Shady Records facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Shady Records
Parent company	Universal Music Group
Founded	1999; 26 years ago (1999)
Founder	Eminem Paul Rosenberg
Distributor(s)	Interscope Geffen A&M (US) Polydor (United Kingdom) Universal Music Group (International)
Genre	Hip hop
Country of origin	United States
Location	New York City, New York, U.S. Detroit, Michigan, U.S.

Shady Records is an American record label that makes and releases music. It was started in 1999 by the famous rapper Eminem and his manager, Paul Rosenberg. They created the label after Eminem's album The Slim Shady LP became very popular that same year. The name "Shady" comes from Eminem's well-known stage name, Slim Shady.

The artists signed to Shady Records were featured on their 2006 album, Eminem Presents: The Re-Up. This album reached number 2 on the Billboard 200 music chart. Shady Records artists also appeared a lot on the soundtrack for the movie 8 Mile. Eminem starred in this movie, and the soundtrack included the hit song "Lose Yourself". This song made history by becoming the first hip hop song to win an Academy Award for Best Original Song.

Over the years, Shady Records has signed many talented artists and groups. These include Eminem himself, his group D12, Obie Trice, 50 Cent, Cashis, Bad Meets Evil, Slaughterhouse, Yelawolf, Griselda, Westside Gunn, and Conway the Machine. As of 2024, the label's current artists are Westside Boogie, Grip, and Ez Mil.

How Shady Records Started and Grew (1999–2004)

Eminem started Shady Records in 1999.

After Eminem released his successful album The Slim Shady LP, he decided to create his own record label in late 1999. Eminem wanted a way to release music for his group D12. Paul Rosenberg was also interested in starting a label, so they teamed up to form Shady Records. The label's A&R (Artists and Repertoire) person, Marc Labelle, described it as a special label that has the support of a big company, Interscope.

D12 was the very first group to sign with Shady Records. They had been rapping together since the 1990s and had promised that whoever became famous would help the others. In June 2001, D12 released their album Devil's Night, which quickly became number 1 on the Billboard 200 chart.

Obie Trice was the second artist to join Shady Records in June 2001. He was introduced to Eminem by D12's Bizarre. Obie Trice first gained attention from a freestyle rap on D12's Devil's Night album and a song on The Eminem Show.

While working on the movie 8 Mile, Eminem met the rapper 50 Cent. Eminem had heard 50 Cent's music and was very impressed. He introduced 50 Cent to Dr. Dre, and soon 50 Cent became the first solo artist to sign with both Shady Records and Aftermath.

The 8 Mile soundtrack was the third album released by Shady Records. Its main song, "Lose Yourself", won many awards, including an Academy Award for Best Original Song. This was a big moment for hip hop music. Another popular song from the soundtrack was 50 Cent's "Wanksta". Around this time, Eminem also worked with DJ Green Lantern, who released the label's first mixtape, Invasion!, in 2002.

In February 2003, 50 Cent's album Get Rich or Die Tryin' was released. It became the fastest-selling debut album in U.S. history, selling over 872,000 copies in its first week. Six months later, Obie Trice released his first album, Cheers. Even though it sold well, some felt it was overshadowed by 50 Cent's huge success.

In late 2003, Eminem and Dr. Dre also signed Stat Quo. In 2004, D12 released their second album, D12 World. Also in 2004, Eminem and Paul Rosenberg started a special uncensored hip hop radio station called Shade 45 on Sirius Satellite Radio.

Growing the Label and New Music (2005–2009)

In 2005, 50 Cent released his second album, The Massacre. This album sold 1.14 million copies in just four days, making it one of the fastest-selling albums since 1991. On one song, "Piggy Bank", 50 Cent mentioned other artists. This led to some disagreements, and DJ Green Lantern eventually left Shady Records. The Alchemist then became Eminem's official tour DJ.

In August 2005, Eminem and XXL magazine worked together on a special issue. This magazine was made to promote the Shade 45 radio station and all the artists on Shady Records. In September 2005, Bobby Creekwater also joined the label.

In early 2006, rapper Cashis signed with Shady Records after Eminem heard his music. Later that year, Obie Trice released his second album, Second Round's on Me. This album was more serious and showed a different side of Obie Trice's life.

