11 Rappers Who Started Their Own Record Labels

Entrepreneurship is one of the most profitable moves in Hip Hop beyond music, from touring and brand deals to investments and launching businesses. Record labels are undoubtedly a favorite route among the genre’s moguls, whether as joint ventures or fully independent from major players like Universal Music Group and Warner Music Group.

Ye’s G.O.O.D Music is arguably one of the most successful examples, which, at its peak, was home to talents like Pusha T, Teyana Taylor, Kid Cudi and Big Sean. However, it also shows how mixing friends with business can backfire, as nearly all of them distanced themselves after his controversial comments in 2022. There are also labels focused on local talent, such as Yo Gotti’s Collective Music Group, known for its Memphis roster of acts like GloRilla and Moneybagg Yo, and Drake’s OVO Sound, with a mainly Canadian lineup.

Below, Rap-Up put together 11 Hip Hop artists who turned their lyrical talents into successful entrepreneurial ventures by starting their own record labels.

1. Yo Gotti (Collective Music Group)

Pivoting from his success as a rapper — including hits like “Rake It Up” and “Down In the DM” — Yo Gotti launched CMG in 2012. Since then, his label has housed fellow Memphis stars like Moneybagg Yo, Blac Youngsta and GloRilla, as well as names like 42 Dugg, EST Gee and Mozzy.

Among the company’s major wins, aside from housing one of Hip Hop’s leading ladies, was Moneybagg Yo’s A Gangsta’s Pain, which dominated the Billboard 200 chart for two weeks in 2021. The rap powerhouse also released three compilation projects: 2014’s CMG Presents: Chapter One, 2022’s Gangsta Art, and 2023’s Gangsta Art 2.

2. Drake (OVO Sound)

Housing some of Canada’s most promising artists, Drake co-founded OVO Sound with his longtime manager, Oliver El-Khatib, and frequent collaborator Noah “40” Shebib. Much of the label’s roster unsurprisingly consists of talent the “Hotline Bling” hitmaker has worked with, such as PARTYNEXTDOOR (“Come and See Me,” “Recognize” and more), Popcaan (“We Caa Done”), Majid Jordan (“Stars Align”), and Roy Woods (“Drama”).

In 2023, OVO Sound welcomed its first lady, Naomi Sharon. Interestingly, Bryson Tiller had actually wanted to sign with Drake, but it fell through. “He just never texted me back, and I was just like, ‘I guess that’s everything I need to know right there,’” the St. Louis native revealed during “The Breakfast Club.”

3. Travis Scott (Cactus Jack Records)

Created in 2017, Travis Scott’s Cactus Jack Records includes the likes of Sheck Wes, Don Toliver, SoFaygo, and Chase B. Taking a similar route to other labels on this list, the imprint’s debut compilation album, JACKBOYS, arrived in 2019 with a relatively short tracklist. Arguably, some of the most talked-about Cactus Jack releases have come from Toliver, with projects like Life of a DON and HARDSTONE PYSCHO landing within the Top 5 of Billboard’s 200 chart.

“I want, first and foremost, to help other artists, launch new names [and] to provide opportunities. I want to do for them what happened to me, but better,” Scott told Numéro about the venture. “By better, I mean no bulls**t. No lying to the artists about album release dates or the budgets of videos and albums.”

4. J. Cole (Dreamville Records)

Dreamville Records has a roster full of incredible lyricists, some of whom still do not get enough praise. J. Cole and his manager, Ibrahim Hamad, founded the label in 2007, starting with Bas, Omen and Cozz. Since then, the lineup has expanded to include Ari Lennox, JID, EARTHGANG and Lute. Posse projects include Revenge of the Dreamers, which, to date, has gotten three installments over the years, and Creed III: The Soundtrack.

