Epic Records

Epic Records is an American record company. A division of Sony Music Entertainment, Inc., Epic was founded predominantly as a jazz and classical music label in 1953. It later expanded its scope to include diverse musical genres including pop, R&B, rock and hip hop. Over the years, the label has housed popular acts such as Boston, Celine Dion, Dave Clark Five, Fiona Apple, Gloria Estefan, Jennifer Lopez, Michael Jackson, Pearl Jam, Sade, Shakira, and Sly & the Family Stone.

Along with Columbia and RCA Records, Epic is one of Sony Music Entertainment's three main record labels. L.A. Reid has served as chairman and CEO of Epic since July 2011. Sylvia Rhone was appointed president in March 2014.

History

Beginnings

Epic Records was launched in 1953 by Columbia Records for the purpose of marketing jazz, pop and classical music that did not fit the theme of its more mainstream Columbia Records label. Initial classical music releases were from Philips Records which distributed Columbia product in Europe. Pop talent on co-owned Okeh Records were transferred to Epic which made Okeh a rhythm and blues label. Epic's bright-yellow, black, and blue logo became a familiar trademark for many jazz and classical releases. This has included such notables as the Berlin Philharmonic, Charles Rosen, the Juilliard String Quartet, Antal Doráti conducting the Hague Philharmonic and George Szell conducting the Cleveland Orchestra.

L.A. Reid

Antonio M. "L.A." Reid (born June 7, 1956) is an American record executive, musician, songwriter, record producer, former television music competition judge, and is currently the chairman and CEO of Epic Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment.

A co-founder of LaFace Records, Reid's production and studio drumming skills have helped to bring numerous music figures to multi-platinum sales, including Bobby Brown, Johnny Gill, Boyz II Men, Outkast, Toni Braxton, TLC, Mariah Carey, Avril Lavigne, Paula Abdul, Pink, Justin Bieber, Rihanna, Kanye West, Usher, Ne-Yo, Rick Ross, Young Jeezy, Ciara, Kerli and Dido. He has won three Grammy Awards.

Reid is also the president and CEO of Hitco Music Publishing, based in Atlanta, and was the chairman and CEO of the Island Def Jam Music Group for six years until his move to Epic in 2011.

He appeared as a judge on the first two seasons of the U.S. version of the television show The X Factor, but in December 2012 announced he would not be back for the show's third season, saying he wanted to focus on his leadership at Epic Records.

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Bobby Shmurda

Ackquille Jean Pollard (born August 4, 1994 in Florida), known by his stage name Bobby Shmurda, is an American rapper from Brooklyn, New York, signed to Epic Records. He is best known for his song "Hot Nigga", (released in July 2014) a song that debuted the "Shmoney dance," which went viral after the release of the music video. This song peaked at 6 on the Billboard Hot 100, with the song being remixed and performed by numerous other artists including Lil' Kim, French Montana, Juicy J, and Gunplay. On December 17, 2014, New York City Police arrested him, alleging that he was the ringleader of a Crips gang known as GS9, the same as his label, which shot indiscriminately into public crowds and murdered a member of a rival gang. Pollard was charged with conspiracy to commit murder, weapons possession, and reckless endangerment as part of a 15-person, 69-count indictment that included his brother Javese and fellow GS9 label-mate Rowdy Rebel. Shmurda pled not guilty.

Early life

Shmurda was born in Florida and is the youngest of two sons born to a Jamaican father and a Trinidadian mother. Shortly after birth he moved to Brooklyn, New York after his father was incarcerated, living in East Flatbush. Shmurda also had run-ins with the law while living in Brooklyn, including spending 15 months in detention for probation violation as well as being arrested on a gun charge that was later dropped.