In 2006, Eminem decided to release a special album called Eminem Presents the Re-Up. It featured new music from the label's artists. The album included the popular song "You Don't Know", which featured 50 Cent, Lloyd Banks, and Cashis.

In May 2007, Cashis released a short album called The County Hound EP. In September, 50 Cent released his third album, Curtis. This album was released on the same day as Kanye West's album, Graduation, which created a lot of buzz.

In June 2008, Obie Trice left Shady Records. Paul Rosenberg explained that they agreed to let Obie Trice explore his music in a different way. He added that Eminem would continue to support Obie and that he remained a close friend. Stat Quo also left the label in 2008, followed by Bobby Creekwater in 2009.

New Artists and Changes (2010–Present)

In 2011, Slaughterhouse and Yelawolf officially signed with Shady Records. They even appeared on the cover of XXL magazine with Eminem. A new song called "2.0 Boys" featuring Eminem, Slaughterhouse, and Yelawolf was released.

Eminem signed rapper Yelawolf to the label in 2011.

In April 2011, Eminem and Royce da 5'9" (who are also known as Bad Meets Evil) announced they would release a joint album called Hell: The Sequel. They had worked together before and were excited to make new music.

In October 2011, Yelawolf and Slaughterhouse, along with Eminem, performed a freestyle rap at the 2011 BET Hip Hop Awards. This performance, known as the "Shady 2.0 BET Cypher", was very popular with fans.

In 2012, Shady Records artists performed at the SXSW festival. 50 Cent performed his entire album Get Rich or Die Tryin' for the first time. Yelawolf was supposed to perform but couldn't due to an injury.

In March 2012, 50 Cent announced his fifth album. Yelawolf also announced his second album, Love Story. In May 2012, Eminem announced his eighth album, The Marshall Mathers LP 2, which came out in November 2013.

In February 2014, 50 Cent announced he was leaving Interscope Records, which also meant leaving his deals with Shady Records and Aftermath Entertainment.

In August 2014, Eminem's website announced a new album from Shady Records called Shady XV. This album, released in November 2014, had two discs: one with greatest hits and one with new songs from artists like D12, Slaughterhouse, Bad Meets Evil, and Yelawolf. The first song from the album was "Guts Over Fear" with singer Sia.

In March 2017, Shady Records signed Westside Gunn and Conway the Machine from Griselda Records. Later that year, Compton rapper Boogie also joined the label.

In October 2017, Yelawolf released his third album with Shady Records, Trial by Fire. In December 2017, Eminem released his ninth album, Revival.

In April 2018, Royce da 5'9" announced that the group Slaughterhouse had officially broken up. In August 2018, Yelawolf said that Trunk Muzik 3 would be his last album with Shady Records. On August 31, 2018, Eminem released his tenth album, Kamikaze, without any warning. A song on that album, "Stepping Stone", announced that D12 had also officially disbanded.

In January 2019, Boogie released his first album, Everything's for Sale, which was well-received. In March 2019, Yelawolf released Trunk Muzik 3, his final album with Shady Records. In November 2019, Griselda released their first album on the label, WWCD.

In January 2020, Eminem released his eleventh album, Music to Be Murdered By, also without any prior announcement. This album became his tenth number-one album in the U.S. and U.K.

In July 2021, rapper Grip signed with the label, and his first album, I Died for This!?, was released in August 2021. In February 2022, Conway the Machine released his album God Don't Make Mistakes, and in June 2022, Westside Boogie released More Black Superheroes.

In August 2022, Eminem released his second greatest hits album, Curtain Call 2. In July 2023, Eminem announced that Ez Mil had signed with Shady and Aftermath, and they released a song together called "Realest" in August.

Artists of Shady Records

Current Artists

Former Artists

Music Released by Shady Records

This is a list of albums released through Shady Records. Most of them were also distributed by Interscope Records. Any other record labels involved are also mentioned.

Obie Trice released two albums with Shady Records before leaving in 2008.

Studio Albums

Compilation Albums

Extended Plays (EPs)

Mixtapes

Images for kids

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  The official logo for Shady Records.

See also

In Spanish: Shady Records para niños