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{{Short description|Record label}}{{More sources|date=June 2025}}{{Infobox record label 
| name = Relativity Records
| image = Relativity Records logo.jpg
| image_size = 75px
| caption = Logo used from late 1995 to 1999
| parent = [[Sony Music|Sony Music Entertainment]]
| founded = {{start date and age|1982}}
| defunct = {{end date|1999}} {{small|(Relativity)}}<br>{{end date|2017}} {{small|(RED Music)}}
| founder = Barry Kobrin
| status = Defunct
| distributor = [[RED Music]]
| genre = Various
| country = [[United States]]
| location = [[New York City]], [[New York (state)|New York]]
}}

'''Relativity Records''' was an American [[record label]] founded by Barry Kobrin at the site of his vinyl record shop, [[RED Music|Important Record Distributors]] (IRD) in [[New York metropolitan area|metropolitan]] [[New York City]].<ref name="LarkinDM"/> The IRD distribution name was later known as RED Distribution and again as RED Music.

Relativity released music that covered a wide variety of musical genres. When it entered into a deal with [[Sony Music|Sony Music Entertainment]], it became more known for its [[Heavy metal music|heavy metal]] and [[Hip hop music|hip hop]] releases.<ref name="LarkinDM">{{cite book|title=[[Encyclopedia of Popular Music|The Virgin Encyclopedia of Dance Music]]|editor=[[Colin Larkin (writer)|Colin Larkin]]|publisher=[[Virgin Books]]|date=1998|edition=First|isbn=0-7535-0252-6|page=284}}</ref>

In 1999, Relativity was folded into [[Steve Rifkind]]'s [[Loud Records]], which in turn was shut down by Sony Music in 2002, with its parent distributor, RED Distribution, maintaining its existence, but later as [[RED Music]], being merged into [[The Orchard (company)|the Orchard]] in 2017 by [[Sony]].

==History==
Although it was reportedly established in 1985,<ref name="Bessman"/> there is evidence that the Relativity Records imprint began around the spring of 1982 as an in-house label of founder Barry Korbin's Important Record Distributors.

In the 1980s, Relativity Records was mostly focused on [[rock music]], including heavy metal and [[punk rock]].<ref name="LarkinDM"/> Releases in this genre were split among Relativity and its sister labels [[Combat Records|Combat]] and In-Effect Records. Following the recession of 1990, these labels were folded back into the main Relativity label.<ref name="Bessman"/> Later that year, Relativity signed [[Chris Lighty]]'s [[Violator (company)|Violator Records]] in a distribution deal with [[Chi-Ali]], [[Fat Joe]] and [[the Beatnuts]] as part of the signees. Then, Sony Music Entertainment acquired a 50% stake in the company.<ref name="Bessman">{{cite news |last1=Bessman |first1=Jim |title=Relativity Goes After Higher Profile |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HhIEAAAAMBAJ&q=%22Barry+Kobrin%22+-wikipedia&pg=PA38|publisher=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|page=38 |access-date=10 January 2019|date=15 August 1992}}</ref> Around 1992, the label underwent restructuring. Important Record Distributors, a former vinyl record store and distribution company for Relativity, was renamed [[RED Music|Relativity Entertainment Distribution]]. Starting in June 1994, Relativity's label production and distribution in Canada, Europe and Australia would be handled by Sony's [[Epic Records]] and in Japan by [[Sony Music Entertainment Japan|Sony Music Japan]]. In 1995, the distribution company was shortened to RED Distribution. Meanwhile, Relativity entered into limited partnership deals with two regional independent hip hop record labels, [[Suave House Records|Suave Records]] and [[Ruthless Records]] in 1993.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-xMEAAAAMBAJ&q=relativity+distributed+for+ruthless+records+in+1993&pg=PA35|title=Ruthless Records|publisher=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|page=35|date=2008-08-09|access-date=2019-09-10}}</ref>

