Rockland Records
Parent companyUniversal Music Group
Founded1997 (1997)
FounderR. Kelly
Defunct2002 (2002)
StatusDefunct
Distributor(s)Interscope Records
Genre
Country of originUnited States

Rockland Records was an American record label founded by singer, songwriter and music producer R. Kelly in 1997. It was distributed by Universal Music's Interscope Records. The label was home to singer Sparkle and rap duo Boo & Gotti.

The label has only released three albums before folding in 2002, following controversy surrounding Kelly's alleged pedophilia, including the infamous sex tape scandal at the time.[1] As of 2024, with Kelly incarcerated in federal prison for multiple sex crimes, Rockland remains defunct with its rights under the control of Interscope Geffen A&M Records.

History

Following the success of his chart-topping single, "I Believe I Can Fly", singer-songwriter R. Kelly founded Rockland Records in 1997, in a distribution deal with Interscope Records, a part of Universal Music Group. The deal was in agreement with Interscope co-founder Jimmy Iovine.

Its artists included singer Sparkle, rap duos Boo & Gotti, Vegas Cats, and R&B boy band Talent, among others. Sparkle was the first and only artist to release an album on the label; her self-titled debut was released in the summer of 1998. Despite various conflicts between Sparkle and the label, her debut album was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in December 2000.[2] Its single, "Be Careful", became a novelty hit for the album and Sparkle's career.[3][4] The soundtrack to the 1999 film, Life, was also released under the label. It featured tracks from K-Ci & JoJo, Maxwell, Mýa, and Destiny's Child, as well as Rockland's artists, Sparkle, Talent, and Vegas Cats.

The label's roster soon included Lady, Frankie, Secret Weapon and Rebecca F.[5][6] Around this time, Sparkle was dropped from the label for refusing to show up to work unless her boyfriend, Steve Huff, was allowed to work on her next project.[7] In addition, she was released several times for insubordination.

Talent released a single titled "Celebrity" from their intended debut album, Bulls Eye. The single, however, performed poorly, peaking at number 90 on the Bubbling Under Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.[8]

In 2002, following controversy surrounding founder R. Kelly's pedophilia and with leaking of the infamous sex tape featuring him and a fourteen-year-old female,[1] Interscope effectively folded the label, ending their association with Kelly and its remaining artists. Rockland's planned albums and singles were also cancelled consequentially without notice. The label was revived once in 2004 to release Kelly and Jay-Z's collaborative album, Unfinished Business.

Artists prior to 2002 disestablishment

Act Years
on the label		 Releases
under the label
R. Kelly 1997–2002 1
Strings 1997–1998 —
Sparkle 1998–1999 1
Boo & Gotti 1998–2002 —
Talent 1998–2002 —
Vegas Cats 1998–2002 —
Lady 1998–2002 —
Frankie 1998–2001 —
Secret Weapon 1998–2002 —

Discography

Artist Album Details
Sparkle Sparkle
Various artists Life: Music Inspired by the Motion Picture
R. Kelly Unfinished Business
(w/ Jay-Z)(released with Roc-A-Fella Records and Def Jam Recordings)

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "R. Kelly recalls music's passion for underage girls". EW.com. Retrieved 2024-01-08.
  2. ↑ "RIAA - Gold & Platinum Searchable Database - October 27, 2014". riaa.com. Retrieved October 27, 2014.
  3. ↑ EBSCOhost Connection
  4. ↑ "Rock Land Records". Discogs.
  5. ↑ Billboard. 1998-09-19. Retrieved October 27, 2014.
  6. ↑ "Talent Takes Aim at the 'Bull's Eye'". Billboard. 17 January 2001.
  7. ↑ "Sparkle - R&B Haven".
  8. ↑ "Talent - Chart history | Billboard". www.billboard.com. Archived from the original on 2015-07-26.
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