Prism 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 pr ...

formed in 1978 by Len Fichtelberg (d. November 4, 2010). It was originally an independent label, focusing on the

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

R&B and

disco Disco is a genre of dance music and a subculture that emerged in the 1970s from the United States' urban nightlife scene. Its sound is typified by four-on-the-floor beats, syncopated basslines, string sections, brass and horns, electric p ...

scene of the day with groups like Erotic Drum Band and disco dance legends Lime. When

Cold Chillin' Records Cold Chillin' Records was a record label that released music during the golden age of hip hop from the late 1980s to the early 1990s. A producer-and-crew label founded by manager Tyrone Williams and run by Len Fichtelberg (d. November 4, 2010), ...

was formed in 1986, it was initially distributed by Prism, but label head Tyrone Williams and Fichtelberg decided to merge their companies. As a result, in 1989, the Prism name was phased out in favor of the new name. In 1987, Cold Chillin' signed a 5-year distribution deal with Warner Bros. Records. The first two Cold Chillin' releases through Warner Bros. (which, incidentally, were the second and third overall Cold Chillin' albums to be released) had the legend ''A Prism Records Production'' written on them. As Warner Bros. Records' premier hip-hop-based subsidiary label, Cold Chillin' released many classic records in the late 1980s and early 1990s from such notable acts as

Big Daddy Kane Antonio Hardy (born September 10, 1968), better known by his stage name Big Daddy Kane, is an American rapper who began his career in 1986 as a member of the Juice Crew. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential and skilled MCs in ...

, Biz Markie, Warp 9,

Kool G. Rap Nathaniel Thomas Wilson (born July 20, 1968), better known by his stage name Kool G Rap (or simply G Rap), is an American rapper from Queens, New York City. He began his career in the mid-1980s as one half of the group Kool G Rap & DJ Polo and as ...

, GZA,

Roxanne Shanté Lolita Shante Gooden (born March 8, 1970), better known by her stage name Roxanne Shante, is an American rapper. Born and raised in the Queensbridge Projects of Queens, New York City, Shante first gained attention through the Roxanne Wars and ...

Marley Marl Marlon Williams (born September 30, 1962), better known by his stage name Marley Marl, is an American DJ, record producer, rapper and record label founder, primarily operating in hip hop music. Marlon grew up in Queensbridge housing projects ...

, and the one-time featured on Prism Records artist Glamorous (Jo Ann Berry), with her singles "Good to Go" and "I Know You Want Me." She was also featured on the singles "Juice Crew All-Stars" and "Evolution" produced by

released on

in 1987. As the 1990s progressed though, the label began to flounder. Its deal with Warner Bros. ended, and it began having its records released through

Epic Records Epic Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the North American division of Japanese conglomerate Sony. The label was founded predominantly as a jazz and classical m ...

. Cold Chillin', however, continued to lose steam, and folded in 1998. Today the namesake is still used on its reissues and the catalog and trademark, save for the recordings of

and Kool G. Rap's ''4,5,6'', are now owned by LandSpeed Records, a division of Traffic Entertainment Group. The rights of the Prism catalogue, however, were acquired by Canada-based independent label Unidisc Records. There is no connection between the Prism Records of this article and the Prism Records bootleg CD manufacturer of 1994–1998 that was known for Dream Theater and Rush releases.

See also