Art of Balance: The 5 Most Successful Artist-Owned Rap Labels

It's no secret that there isn't much money in being a musician these days. Give or take a handful of independent superstars, all of the real profits lie in tapping the next generation and building a team. It's why 50 had G-Unit, why Em put 50 on, and why Dre put Eminem on. Young Buck's check was probably split eight or nine ways.

Managing a rap label requires that equal attention is paid to the priorities of business and creative—a difficult high-wire act for any artist—all while managing a roster of talent. Once you reach a certain level, running a label seems to be a given. What isn't a given is how successful you'll be. There are plenty of labels that, in the past, seemed great on paper, but lost traction when it came time to get projects out the door.

One key sign of increasing irrelevance is when the label begins to sign more vets than new stars. Of course, searching for new talent isn't something that every artist is great at either. At the same time, a rising tide lifts all boats—for most artists, their continued success can only help the artists who they've sponsored. It's all about maintaining a perfect balance between careers and creativity.

What follows are five examples of artist-owned rap labels that have found real success, thanks primarily to the flexibility of the stars who also work behind the scenes.

Rick Ross has been a factor for a decade now. Although his grasp on mainstream hip-hop has diminished—2014's Hood Billionaire didn’t open at No. 1, nor did his previous album, and his string of hits seems to have been clipped—he remains one of hip-hop's most successful label heads. It's particularly true with the success of Meek Mill and Wale. Wale released a No. 2 album and two No. 1 albums under the MMG banner after difficulties with Interscope. Ross has consistently signed new talent, picking up names like Stalley, Fat Trel, and Tracy T. Omarion—known briefly as Maybach O—released Sex Playlist late last year, and while the album has done alright, its big single, "Post to Be," with Jhené Aiko and Chris Brown is currently burning up the charts. Better than most current label heads, Ross has managed to propel several of his signees into positions to build real fan bases, while continuing to produce his own material.

Love them, hate them, or see them as an example of exploitative labor practices, there's no denying it: Birdman and his brother Slim (who is not a recording artist) are the genre’s two most successful label heads of the last two decades. Cash Money/YMCMB can boast millions of sales, one of history's standout production geniuses in Mannie Fresh, and two of its biggest stars, Juvenile and Lil Wayne. Of course, the label wouldn't make this list today if it didn't remain relevant. No matter your position on their treatment of Lil Wayne—who is now throwing a lawsuit in their direction—their unofficially official promotion of Young Thug will no doubt prove prescient, even if official album revenues come through 300's coffers. Meanwhile, Wayne's Young Money imprint moved on to the next generation. In addition to signing superstars like Nicki and Drake, there are the label's low-profile signings, like traditionalist R&B singer PJ Morton, the “next Bieber” Austin Mahone, or the Caucasian rapper Caskey. It's tough to say just how the chips will fall with the latest dust-up between Birdman and Wayne. But for now, they remain—at least in business terms—one and the same, label heads of one of hip-hop's most successful labels.

Despite his god-like status today, it actually took a moment for Kanye West to get his bearings as the head of a label. His earliest cosigns struggled to take off in the marketplace, with the exception of John Legend, who has released five albums through the label and remains a premiere artist. Many would contend that Kanye's collaborators were more utilized for Kanye's projects than careers of their own. Cruel Summer—'Ye's version of The Dynasty-style label showcase—is famously a pretty middling release. Of late, several of Kanye's biggest signees have found critical and commercial success: Teyana Taylor, thanks to a bubbling single called "Maybe," released VII last fall, Pusha T's 2013 album, My Name Is My Name,even outperformed the last Clipse album, and perhaps most successful of all, Big Sean scored his first real No. 1 record this February with Dark Sky Paradise, an album that went on to sell 259,000 copies.

OVO may not be the most successful artist-run label in this list as of yet. None of the artists on it are proven sellers, even if PartyNextDoor has built up a substantial fan base and Makonnen scored a legitimate hit with "Tuesday" last year. Yet Drake, Noah "40" Shebib, and Oliver El-Khatib have cultivated a homegrown label with a cohesive aesthetic. In-house producers like T-Minus, Boi-1da, Mike Zombie, and 40 himself provide a chilly atmospheric canvas. Drake still seems to be the priority over at OVO, although Makonnen is the label's first high-profile signing, and with PartyNextDoor gracing major magazine covers, it’s hard to imagine that there won't be some pressure for Drake to really put his label's success to the forefront in the coming year.

Perhaps the most underrated artist-run label in the game right now, T.I.’s Grand Hustle is a quiet heavyweight. He doesn't just lay claim to up-and-coming controversy lightning rod Iggy Azalea, drill/trap pastiche artist Travi$ Scott, and longtime associate Young Dro—who, incidentally, is finding substantial local buzz with his latest single, "We in da City." Tip has also thrown money down for Texas hip-hop hero Trae tha Truth, the late underground hero Doe B, and the uncategorizable B.o.B.

Grand Hustle is more successful than a lot of folks realize. It’s the anti-OVO—a Frankenstein monster of disconnected rappers who may not seem, at first glance, all that related to one another. Cohesion is not the point, but rather success is. Meanwhile, T.I. continues to push his solo career, all while heading up one of the more unusual rosters in the game.