The success of [[Bone Thugs-n-Harmony]] at Ruthless following founder [[Eazy-E]]'s death in 1995 granted them their own label division at Relativity, Mo Thugs Records, where they housed members and affiliates of their collective, [[Mo Thugs]], in similarity to that of their rival groups [[Wu-Tang Clan]]'s [[List of Wu-Tang Clan affiliates|Killa Beez]] and [[Three 6 Mafia]]'s Hypnotize Camp Posse. For Three 6 Mafia, their album, ''[[Chapter 1: The End]]'', released in 1996 at the same time as Relativity rap group [[The Dayton Family]]'s sophomore album, ''[[F.B.I. (album)|F.B.I.]]'', garnered the [[Memphis, Tennessee|Memphis]] supergroup a distribution deal with the label.{{Citation needed|date=December 2023}}

Also, in 1996, ''[[Relativity Urban Assault]]'', a compilation consisting of hip hop and R&B songs by the label's urban roster was released alongside Mo Thugs' ''[[Family Scriptures]]''. In 1997, Relativity's dominance as an independent label began to deteriorate in spite of decline of record sales, revenue and employment. They cut ties with Lighty's Violator brand, also ending their deals with Chi-Ali and Fat Joe, but keeping the Beatnuts within the label. That year, the Beatnuts, Bone Thugs-n-Harmony and Three 6 Mafia managed to save Relativity from dormancy with the releases of ''[[Stone Crazy]]'', the number one [[The Art of War (Bone Thugs-n-Harmony album)|''Art of War'']] and ''[[Chapter 2: World Domination]]'', respectively. However, [[Chicago]] rapper [[Common (rapper)|Common]], who had previously been a part of the imprint for 1992's ''[[Can I Borrow a Dollar?]]'' and 1994's [[Resurrection (Common album)|''Resurrection'']], was dropped from Relativity following the label's lack of promotion of his third album, ''[[One Day It'll All Make Sense]]'' (1997). 1998 followed with the releases of [[Link (singer)|Link]]'s ''[[Sex Down]]'', Mo Thugs' ''[[Chapter II: Family Reunion]]'', [[M.O.P.]]'s ''[[First Family 4 Life]]'', [[Gangsta Boo]]'s ''[[Enquiring Minds]]'' and [[Bizzy Bone]]'s ''[[Heaven'z Movie]]'', among other releases.

In 1999, the label released their final albums, [[Infamous Syndicate]]'s [[Changing the Game (album)|''Changing the Game'']], Tear da Club Up Thugs' ''[[CrazyNDaLazDayz]]'', Bootleg's ''Death Before Dishonesty'' and [[Krayzie Bone]]'s ''[[Thug Mentality 1999]]''. Then, in June, Relativity's operations as a label was folded.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Perfect Sound Forever: Relativity Records |url=https://www.furious.com/perfect/relativityrecords.html |access-date=2023-12-04 |website=www.furious.com}}</ref> Most of its urban roster was drafted to [[Steve Rifkind]]'s [[Loud Records]]. From then on out, Loud took over a majority of Relativity's operations as a label and in-house distributor for [[Hypnotize Minds]], the Beatnuts, Krayzie Bone, [[Xzibit]] and M.O.P., while the rest of the major roster was moved from [[RCA Records]] to [[Columbia Records]]. Henchforth, as part of Loud's takeover of Relativity under Sony, they were required to distribute in North America under Columbia or Relativity's distribution parent, RED, while in Europe, they were to be distributed by or under Epic.{{Citation needed|date=December 2023}} In 2002, after Loud suffered and Rifkind began developing issues with Sony Music, they relinquished him from Loud Records and folded his imprint, effectively ending related operations of Relativity. However, RED Distribution remained active, distributing other labels like [[Artemis Records]].

The Relativity brand was acquired by Sony Music (known at the time as [[Sony BMG]]) in 2007. Reissues by Relativity releases will be distributed by Sony instead of RED, which in 2017, was merged into [[The Orchard (company)|The Orchard]]. Meanwhile, releases after Relativity under the RED Distribution banner will be handled by the Orchard.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Christman |first=Ed |date=2017-06-05 |title=Sony Merges RED Into The Orchard: What the Music Giant's Latest Consolidation Means for Indie Labels |url=https://www.billboard.com/pro/sony-music-orchard-red-indie-distributors-merged/ |access-date=2023-12-04 |magazine=Billboard |language=en-US}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[List of record labels]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Relativity Records| ]]
[[Category:Defunct record labels of the United States]]
[[Category:Sony Music]]
[[Category:1982 establishments in New York City]]

Relativity Records - Revision history

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