16 Label Changes That Shocked The Rap Game

Image via Complex Original

Year: 1989

Original Label: Ruthless Records

New Label: Priority then EMI

Why They Left: After turning the rap game on its head with the release of Straight Outta Compton, N.W.A. positioned themselves for a big payday. But when the group's manager Jerry Heller presented the contract terms to Cube—who had not only performed on the album, but written the majority of the verses—Cube felt he wasn't getting paid his worth. While the other group members opted to go along with Jerry's contract, Cube didn't and went solo.

Career After They Left: After leaving N.W.A., Cube hooked up with Public Enemy's production team The Bomb Squad and started working on his debut, AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted, which became an instant smash and made Cube a solo star. He also eventually ended up beefing with N.W.A. and releasing the scathing diss track "No Vaseline" on his second album, Death Certificate. Cube would continue to release material in the '90s but none of it would have quite the same impact as his first five years in the game. In more recent years, Cube has become more famous for doing movies like Barbershop, TV shows like Are We There Yet?, and Coors Light ads.

Year: 1991

Original Label: Ruthless Records

New Label: Death Row

Why They Left: When Ice Cube left N.W.A. over financial disputes, Dr. Dre stuck around. However, he lived to regret it as he later realized Cube was right, and he was getting the short end of the stick while Eazy-E and Jerry Heller were keeping the lion's share of the profits. Under the advice of The D.O.C. and then-bodyguard Suge Knight, Dr. Dre plotted his escape. How did he get out of his contract with Eazy and Jerry? According to Heller, Knight showed up with some goons armed with lead pipes and baseball bats and demanded Dre be released from his contract. They obliged.

Career After They Left: Knight and Dre teamed up to start Death Row Records. Dre discovered a talented young Long Beach MC named Snoop Doggy Dogg and together they became one of the most electric duos in rap history. Dre went on to release the seminal classic The Chronic but soon grew discontented with the same strong-arm tactics Knight had used to get him out of his contract in the first place.

Year: 1993

Original Label: Warner Bros.

New Label: Priority Records

Why They Left: The release of Ice T's controversial side project with Body Count became a political lightning rod—and liability for his label. "Cop Killer" ended up killing Ice T's contract with Warner Brothers, too. While at one time, the label had a hands-off attitude towards gangster rap, this metal song—which, it should be noted, wasn't even rap music—provoked so much outrage that his label freaked. Ice T ended up backing down on the song, and agreed to remove it from his album, after months of pressure. But when it came time to release his next album, skittish record execs were again concerned about the cover art the LP, entitled Home Invasion. They pushed his release date back and said the cover art was unacceptable. Ice T had folded once; now his artistic freedom was being severely hampered. He requested release from the label in January, 1993.

Career After They Left: After his release from Warner, Ice T was picked up for a pressing and distribution deal by the independent Priority Records. Now it was on Ice T to deal with his own promotion. He successfully released Home Invasion (with original artwork) in March of 1993; the album was met with scathing reviews, many from critics upset that he had folded under pressure for "Cop Killer." In addition, many larger record stores were no longer stocking Ice T's records, concerned over "Cop Killer" fallout. Home Invasion was hurt by these retail limitations, debuting at No. 14 and falling from that point. Ice T ended up finding more luck outside of music thereafter; his most high-profile entertainment gig was playing a cop on Law and Order: SVU.

Year: 1995

Original Label: Interscope

New Label: Death Row

Why They Left: A deal with the devil if we ever saw one. Sitting in a jail cell after being convicted for sexual assault charges, 2Pac was offered path to freedom via the enterprising Suge Knight. Knight offered to put up the money to get 'Pac out of jail if he signed to Death Row. Between a rock and hard place, 'Pac signed Suge Knight's contract.

Career After They Left: There's no denying that initially, the Death Row move worked out for 'Pac. He came out of jail reenergized, and in 1996 dropped the smash hit album, All Eyez On Me, recorded at a furious pace, and became the Best Rapper Alive. Sadly, by the end of the year he was shot and killed. However, his legacy lived on for years through posthumous releases which only expanded his legend.

Year: 1996

Original Label: Death Row

New Label: Aftermath Entertainment

Why They Left: In the '90s, Death Row ran hip-hop and released some of the best rap music ever recorded, including Dr. Dre's The Chronic and Snoop Doggy Dogg's Doggystyle. However, over time Dr. Dre became disillusioned with Suge Knight's strong arm business tactics that were even more ruthless than Dre's former label. Dre decided to leave the Death Row and it wasn't a moment too soon. It might have hurt his feelings to get dissed by 2Pac, but before long 'Pac would be shot dead and a year after that Suge Knight would get hit with racketeering charges.

