Uprok Records

Uprok Records
Parent company Tooth & Nail Records
Founded 1999
Founder Josh Niemyjski
Distributor(s) EMI CMG
Genre Christian hip hop
Hip hop
Underground hip hop
Rap
Country of origin USA
Location Seattle, Washington
Official website Defunct

Uprok Records was a record label created in 1999 under the parent company Tooth & Nail Records, with a focus on distributing Christian hip-hop artists. The name Uprok Records refers to the breakdancing term (also spelled Uprock). The first three artists on the label were Ill Harmonics, Sup the Chemist and MG! The Visionary. Shortly after its inception Josh Niemyjski, who created and maintains SphereOfHipHop.com, took over as President and Artist & Repertoire manager. According to Niemyjski, "It was started because I feel like BEC and Tooth and Nail saw a niche that wasn't being filled."[1] Through its parent companies BEC/Tooth & Nail and EMI Christian, it was able to sell in Christian and secular stores. However, a grassroots marketing was used to sell many of the albums online directly through the label, at SphereOfHipHop.com, at other hip-hop websites and local records stores, as well as at the artists live shows.

Currently the record label is not defunct but Josh Niemyjski has left to form ILLECT Recordings and parent label BEC/Tooth & Nail has very few hip-hop artists currently signed and being distributed under the Uprok label.[2] Many of the former artists have signed to competing Christian hip-hop label Gotee Records, co-founded by TobyMac and also distributed by EMI, while others have started their own label or joined smaller labels and collectives.

Artist list

The following artists either have performed or released an album under the Uprok Records label:

BK & Associates
Ill Harmonics
KJ-52
Manafest
MG! The Visionary
Sup the Chemist

Deepspace5 and members:
Beat Rabbi
Freddie Bruno
The Listener
Mars ILL (Manchild & DJ Dust)
Playdough
Sev Statik
Sintax the Terrific

The Tunnel Rats and members:
Jurny Big
LPG
New Breed
Peace 586
Raphi
Sev Statik

Compilation & collaborative albums

Coalition: the Hip-Hop Alliance, 2000 (Co-distributed under the ForeFront Records label)
Uprok Records Sampler, 2001
Uprok Records Mixtape Volume 1: mixed by DJ Allstar, 2002
Uprok Records Mixtape Volume 2: mixed by DJ Allstar, 2003
Underground Rise - Sunrise, Sunset, 2003

References

  1. ↑ Seattle / Northwest Hip Hop, R&B, and the Urban Scene
  2. ↑ The Holy Hip Hop DataBASE - The ultimate online Christian Hiphop resource
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