Relativity Records was an American
record label
A record label, or record company, is a brand or trademark of music recordings and music videos, or the company that owns it. Sometimes, a record label is also a publishing company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the produ ...
founded by Barry Kobrin at the site of his company,
Important Record Distributors (IRD) in metro New York.
Relativity released music that covers a wide variety of musical genres. When it entered into a deal with
Sony Music Entertainment
Sony Music Entertainment (SME), also known as simply Sony Music, is an American multinational music company. Being owned by the parent conglomerate Sony Group Corporation, it is part of the Sony Music Group, which is owned by Sony Entertainmen ...
, it became more known for its
heavy metal and
hip hop releases.
History
Although it was reportedly established in 1985,
there is evidence that the Relativity Records imprint began as an in-house IRD label.
In the 1980s, Relativity Records was mostly focused on
rock music
Rock music is a broad genre of popular music that originated as " rock and roll" in the United States in the late 1940s and early 1950s, developing into a range of different styles in the mid-1960s and later, particularly in the United States an ...
, including heavy metal and
punk rock.
Releases in this genre were split among Relativity and its sister labels
Combat and In-Effect Records. Following the recession of 1990, these labels were folded back into the main Relativity label.
Also in that year,
Sony Music
Sony Music Entertainment (SME), also known as simply Sony Music, is an American multinational music company. Being owned by the parent conglomerate Sony Group Corporation, it is part of the Sony Music Group, which is owned by Sony Entertainme ...
acquired a 50% stake in the company.
Around 1992, the label underwent restructuring. IRD was renamed
Relativity Entertainment Distribution. In 1995, Relativity entered into limited partnership deals with two regional independent hip hop record labels, Suave Records and
Ruthless Records in 1993.
The company was acquired by Sony in 2007.
See also
*
List of record labels
File:Alvinoreyguitarboogie.jpg
File:AmMusicBunk78.jpg
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Lists of record labels cover record labels, brands or trademarks associated with marketing of music recordings and music videos. The lists are organized alphabetically, b ...
References
Defunct record labels of the United States
Sony Music
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