Career After They Left: Dr. Dre started his own label, Aftermath Entertainment which was distributed by Interscope Records. The label got off to a rough start when Dre dropped the lackluster Dr. Dre Presents the Aftermath. People began to count Dre out, but by the end of the decade he found a talented white boy named Marshall Mathers and his career reignited. Since releasing his classic 2001 in 1999, Dre's career has soared as he's helped create classic albums for Eminem, 50 Cent, The Game, and Kendrick Lamar with Aftermath Entertainment.

Year: 1998

Original Label: Death Row

New Label: No Limit

Why They Left: With 2Pac dead and Dr. Dre gone, Snoop Dogg appeared on the cover of VIBE with the words, "Last Man Standing." He had weathered the storm of a murder trial and despite dropping his lackluster sophomore set, Tha Doggfather, in November of 1996, he still had a career. However, Death Row got hit with the death blow when Suge Knight landed in jail. Snoop had to find a way out. Ever the savvy businessman, Master P offered Snoop Dogg a new home to bury his bones.

Career After They Left: From the get-go it didn't seem like No Limit was a permanent home for Snoop, rather a halfway house to do his bidding before he could fully rid himself of Suge Knight's influence. Snoop dropped three albums on No Limit, none of which returned Snoop to his former glory although they did keep his career afloat. Despite his lack of creative growth, Snoop credits Master P for giving him some game on the business side of things which helped Snoop really spread his wings and become one of hip-hop's greatest personalities beyond the mic but commercials and movies.

Year: 1999

Original Label: Bad Boy

New Label: Ruff Ryders

Why They Left: On "Touch The Sky" Kanye West rhymed, "I felt like Bad Boys street team, I couldn't work the LOX." That about sums up L-O-X's career in the house that Biggie built. The LOX wanted to make hardcore street anthems like "Money, Power, Respect" but instead Puffy had them rocking shiny suits. It wasn't a complete failure, as LOX's debut album Money, Power, Respect went platinum. But once their management team Ruff Ryders got their own label deal with Interscope, Jada, Styles, and Sheek felt they were better off rolling with the RR.

Career After They Left: At the beginning, leaving Bad Boy seemed like a great idea. The LOX hit the streets hard with a solid album, We Are The Streets, that was hardcore throughout and promised, "No more shiny suits!" However, since then the trio haven't released another album. Instead, they all opted to pursue solo careers even though they continued to work heavily with each other.

Although they didn't become big stars, it felt like things had worked out for them. Then 50 Cent got into a feud with Jadakiss and made fun of him, saying Puffy still owned his publishing from the early days. After getting into a heated argument with Diddy on Hot 97, The LOX's supposedly got their publishing back. In retrospect, it seemed like leaving Bad Boy was a bad idea for the Yonkers rappers.

Year: 1999

Original Label: Jive Zomba

New Label: Arista

Why They Left: In 1989, A Tribe Called Quest signed a demo deal with Geffen which produced the five track tape including "I Left My Wallet in El Segundo" and "Can I Kick it?" but the demo never led Geffen to offer them a contract. They signed to Jive, which was independent at the time, and went on to release all five albums under the label.

However, prior to the release of The Love Movement, the group announced they had disbanded and the album would be their final project. Certainly internal feuds factored into the group's break up (as detailed in Michael Rapaport's Beats, Rhymes, and Life) but their displeasure with Jive also played a role. Phife was quoted in The Source saying, "It took me a minute to latch on to the business side of things, 'cause it was just a happy-go-lucky time. And then eventually, as time went on, it started to slap me in my face. But as far as record labels, or whoever, they're not gonna do us right." Which sounds like the kind of thing the guys who popularized Industry #4080 would have known from the beginning. 

Career After They Left: A Tribe Called Quest's final album The Love Movement would go on to be nominated for Best Rap Album at the 1999 Grammy Awards. Q-Tip would launch a successful solo career under Violator, and release Amplified. He then went on to Motown/Universal and eventually G.O.O.D. Music. Phife would release solo material, as well, and Ali Shaheed Muhammad would form the supergroup Lucy Pearl and release his solo debut in 2004.

