Rhymesayers Entertainment Explained

Rhymesayers Entertainment
Founder:
Distributor:ADA (former)
Secretly Distribution (current)
Genre:Hip hop, underground hip hop, alternative hip hop
Country:U.S.
Location:Minneapolis, Minnesota

Rhymesayers Entertainment (sometimes abbreviated RSE[1]) is an American independent hip-hop record label based in Minneapolis.[2] [3]

History

Rhymesayers Entertainment was co-founded in 1995 by Sean Daley (Slug), Anthony Davis (Ant), Musab Saad (Sab the Artist) and Brent Sayers (Siddiq).[4] Former members of the Headshots crew.[5] Beginning in 2008, Rhymesayers Entertainment sponsors the annual Soundset Music Festival, a popular attraction that takes place over Memorial Day weekend in Minneapolis.[6] The music festival was postponed in 2020.[7]

Rhymesayers released Prof and Dem Atlas from their label in 2020.

In 2020, Rhymesayers was among the many labels distributed by Alternative Distribution Alliance that left the company after ADA moved all of its business to the Indiana-based Direct Shot Distributing. Controversy erupted when Direct Shot received numerous complaints from retailers over delayed or missing shipments.[8] As a result, Secretly Distribution became the current distributor for Rhymesayers Entertainment.[9]

The label also opened a record store in 1999 called Fifth Element, which closed on April 1, 2020.[10]

Roster

Artists in promotion by 2016[11]

Archived artists

Artists formerly signed to the label include

See also

Further reading

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Chaz. Kangas . Rhymesayers at 20: How the best roster in hip-hop was built. City Pages. December 2, 2015. June 30, 2019.
  2. How Rhymesayers Entertainment Survived 20 Years As An Indie Label. . Dan. Rhys . December 4, 2015. June 30, 2019.
  3. Web site: Rory. Burbeck . Rhymesayers Label Founders to Discuss 20 Years of Success at SXSW Music 2015. . February 4, 2015. January 6, 2016.
  4. Web site: Rhymesayers At 20: An Oral History. Forbes. Shawn. Setaro. November 30, 2015. January 6, 2016.
  5. Web site: A Moment In Rhymesayers: Episode 4 - Headshots Tape 4 History . Rhymesayers Entertainment . May 18, 2022.
  6. Web site: How Rhymesayers set up the Soundset Festival. City Pages. Reed. Fischer. May 23, 2012. June 30, 2019.
  7. News: Kangas . Chaz . 2020-01-24 . Soundset 2020: CANCELLED, Go Radio looks back on Soundset memories . en-US . Go 95.3 . 2020-11-01.
  8. Web site: Grech . Aaron . Indie Labels 4AD, Matador, Domino and More Exit Warner's Alternative Distribution Alliance Due to Delayed or Missing Vinyl Shipments . mxdwn.com . 7 January 2020 . mxdwn.com . 2020-08-30.
  9. Web site: Secretly Distribution - Partners . secretlydistribution.com . Secretly Group . 2020-08-30.
  10. News: Wiita . Tommy . 2020-03-27 . Fifth Element, Rhymesayers record store, closes permanently . en . KSTP . 2020-11-01.
  11. Web site: Artists. Rhymesayers Entertainment. January 6, 2016.