So So Def Recordings

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So So Def Recordings

Parent company	Universal Music Group
Founded	1993
Founder(s)	Jermaine Dupri
Distributing label	The Island Def Jam Music Group
Genre(s)	Hip-Hop, R&B
Country of origin	US
Official Website	http://www.sosodef.com/

So So Def Recordings is a record label, based out of Atlanta, Georgia and owned by Jermaine Dupri, specializing in Southern hip hop, R&B, and bass music.

1 Label history
2 Artists
3 Former artists
4 See also
5 External links
6 References

[edit] Label history

The label was established in 1993 as a joint venture with Columbia Records; its first act was female R&B group Xscape, whose debut album was released in the fall of the same year and went platinum—as did their second and third albums, released in 1995 and 1998 respectively. In 1994, the label released the debut album of Da Brat, who immediately became the first solo female rapper to ever score a platinum album. In 1996, Kandi Burruss (of Xscape) brought the singing group Jagged Edge to the attention of So So Def, which their 1998 debut A Jagged Era. In 2000, So So Def released the debut album of Bow Wow, which was certified double platinum.

Other acts on the label have included: Manish Man, Dem Franchise Boyz, T Waters, SunN.Y., The Ghost Town DJs, INOJ, The Kid Slim, Young Capone, J-Kwon, Lathun, Trina Broussard, R.O.C., Short Dawg and Anthony Hamilton.

In 2002, So So Def's distribution deal with Columbia Records ended. The following year, Dupri moved So So Def to Arista Records, where he was appointed president of Black Music. While many of So So Def's acts moved with the label to Arista, Bow Wow and Jagged Edge were forced to remain at Columbia, due to their contracts having been with that company primarily. In 2004, So So Def was shifted from Arista to Zomba Music Group, which is owned by the same BMG parent.

In 2005, Dupri was appointed Executive Vice President of Urban Music at Virgin Records, causing So So Def to moved again, this time over to Virgin and EMI—resulting in the loss of acts such as Bone Crusher and the YoungBloodZ. So So Def, meanwhile, was able to retaine J-Kwon and Anthony Hamilton, despite their still being signed to Zomba. In 2006, Dupri had a falling out with Virgin, resulting in his leaving his post at the company. Intermittent, he was appointed President of urban music at Universal Music Groups' Island Records, resulting in So So Def once again making a move to UMG's The Island Def Jam Music Group, where it currently operates.