Year: 2000

Original Label: Elektra

New Label: J Records

Why They Left: Busta found stardom with Sylvia Rhone and Elektra, branding himself as an animated, eccentric MC on songs like "Dangerous" and "Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Can See." His spastic delivery carried Buss into the new millennium with force, but his 2000 album, Anarchy, produced underwhelming numbers for the charismatic rapper, who felt the album wasn't marketed correctly. "'When you consistently reach a certain level, you strive to reach higher goals, and Elektra wasn't capable of getting me there," Busta said at the time. He traded one music mogul boss for another, leaving Rhone and Elektra for Clive Davis's newly started lablel, J Records.

Career After They Left: His first album on J, aptly titled Genesis, performed better than Anarchy, but provided more in the way of memorable singles than impressive numbers. "What It Is," "Break Ya Neck," and "Pass The Couvoisier," further deepended Busta's library, as did 2002's It Ain't Safe No More. In 2004 though, Busta packed up his conglomerate again, this time leaving for Dr. Dre's Aftermath Records.

His stay there was short-lived as he released just one album, The Big Bang. Busta returned to Rhone in 2009, inking a deal with Universal Motown and releasing Back on my B.S. Busta remained mobile, though, and left for Cash Money Records in 2011. Now a veteran MC with his reigning years behind him, Bussa Buss hopes Cash Money's recent hot hand can restore his relevancy. His "Look At Me Now" verse may have caught Birdman's attention, but it remains to be seen what Cash Money's Gepetto can do for the now 40-year-old Busta.

Year: 2001

Original Label: Sony/Epic

New Label: Roc-A-Fella

Why They Left: Cam'ron initially signed with Untertainment and Lance "Un" Riveria, whom he was introduced to by The Notorious B.I.G. Untertainment folded shortly before Cam released his second album S.D.E. Unhappy with Sony and the success (or lack thereof) of S.D.E. the Harlem rapper resorted to guerilla tactics that eventually got him banned from the Sony building. They also got him out of his deal with Sony (which just goes to show the effectiveness of street moves). He signed with longtime friend Dame Dash in 2001, joining Roc-A-Fella records.

Career After They Left: Cam flourished within Roc-A-Fella, embarking on a three year, four album run that would cement his legacy as a formidable rapper, both in New York and nationwide. With the Roc's resources at hand (Dame's industry shrewdness, Jay-Z's marquee name, Just Blaze and Kanye West behind the boards), Cam'ron 2002 Come Home With Me set off a domino effect of stellar releases. Singles like "Oh Boy" and "Hey Ma" laid the groundwork for Cam to build his Diplomats brand, and the group achieved its own high marks with consecutive albums in 2003 and 2004.

That same year, Cam'ron released his solo follow-up, "Purple Haze," which kept his winning streak going with both soulful and sinister street anthems unparalleled in potency and balance. In 2005, he left Roc-A-Fella for Warner Music's Asylum imprint, and his career has dipped since. The Diplomats have broken up and reunited, without an album, and his two solo efforts, Killa Season and Crime Pays, though solid to the Cam stan, were unable to duplicate the previous success, critically and commercially, of his Roc releases.

Year: 2002

Original Label: Tommy Boy

New Label: Sanctuary BMG

Why They Left: The venture between Tommy Boy and Warner Bros. disbanded and while De La Soul's contract was shopped around the other Warner Music Group labels, they ultimately left the company. The group had struggles with the label before over the release of the AOI installments, but ultimately it was the collapse of the joint venture that lead them to move labels.

Career After They Left: De La Soul released The Grind Date in 2004 on Sanctuary/BMG Records, although fans were still expecting the third installment of AOI. They would go on to collaborate with the Gorillaz on "Feel Good Inc." which won the Best Pop Vocal Collab Grammy in 2005, and drop The Impossible: Mission TV Series - Pt. 1, an album of unreleased material on their AOI Records label.

Year: 2004

Original Label: Cash Money

New Label: Atlantic

Why They Left: "My reason [to leave Cash Money] is the same reason most artists leave their label: money." So said Juvenile in our interview late last year with the legendary New Orleans rapper. Once Juvenile connected with an entertainment lawyer, he claimed that Cash Money wasn't paying him what he was due; he sued for the money, and was victorious in court, but it precipitated the end of his relationship with the label.

Career After The Left: After Juvenile left Cash Money, his career wasn't quite the same. "I wanted $4 million. I didn't want to go to trial, but they felt like they didn't owe me anything. That $4 million wound up going to $11 million. Of course I didn't get all with court fees and lawyer fees, but it put me through the ringer where I didn't want to do anymore business again." His first post-Cash Money release, Reality Check, dropped three years after his final record with Cash Money on Atlantic. It went gold, hitting No. 1 on the charts, but that was a far cry from sales in his late '90s heyday. His albums since that time have failed to gain much traction. In a statement he released after our interview ran, however, the rapper indicated that he and Cash Money had made amends, and were again collaborating.

