Here’s a mind-blowing fact for you: Eminem is the second highest-selling male artist of all time right behind Garth Brooks.
Yep. That’s a lot of Marshall Mathers LPs sold, among records and ringtones.
Truth be told, even with the success, Eminem doesn’t get a lot of credit for being a viable record label boss. Sure, popularity is known to bleed across fanbases when it comes to Hip Hop but given the (platinum) touch he had with 50 Cent (which bled over throughout G-Unit), Obie Trice, D-12 and several others, his attention to detail as an executive producer should never be undermined.
In light of his recent BET Hip Hop Awards lyrical exposé, refamiliarize yourself with the artists currently signed/affiliated with Shady Records down below.
Bad Meets Evil
Year Signed: 2011
Members: Royce Da 5’9 & Eminem
Notable Songs: “Lighters” (featuring Bruno Mars); “Fast Lane”; “Renegade” (Original Version)
Career Highlights: 2011’s “Lighters” (featuring Bruno Mars) peaked at #4 on the Billboard Hot 100; Overcame a feud within Detroit’s city limits
Royce Da 5’9 has emerged as one of the most reliable quality control MCs this decade and his longstanding relationship with Slim has always proven to keep some level of anticipation going. Their Billboard success (“Nuttin’ to Do”) and the glitzy “Lighters” barely scratched the surface on what these two can do accomplish. Lyrically, at least.
D-12
Photo: Kevin Winter/Getty Images
Year Signed: 1999
Members: Eminem, Bizarre, Mr. Porter, Kuniva, Swifty McVay (Former: Proof, Bugz, Fuzz Scoota)
Notable Songs: “Purple Pills”; “Shit On You”; “Quitter” (Everlast Diss)
Career Highlights: Both albums Devil’s Night (2001) and
D-12 World (2004) debuted at No. 1 on Billboard 200, selling 372K copies and 544K during first week, respectively
The Detroit collective to which Eminem originally spawned from always were overshadowed by their more outspoken leader, but there have been a plethora of zany and unpredictable bars along the years. That’s not even mentioning one of the most memorable hype men in all of Hip Hop in the late Proof.
Boogie (not A Boogie Wit A Hoodie)
Year Signed: 2017
Notable Songs: “Oh My”; “Sunroof” (featuring Dana Williams); “Nigga Needs”
Career Highlights: Created organic buzz with his two projects, Thirst 48 (2014) and The Reach (2015); Carrying on Compton’s storied Hip Hop history
With all the talent he’s exhibited in his short career, Westside Boogie has been most criticized for his lack of consistent content, especially when stacked amongst his fellow Cali rap neighbors. But the reasoning was revealed a few days ago following Eminem’s Trump-roasting freestyle when Boogie announced that he signed with Shady. The rest, should be, a great history.
Slaughterhouse
Photo: @greychildlife
Year Signed: 2011
Members: Joe Budden, Joell Ortiz, KXNG Crooked, Royce Da 5’9
Notable Songs: “Microphone”; “Psychopath Killer”; “Hammer Dance”
Career Highlights: Appearing behind Eminem in Drake’s “Forever” video; Arguably the most talented Hip Hop supergroup of all-time
Merging their indie powerhouse talents to the major stage seemed like a good idea on paper for the four-man collective but it since hasn’t translated into a viable moment, with no signs of picking up steam. (Their Instagram page hasn’t even updated in two years.) It’ll be a classic case of best to never do it should they decide to stay on ice for good.
Yelawolf
Year Signed: 2011
Notable Songs: “Till It’s Gone”; “Hard White (Up in the Club)”; “Pop the Trunk”
Career Highlights: Broke through “internet rapper” era with 2010 mixtape Trunk Muzik; 2014 single “Till It’s Gone” featured on Sons of Anarchy
From his Trunk Muzik breakthrough to the present day, Catfish Billy has seen his share of ups and downs just like any passionate artist who’s ever tasted the limelight. But his unique redneck sensibilities that still manage to comfortably fall underneath Hip Hop’s umbrella have made him a fan favorite as well as a delightful breath of unpredictability over the years. His upcoming album looks to put him back in the driver’s seat of his career.
Hall N’ Nash
Year Signed: 2017
Members: Westside Gunn & Conway
Notable Songs: “Mr. T”; “Air Holez”; “50 Inch Zenith” (featuring Skyzoo)
Career Highlights: Launched indie label Griselda Records in 2014; Caught the attention of Eminem, DJ Premier, Pete Rock, Anderson .Paak, Mobb Deep; Became first rappers from Buffalo to sign to major label
Team Griselda has proven that the bare bones approach of Hip Hop still works but can the flygods move units to the masses? Stay. Tuned.
Eminem
Year Created Shady Records: 1999*
Notable Songs: Just Google one
Career Highlights: Best-selling rapper of all-time; Consistently mentioned in GOAT conversations; Once had some alone time with Mariah Carey
The career highlights speak for themselves. Also, he has a new album coming out.
*Original publishing of this article attributed Eminem’s to founding Shady in 1990. The 9 and 0 are right next to each other on the keyboard. Sorry about that!
Besides the SH crew, shits weak af… I’m hopping over Em’s little imaginary lib line
you have obviously never listened to Westside Gunn & Conway
Never heard of her
I’m checking out Boogie now. Sounds pretty average, but could grow on me the same way Vince Staples has.
