Finally...we can talk about this! Peep the official announcement, people.
A lot of you may have heard rumors of a new record label starting… the rumors are true. Today I am officially announcing the launch of HiPNOTT Records! Working on this site has given me the opportunity to work with a lot of great artists and I’ve decided I want to do something more to help get their music heard. The HiPNOTT Records website is currently under development, but once launched, it will include all of our artists’ information and music. Hit the jump for the official press release and the label’s full artist roster.
Kevin Nottingham Partners with Diamond Music Group to Launch HiPNOTT Records
Kevin Nottingham, owner of the SOHH.com award winning KevinNottingham.com hip hop website, has announced the formation of a new digital record label, HiPNOTT Records, which will distribute music exclusively through the Diamond Music Group (parent company to Coalmine Records who also brought you The Foundation by Shuko & DJ Dutchmaster). This announcement marks the first time a hip hop blogger has branched out to form an independent label. HipNOTT Records’ goal is to continuously build their artists’ resumes and consistently develop an image that hip hop will have no choice but to admire. With Kevin Nottingham at the helm, a man who certainly respects the past, present, and future of the genre, it is hard to deny the capability of reaching these goals amongst others.
“HiPNOTT Records is an artist’s label. I’m not in it for the money, but to try and get good music to be heard,” said Kevin Nottingham, owner of HiPNOTT Records. “All of my artists are artists that I personally believe in and I will do whatever I can to promote and market their music.”
Though rumors of Nottingham forming his own label may have surfaced months ago, this is the official announcement of HiPNOTT Records. “The timing was just right,” said Nottingham, “I have been working hard on building a roster and solidifying contracts to make sure we go about doing things right. I didn’t want anything done half-assed. I’ve put off officially announcing the label, because I just wasn’t ready yet. A few of my artists have projects that we are about to release, so now’s the time.”
The official HiPNOTT Records website [http://www.hipnottrecords.com] is still under construction, but the label’s current artist roster can be found below:
Cee & Bekah / The Soul Movement Volume 3 (Mixed by Mick Boogie & Terry Urban) coming 4th quarter ‘09 / The Precedent coming 1st quarter 2010
Dasha / debut album coming 4th quarter ‘09
G.C. / compilation album coming 4th quarter ‘09
Has-Lo / In Case I Don’t Make It coming 4th quarter ‘09
Nobody Famous / Order Up Vol 3: Chicken & Waffles coming in July
NoTiOn / Corner of Notion & 9th coming 4th quarter ‘09
Speek Greene / The Long Look coming 4th quarter ‘09
Tommy Gunnz / Garden State Warrior coming 4th quarter ‘09
Trav Williams / illTravis out now! New project coming 4th quarter ‘09
The label still wants to keep things relatively small. “I hadn’t really expected the roster to be as big as it is now starting out,” said Nottingham. “I want to be able to be personally involved with each and every project we put out. So, until I can clone myself, these artists will be the face of HiPNOTT Records.” With that said, truly, HiPNOTT Records seems to be a label for the artist, a rarity in 2009 hip hop.