
  63. Leight . Elias . Dave Free Leaves Top Dawg Entertainment . Rolling Stone. October 4, 2019 . January 26, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230126034804/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/top-dawg-entertainment-dave-free-split-894781/ . January 26, 2023 . live.
  64. Mamo . Heran . 2020-10-06 . Kendrick Lamar Responds to Rumors He Left Top Dawg Entertainment . 2023-08-10 . Billboard . en-US.
  65. Web site: Yoo . Noah . Kendrick Lamar Says He's Producing His "Final TDE Album" . Pitchfork. August 20, 2021 . January 26, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230126034452/https://pitchfork.com/news/kendrick-lamar-says-hes-producing-his-final-tde-album/ . January 26, 2023 . live.
  66. Web site: Price . Joe . Ray Vaughn Signs to TDE, Drops 3-Song EP 'Peer Pressure' . Complex . August 25, 2021 . January 26, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230126035025/https://www.complex.com/music/ray-vaughn-signs-to-tde-ep-peer-pressure . January 26, 2023 . live.
  67. Aderoju . Darlene . 2022-03-31 . Doechii Signs With Capitol Records: 'My Music Starts Right Here' . 2023-08-10 . Billboard . en-US.
  68. Web site: Abraham . Mya . 2022-03-31 . TDE's First Female Rapper, Doechii, Signs Joint Deal With Capitol Records . 2023-08-10 . VIBE.com . en-US.
  69. News: Smith . Danyel . 2023-02-08 . SZA's Ruination Brought Her Everything . en . The New York Times . 2023-08-19 . 0362-4331.
  70. Trust . Gary . 2023-04-24 . SZA Scores Her First Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 With 'Kill Bill' . 2023-08-19 . Billboard . en-US.
  71. Web site: TDE Gears Up for Its Third Annual Holiday Concert and Toy Giveaway . Complex . 2 January 2020.
  72. Web site: Brown . August . Top Dawg Entertainment's Christmas party in Watts was equally reflective and celebratory . . December 20, 2018 . 2 January 2020.
  73. Web site: Here's When the 5th Annual TDE Concert Toy Drive Is Going Down . Complex . 2 January 2020.
  74. Web site: Mahadevan . Tara C. . TDE Is Sending Nearly 1,000 Kids to See 'Black Panther' in Watts . 2023-08-10 . Complex . en-us.
  75. Web site: 2018-02-16 . TDE's CEO Anthony "Top Dawg" Tiffith Hosts 'Black Panther' Screening For Watts Children . 2023-08-10 . Yahoo News . en-US.
  76. Web site: Price . Joe . 2020-04-23 . TDE CEO Anthony Tiffith Paid Rent for Over 300 L.A. Families . 2023-08-10 . Complex . en-us.
  77. Web site: Williams . Charean . 2018-01-19 . Derrius Guice goes with music agency for representation . 2023-08-10 . NBC Sports . en-US.
  78. Web site: Rovell . Darren . Derrius Guice signs with agency that reps Kendrick Lamar . ESPN . January 19, 2018 . 10 June 2018.
  79. Tardio . Andres . 2018-01-16 . Why Kendrick Lamar & Top Dawg's Hollywood Takeover Feels Imminent: Op-Ed . 2023-08-10 . Billboard . en-US.
  80. Thomas . Datwon . 2017-09-14 . Kendrick Lamar and Anthony 'Top Dawg' Tiffith on How They Built Hip-Hop's Greatest Indie Label . 2023-08-10 . Billboard . en-US.
  81. Web site: Mojica . Nick . 2018-01-28 . Kendrick Lamar Wins Best Rap Song and More at 2018 Grammy Awards - XXL . 2023-08-10 . XXL . en.
  82. Legaspi . Althea . Kendrick Lamar's 'Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers' Album Is Finally Here: Listen . Rolling Stone . 13 May 2022 . 13 May 2022.
  83. News: Phillips . Yoh . Kal Banx Played a Beat for J. Cole. It Changed His Life . DJBooth.

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