Funk Volume facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Funk Volume |
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| Founded | 2007 |
| Founder | Hopsin Damien Ritter |
| Defunct | 2016 |
| Status | Defunct |
| Distributor(s) | Warner Bros. Records |
| Country of origin | U.S. |
| Location | Los Angeles, California |
Funk Volume was an American independent record label started by rapper Hopsin and Damien Ritter in 2007. This company was home to artists like Dizzy Wright, Jarren Benton, SwizZz, and producers DJ Hoppa and Kato. It closed down in 2016 because of money issues and a disagreement between Hopsin and Ritter. After their argument, Hopsin decided to leave the label, and the other artists followed. The label then shut down. Hopsin and Ritter later became friends again in 2021.
Contents
How Funk Volume Started and Grew
Early Days and First Music (2007–2010)
After a difficult record deal with another company, rapper Hopsin decided to create his own independent music label, Funk Volume. Damien Ritter worked as the business manager for all the artists and the label. To get started, Hopsin used a website called LegalZoom to set up the business.
The first rapper to join Funk Volume was Damien Ritter's younger brother, SwizZz, who was also a high school friend of Hopsin. The very first music project released by Funk Volume was a mixtape called Haywire. Hopsin and SwizZz worked on this together, and it came out on June 18, 2009. They wanted to sell it in stores, but they couldn't because Hopsin was still connected to his old record deal.
The first official album released by Funk Volume was Hopsin's second album, Raw. It came out in November 2010 and included popular songs like "Sag My Pants" and "Nocturnal Rainbows."
New Artists Join and Success Grows (2011–2015)
In November 2011, a rapper from Las Vegas named Dizzy Wright joined Funk Volume. The label was very impressed by his smooth style and energetic performances. In early 2012, Hopsin brought in another artist, Jarren Benton, from Atlanta. Jarren Benton then released a mixtape called ... With Kevin Bacon in June 2012.
Dizzy Wright was the first artist, besides Hopsin, to release an official album on Funk Volume. His album, SmokeOutConversations, came out on April 20, 2012. He also released an EP (a shorter album) called The First Agreement in December 2012. Both of these albums did well on the US Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.
Jarren Benton released his first studio album, My Grandma's Basement, on June 11, 2013. This album reached number four on the Billboard Heatseekers Albums chart and number 152 on the main Billboard 200 chart.
On August 9, 2013, SwizZz released his first song, "Zoom In," from his upcoming album. Damien Ritter shared in an interview on August 20, 2013, that he had talked to many bigger labels about distributing Funk Volume's music. However, he decided to wait until Funk Volume became even more well-known. He also mentioned that Funk Volume would release a special album featuring all their artists in the future.
On September 18, 2013, Funk Volume announced that they had added more producers, Kato and Rikio, to their team. The label then released Hopsin's album Knock Madness on November 26, 2013. This album was the first Funk Volume release to be sold in CD format in stores, thanks to a company called Empire Distribution. In May 2014, Jarren Benton was recognized by XXL magazine as one of the top new artists. In 2015, Funk Volume signed a deal with Warner Bros. Records to help distribute their music even more widely.
The Disagreement and End of Funk Volume (2016)
On January 7, 2016, Hopsin announced on Instagram that Funk Volume was officially "dead." He explained that the reason was co-founder Dame Ritter "wanting to control too much." Hopsin was upset and threatened to leave Funk Volume if Ritter didn't change. Hopsin officially left the label two months later and started his own company, Undercover Prodigy.
Artists Who Were Part of Funk Volume
| Act | Years on the label | Music Projects Released | About the Artist |
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| Hopsin | 2009–2016 | 4 | A rapper from Panorama City, Los Angeles. He started the label with Damien Ritter in 2009. He released three albums and one collaborative mixtape with SwizZz while with Funk Volume. |
| SwizZz | 2009–2016 | 2 | A rapper from Panorama City, Los Angeles. He was the first artist to sign with Funk Volume after Hopsin. He released one mixtape and a collaborative mixtape with Hopsin. |
| Dizzy Wright | 2012–2016 | 6 | A rapper from Las Vegas, Nevada. He joined after Dame Ritter found him on YouTube. He released two albums, two EPs, and two mixtapes with the label. |
| Jarren Benton | 2012–2016 | 3 | A rapper from Decatur, Georgia. He signed after one of Hopsin's friends showed him a video for Jarren's song "Skitzo." He released two albums and an EP with Funk Volume. |
| DJ Hoppa | 2012–2016 | 1 | A DJ and producer from Panorama City, Los Angeles. He was the touring DJ and a producer for the label since 2011. He released one album with the label. |
| Kato | 2012–2016 | 1 | An in-house producer for the label. He was connected to Jarren Benton before Jarren signed with Funk Volume. A year after Jarren joined, Kato also signed on. He released one album with the label. |
Music Released by Funk Volume
| Artist | Album | Album details |
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| SwizZz & Hopsin | Haywire |
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| Hopsin | Raw |
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| Dizzy Wright | SmokeOutConversations |
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| Dizzy Wright | The First Agreement EP |
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| Jarren Benton | My Grandma's Basement |
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| Hopsin | Knock Madness |
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| Dizzy Wright | State of Mind |
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| Jarren Benton | Slow Motion, Vol. 1 |
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| DJ Hoppa | Hoppa and Friends |
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| Dizzy Wright | The Growing Process |
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| Kato | Pathomania EP |
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| Hopsin | Pound Syndrome |
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