Anyway, Em may be the best lyricist, but he doesn’t really deserve much credit as a CEO. D12 hasn’t done an album since 2004, Stat Quo and Cashis were both wasted talents because Em signed them and immediately went through his drug hiatus. Slaughterhouse signing was super exciting back when I first heard, their first Shady album sucked for the most part, and I’ve been waiting for their follow up that was executive produced by Just Blaze for like 4 years now. Slaughterhouse was a very wasted opportunity for Shady to bring lyricism a lane in the mainstream, if Em was a better CEO that would not be the case. Now I’ve been following WSG and Conway for awhile now, and the idea that they might get stuck in limbo is a scary and very probable outcome of the deal with Shady.
I’ll give it to him though, he seems to have handled Yelawolf very well, to sound have come out, and supposedly a third one is on the way, and the second one got bad reviews but I respected the creativity and loved a few songs on it.
In the time it’s taken to write this I’ve heard 3 songs by Boogie, I can honestly say I see nothing special about him, and don’t know why Em would sign him. He’s generic gangster rap at best.
Same shit I’m thinking….. If em was a better ceo, slaughterhouse could be running the rap game right now….. It’ll be badass if D12 and slaughterhouse did an album together, maybe even throw in G-Unit, fuck it lol
Welcome to Our House was pretty dope… very underrated. Although if Glass House is never released I agree it’s a missed opportunity.
Shady Records is the graveyard for rap careers; Bobby Creekwater, Cashis, Obie Trice, D12 to name a few. it seems like every five years or so Eminem comes up with a new roster that then fade into oblivion. repeat.
Obie trice did 3 albums and went platinum, d12 at least 1 platinum album. 50 cent and g unit all born from shady. They actually have around a 50% success rate and the successful ones from shady do extremely well. The mid 2000’s was ems new crop of artists right amid people’s transition from real rap to more of a trap style. At this point it is extremely hard to push a bunch of “rappers rappers” on the pop culture
really? Eminem created Shady Records in 1990? are you sure it aint 1999?
Shady XXV
I just wanna hear good music and shady is doing a great job providing that
This roster sucks. He should scrap the whole thing and start fresh. These guys are going double wood in sales
BWhahahahah @ “Arguably the most talented Hip Hop supergroup of all-time”
Please, Saughterhouse is garbage!!! Two good rappers and two sup-par rappers.
What happened to the supergroups like: GRAVEDIGGAZ, CROOKLYN DODGERS, THE WEATHERMEN, FANTASTIC FOUR, RANDOM AXE and THE FIRM.
Royce might be the best rapper in the world right now, Budden, is ill with the concepts, Crooked is amazing lyrically, and Joell has a great delivery. They are easily the best supergroup since Wu-Tang.
Honestly I think Royce is the only rapper that can keep up with Em bar for bar
I ate a banquet “Salisbury steak” meal and now I’m shitting fire. Shady IV Lizzife
His career highlight is hes a white boy who made every other white boy who listened to rap and had wigger like tendancies the u.s is 65% white and when that demographic relates to you in anyway its gonna be big sales…. not gonna lie though em WAS a beast but guy stepped out too long and hes outs touch that trump freestyle was trash compared to how he USED to spazz on freestyles eminem without the drugs and political incorectness just isnt EM…..
Stop fucking hating n just Slim Shady is the best biotch
Apart from Eminem i dont see any getting a big album push WestsideGunn n Conway cause they drop independent music themselves might just go it alone.Slaughterhouse dead,Bad Meets Evil wont happen again,Yelawolf might get a release but they dont promote it the best he only appeal to certain hip hop crowds,d-12 dead,boogie wont get a release.
Conway the Machine in 2018…………..
I might be wrong and not picking here… but I’m pretty sure Em isn’t signed to shady. He’s just aftermath as a sign of respect for dre. Could be wrong and maybe he has changed, but back in the day this was true. Shame wsg and Conway will never be heard from again, waste of dope talent. I’d be amazed if they drop an album. In fact I’ll buy 1000 copies I’m that confident
I’m most excited to see what Boogie will do under the Shady Records umbrella. I think he’s one of the most underrated of the new class of mc’s from the West. His 3 projects so far have been solid in my opinion. Somebody here called him a generic gangster rapper. I dunno what songs he listened too but if you listen to his projects at length you will here actual substance.
D-12, Slaughterhouse, and Bad Meets Evil are all dead in the water though–and there has been zero confirmation of the new Eminem album other than a tweet a year ago. Yelawolf and the Griselda duo are the only ones active. Shady Records is still mostly a dead label imo.
isn’t benny signed too?
He should be. Think just through Griselda but I think Em will get him. He’s the next big thing
Straight basura. Not one good artist.
Yeah cuz Royce is like the whackest mc ever (said no one).
Royce might be the best rapper in the world right now.
Lol. Not even top 50 too me. The entire roster is basura.
The Illest four letter word in the world is CAGE
Slaughterhouse: “Arguably the most talented Hip Hop supergroup of all-time.”
Damn Straight.
“Here’s a mind-blowing fact for you: Eminem is the second highest-selling male artist of all time right behind Garth Brooks.”
Yeah, too bad you forgot about Elvis Presley, Michael Jackson, and Elton John.
Seriously, do you people who write these articles even bother to research this shit anymore? Because you damn sure haven’t been doing any grammar/spell checks for the past five years.
AM OUT WITH A TOP HIT ALBUM
Eminem pose with AM CRUSE PRODUCE BY ADEWOYIN JAMES ABIOLA
ADENINE
AM ADENINE
” Can the flygods move units to the masses?” I don’t think it’s about moving units anymore lol!
9MOBILE NEED ME MOST TAKE OR LEAVE IT IT MINE JUST YOU KNOW MANY MEN WITH EMI