Stones Throw Records is an American
independent record label
An independent record label (or indie label) is a record label that operates without the funding or distribution of major record labels; they are a type of small and medium-sized enterprise, small- to medium-sized enterprise, or SME. The labels ...
based in Los Angeles, California. Under the direction of founder
Peanut Butter Wolf, Stones Throw has released music ranging from hip hop to experimental psychedelic rock. ''
LA Weekly
''LA Weekly'' is a free weekly alternative newspaper in Los Angeles, California. The paper covers music, arts, film, theater, culture, and other local news in the Los Angeles area. ''LA Weekly'' was founded in 1978 by Jay Levin (among others), ...
'' deemed the label an "eternally evolving experiment" in celebration of its 20th anniversary.
History
1990s
Chris Manak, known professionally as
Peanut Butter Wolf, founded Stones Throw in 1996 as a means of releasing music he had recorded previously with the subsequently deceased rapper Charles Edward Hicks Jr., known professionally as
Charizma.
Hicks and Manak met in 1989 at 16 and 19, respectively, and began collaborating as Charizma and Peanut Butter Wolf.
The duo released one promo cassette of "Red Light Green Light" through Hollywood Basic—the now-defunct hip-hop subsidiary of
Hollywood Records
Hollywood Records is an American record label owned by the Disney Music Group which focuses on pop, rock, alternative, hip hop and country genres, also specializing in recordings for a more mature audience not suitable for the flagship Wal ...
—before leaving the label. Their collaboration was cut short in 1993, when Hicks was fatally shot in a carjacking at the age of 20.
Stones Throw's first release, "My World Premiere" by Charizma and Peanut Butter Wolf, arrived three years later.
2004–2014
The label has released hip hop records including ''
Madvillainy
''Madvillainy'' is the only studio album by American hip-hop duo Madvillain, consisting of British-American rapper MF Doom and American record producer Madlib. It was released on March 23, 2004, by Stones Throw Records.
The album was recor ...
'', the acclaimed
debut from
Madvillain
Madvillain was an American hip hop supergroup formed in 2002, consisting of rapper MF Doom and producer Madlib. Their only album, '' Madvillainy'' (2004), earned critical acclaim and cult popularity, widely regarded as one of the greatest r ...
(a collaboration between producer
Madlib
Otis Lee Jackson Jr. (born October 24, 1973), known professionally as Madlib, is an American record producer, DJ, multi-instrumentalist, and rapper. Critically acclaimed for his eclectic, music sample, sample-heavy production style, he is rega ...
and rapper
MF Doom) in 2004, and
J Dilla
James Dewitt Yancey (February 7, 1974 – February 10, 2006), better known by the stage names J Dilla and Jay Dee, was an American record producer, composer and rapper. He emerged from the mid-1990s underground hip hop scene in Detroit, Michiga ...
's ''
Donuts
A doughnut or donut () is a type of pastry made from leavened fried dough. It is popular in many countries and is prepared in various forms as a sweet snack that can be homemade or purchased in bakeries, supermarkets, food stalls, and franch ...
'' in 2006. Other notable hip-hop artists on Stones Throw's roster include Madlib,
Jaylib and
Quasimoto. In addition to hip-hop, artists on Stones Throw's roster work in genres including funk and soul, electronic, indie pop, psychedelic rock, jazz, and more. Stones Throw releases the majority of their artists' albums on vinyl in addition to digital formats.
Stones Throw released singer-songwriter
Aloe Blacc
Egbert Nathaniel Dawkins III (born January 7, 1979), known professionally as Aloe Blacc (), is an American singer and rapper. He is known for his guest performance on Avicii's 2013 single "Wake Me Up (Avicii song), Wake Me Up", which peaked on ...
's debut album, ''
Shine Through'', in 2006. ''
Pitchfork
A pitchfork or hay fork is an agricultural tool used to pitch loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves. It has a long handle and usually two to five thin tines designed to efficiently move such materials.
The term is also applie ...
'' wrote that Shine Through signaled "some sort of greatness."
Blacc's second album
''Good Things'' came out on Stones Throw in 2010. ''Good Things'' was certified gold in the UK, France, Germany and Australia, among other countries, and ultimately went double platinum. The single "
I Need A Dollar
"I Need a Dollar" is a song performed by American singer Aloe Blacc, written by Blacc, Leon Michels, Nick Movshon and Jeff Dynamite.
It is the intro song for the HBO show '' How to Make It in America'', and was featured as the iTunes Single of ...
", which was used as the theme song to the HBO series
''How To Make It in America'',
reached 1 million in sales in 2013; two additional singles, "Loving You Is Killing Me" and "Green Lights" became European hits as well.
Also in 2013, Stones Throw released
''7 Days of Funk'', the eponymous debut studio album by California-based funk duo
7 Days of Funk 7 Days of Funk may refer to:
* 7 Days of Funk (group), an American funk duo
* ''7 Days of Funk'' (album), a 2013 album by 7 Days of Funk
{{dab ...
, consisting of rapper
Snoop Dogg
Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr. ( ; born October 20, 1971), better known by his stage name Snoop Dogg (previously Snoop Doggy Dogg), is an American rapper, record producer, and actor. Rooted in West Coast hip-hop, he is widely regarded as one of t ...
—performing under his funk persona Snoopzilla — and modern-funk musician
Dâm-Funk
Damon Garrett Riddick (born June 15, 1971), better known by his stage name Dam-Funk (stylized as DāM-FunK; pronounced "Dame Funk"), is an American funk musician, vocalist and producer from Pasadena, California. In 2007, Riddick signed with the ...