5. Nicki Minaj (Heavy On It)

“I’m not gonna announce the name, but I have a record label now,” Nicki Minaj teased on Queen Radio in 2023. That same year, Heavy On It officially launched through a joint venture with Republic Records. Although she is not the first female rapper to start a label or sign other women in Hip Hop — Ice Spice, JT and BIA would have been perfect fits given their past collabs — the “FTCU” hitmaker’s mark on the industry is undeniable.

6. Megan Thee Stallion (Hot Girl Productions)

After a lengthy legal battle with Carl Crawford’s 1501 Certified Entertainment, Megan Thee Stallion took the independent route for the first time since her career began in late 2023. “The budget is coming from me. Motherf**kin’ Hot Girl Productions,” the Houston native shared with her followers via Instagram Live.

Megan’s first release under the label, “Cobra,” served as a predecessor to her self-titled third studio album, which dropped in June 2024. In addition to the chart-topping “HISS” and award-winning “BOA,” she debuted MEGAN: ACT II some months later.

7. Ye (G.O.O.D Music)

Ye has spent decades building his music empire. In 2004, he launched G.O.O.D Music — arguably one of the most prominent labels owned by a rapper. Releases under the company include albums like Kid Cudi’s Man On The Moon: The End Of Day and Big Sean’s Dark Sky Paradise, the latter of which contained classics like “I Don’t F**k With You,” “Blessings” and “One Man Can Change The World.” Other talents on the G.O.O.D Music roster included John Legend, Common, Desiigner and 070 Shake, to mention a few.

It is also impossible to overstate the grip Kanye West Presents Good Music Cruel Summer had on Hip Hop when it dropped in 2012. The 12-track offering introduced hits like “Cold.1,” “Don’t Like.1” and “Clique” with Ye, Big Sean and JAY-Z.

8. Meek Mill (Dream Chasers Records)

Pulling inspiration from his mixtape series of the same name, Meek Mill founded Dream Chasers Records in 2012. Unfortunately, the Philadelphia native has not had the best luck in keeping talent. Lil Snupe tragically passed away just months after signing, Yung Bleu quietly left his management deal and Calboy cut ties with his team after Mill allegedly declined to fund his “Chariot” music video.

“Doing business with Hov is like, even when we talk, I always explain it to him like that, that was crazy. It’s a regular day for you, but this is a part of my dreams being in this situation,” Meek told CBS’ Gale King regarding his decision to partner with JAY-Z’s Roc Nation for Dream Chasers.

9. Lil Baby (Glass Window Entertainment)

While obviously not the first label to rebrand under a different name, Lil Baby launched Glass Window Entertainment in 2023 as a successor to his 4 Pockets Full imprint. Arriving in partnership with Capitol Music Group and Motown Records, the “Woah” hitmaker recruited Alabama star and frequent collaborator Rylo Rodriguez as the label’s first artist. “I’m overly excited for Rylo and for his fans and the world to really get to see him on a larger platform! It’s been a long time coming with Rylo, and even longer to go,” Lil Baby shared.

10. Chief Keef (43B)

Having previously founded his Glory Boyz Entertainment imprint in the early 2010s, Chief Keef decided it was time for a restart. He founded 43B, which stands for Forget Everybody, via a joint venture with RBC Records and BMG in 2022. The label’s first signee, Lil Gnar, worked with Chief Keef on tracks like “Almighty Gnar” and “PB&J.”

“43B has been a passion project of mine for over a year, and I’m ready to give artists that are changing the game a label where they can really succeed,” the “I Don’t Like” hitmaker said in a press statement. “I’ve been independent for almost 10 years, so I want to pass on my knowledge of the industry to artists who are shifting the culture so they can make it to the top.”

11. Young Thug (Young Stoner Life Records)

Young Thug founded Young Stoner Life Records in 2016 with support from 300 Entertainment. Luckily, his label succeeded by bringing in artists like Gunna, Strick, the late Lil Keed, YoungBoy Never Broke Again, and even Lil Baby at one point.

In 2021, the imprint released its compilation album Slime Language 2. Just a year prior, Gunna earned his first No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart with WUNNA.