Year: 2005

Original Label: Sony Music Entertainment

New Label: G-Unit

Why They Left: By the 2000s, the thrill was gone for Mobb Deep. Despite their classic output in the '90s, there was also a growing perception that their street credibility had taken a severe hit after Jay-Z called out Prodigy for being a ballerina on "Takeover" and P's pen game was noticeably slipping. Meanwhile, 50 Cent was completely taking over the rap game. After moving massive units on his own, he put his G-Unit crew on, and wanted to keep expanding his roster. This turned out to be good news for Mobb Deep: They were at odds with their label Jive Records when they released Amerikaz Nightmare in 2004 and it struggled to move units. 50 had the cash flow and Mobb opted to jump ship.

Career After They Left: The Infamous Mobb surely had some struggles in the 2000s, but that was nothing compared to the reception for their only G-Unit album, Blood Money. Fans criticized the duo's album for being overrun by G-Unit—right down to the money in the bank counting cover art—and their increasingly stale style. However, as detailed in Prodigy's book, My Infamous Life, the Mobb ended up making more money rolling with 50 than at any other point in their career. Since then both members have pursued solo careers as the G-Unit label fell apart. After falling out last year, the duo have reunited last year.

Year: 2006

Original Label: Columbia

New Label: Def Jam

Why They Left: After the release of his seventh studio album, Street's Disciple, Nas' contract with Columbia was up and he was a free agent. But he was in a curious moment in his career: After an epic feud with Jay-Z, regardless of the victor, both still had relevant careers. A bonus was that their feud had remained on wax, and never got physical. Still, they shocked the world when Jay-Z threw a show misleadingly called "I Declare War" in October 2005 and brought Nas on stage to squash the beef. By 2006, with Jay as the president of Def Jam and Nas a free agent, Nasir opted to sign to the label Russell and Rubin built.

Career After They Left: The Def Jam years have largely been kind to Nas. His output hasn't always been met with open arms, but it's certainly better regarded than some of his late '90s work. More impressively, Nas has remained a relevant figure and important hip-hop voice through his four Def Jam-helmed albums, including last year's well received Life Is Good, whiles many other '90s stars have seen their careers falter.

Year: 2006

Original Label: G-Unit

New Label: Geffen to DCG/Interscope

Why They Left: Prior to the release of The Documentary, tensions were bubbling in the G-Unit camp when 50 Cent and The Game got into a shoving match. But the two were able to peace it out and keep moving. However, after Game's Documentary became a huge hit and Game refused to ride with 50 in his beefs with Jadakiss and Fat Joe the relationship fell apart. Things came to a climax when 50 Cent appeared on Hot 97 to announce Game had gotten kicked out of G-Unit and Game showed up outside with his boys outside. A shooting took place that left one man down. Although 50 and Game publicly reconciled, Game continued to diss G-Unit and clearly needed a change of scenery.

Career After They Left: Game eventually ended up on Geffen and released The Doctor's Advocate, which didn't sell as well as his debut but was still well regarded and proved Game could make a great album with no help from 50 Cent. Game continued to regularly diss G-Unit, but eventually declared the beef was dead...and then dissed them again...and then said he wanted to get back together...and then...well you get the idea. Hurricane Game went on to release three more albums and has talked about possibly signing with Cash Money in the near future.

Year: 2011

Original Label: Interscope/Allido

New Label: Maybach Music Group

Why They Left: Wale successfully built a loyal following on the mixtape circuit before landing a record deal with Interscope in 2008. By 2009, he planned on releasing his debut studio album Attention Deficit. With the leading single being "Chillin'" featuring Lady Gaga, Wale was sure to have a promising major label debut. But the album sold poorly its first week. Disappointed in the numbers, Wale spoke out: "I sold 28,000 records my first week, with no push from my label." The disgruntled D.C. rapper was looking for a new home, so he connected with the biggest Bawse, Rick Ross.

Career After They Left: Fans were taken aback by Wale's decision to join MMG because he wasn't known for making the type of music associated with that roster. But Wale assured fans he would remain unchanged. Despite criticisms for the label change, Wale dropped hits like "Lotus Flower Bomb" and "That Way" which weren't infected with Rozay's bombast. Songs like those and a refreshed sense of purpose helped Wale get his career back on track and earned him a gold plaque for his first MMG album, Ambition.