. The album was Snoop's first project with a single producer since his landmark 1993 debut album, ''
Doggystyle
''Doggystyle'' is the debut studio album by American rapper Snoop Doggy Dogg. It was released on November 23, 1993, by Death Row and Interscope Records. The album was recorded and produced following Snoop Doggy Dogg's appearances on Dr. Dre's ...
''.
R&B singer
Mayer Hawthorne
Andrew Mayer Cohen (born February 2, 1979), better known by his stage name Mayer Hawthorne, is an American singer, producer, songwriter, arranger, audio engineer, DJ, and multi-instrumentalist based in Los Angeles, California. Cohen performs and ...
debuted on Stones Throw in 2008 with the single "Just Ain't Gonna Work Out" / "When I Said Goodbye", which was released on a red heart-shaped
7" record.
Hawthorne's debut album ''
A Strange Arrangement'' was released on Stones Throw Records in 2009. Hawthorne is also one half of the funk duo Tuxedo, with producer
Jake One
Jacob Brian Dutton (born May 11, 1976), known professionally as Jake One, is an American record producer and songwriter.Palermo, Thomas (2008)Jake One Readies New Album, XLR8R, September 5, 2008Matos, Michaelangelo (2004)Rocketship Blowing Up", ...
; their debut self-titled album was released on Stones Throw in 2015 and ''Tuxedo II'' in 2017.
In 2014, the documentary ''Our Vinyl Weighs a Ton: This is Stones Throw Records'' was released. The feature-length film, directed by Jeff Broadway, depicts the label's evolution from the initial collaboration between Hicks and Manak to Stones Throw's influence on mainstream hip hop. Artists such as
Kanye West
Ye ( ; born Kanye Omari West ; June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer and record producer. One of the most prominent figures in hip-hop, he is known for his varying musical style and polarizing cultural and political commentary. After ...
,
Tyler, The Creator
Tyler Gregory Okonma (born March 6, 1991), known professionally as Tyler, the Creator, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He has been cited as an influential figure in alternative hip-hop during the 2010s. Tyler beca ...
, and
Questlove
Ahmir K. Thompson (born January 20, 1971), known professionally as Questlove (stylized as ), is an American drummer, record producer, disc jockey, filmmaker, music journalist, and actor. He is the drummer and joint frontman (with Black Thought ...
appear in the documentary and offer testimonials.
2015–present
Mild High Club, the psychedelic pop project helmed by musician Alex Brettin, released their debut album
''Timeline'' in 2015. In 2017, Mild High Club released their second album, ''
Skiptracing'', on Stones Throw, which included the RIAA-certified gold single, "Homage".
Hip-hop producer
Knxwledge's Stones Throw debut was ''Hud Dreems'', released in 2015. Knxwledge also produced the track "Momma" on
Kendrick Lamar
Kendrick Lamar Duckworth (born June 17, 1987) is an American rapper, singer, songwriter and record producer. Regarded as one of the greatest rappers of all time, he was awarded the 2018 Pulitzer Prize for Music, becoming the first music ...
's album ''
To Pimp a Butterfly
''To Pimp a Butterfly'' is the third studio album by the American rapper Kendrick Lamar. It was released on March 15, 2015, by Top Dawg Entertainment, Aftermath Entertainment and Interscope Records. The album was recorded in studios throughout ...
'' released the same year. In 2016, Stones Throw announced the signing of
NxWorries, the duo consisting of singer
Anderson .Paak and Knxwledge, with the viral single "
Suede
Suede (pronounced ) is a type of leather with a fuzzy, napped finish, commonly used for jackets, shoes, Textile, fabrics, Handbag, purses, furniture, and other items.
Suede is made from the underside of the animal skin, which is softer and m ...
". NxWorries' debut album
Yes Lawd! was released in the same year. In 2022, NxWorries released the first single "Where I Go" featuring
H.E.R from their upcoming second album, and in 2023 they released the second single "Daydreaming".
In 2019, Stones Throw released "Someone to Spend Time With", the debut viral single from Oxnard-based band
Los Retros. The band followed their release with the ''Retrospect'' EP the same year, the ''Everlasting'' EP in 2020, and the ''Looking Back'' EP in 2021.
Stones Throw signed singer, songwriter, and violinist
Sudan Archives in 2016 and released her debut album, ''
Athena
Athena or Athene, often given the epithet Pallas, is an ancient Greek religion, ancient Greek goddess associated with wisdom, warfare, and handicraft who was later syncretism, syncretized with the Roman goddess Minerva. Athena was regarde ...
'', in 2019. In 2022, she released her follow-up album ''
Natural Brown Prom Queen'', which received "universal acclaim" according to ''Metacritic'',
and performed at festivals including Glastonbury, Coachella, Fujirock and Bonnaroo. At the
2023 Libera Awards, organized by the
American Association of Independent Music (A2IM), Sudan Archives received awards for Best R&B Record and Best Breakthrough Artist/Release.
In 2018 Stones Throw opened Gold Line, a cocktail bar featuring a collection of 7,500 vinyl records and hosting all-vinyl DJ sets.
Gold Line is located beneath Stones Throw headquarters in the
Highland Park neighborhood of Los Angeles.
Artists
See also
*
List of record labels
File:Alvinoreyguitarboogie.jpg
File:AmMusicBunk78.jpg
File:Bingola1011b.jpg
Lists of record labels cover record labels, brands or trademarks associated with marketing of music recordings and music videos. The lists are organized alphabetically, ...
*
Underground hip hop
Underground hip hop (also known as underground rap or simply underground) traditionally refers to hip hop music that is outside the general mainstream canon or counter-cultural in nature, usually with a heavy emphasis on emotion, lyricism, and/or ...
References
External links
*
Discography
{{Authority control
American independent record labels
Record labels established in 1996
Hip-hop record labels