Lethal pours out its Blackheart and travels Lightyear mothership with a Kiss
BLACK HOLE - STREET MUSIC MAGAZINE — BY DADDY LION CHANDELL
Posted to rec.music.hip-hop + alt.rap on (publication date not stated in the post)
Lethal pours out its Blackheart and travels Lightyear mothership with a Kiss DLC IndustryWatch: THIS JUST IN! THIS JUST IN! THIS JUST IN!
By Daddy Lion Chandell (Music & Entertainment Analyst and Historian)
It's been a while since you heard from me about the happenings about Lethal Records lately. I do have an upcoming album review from Lethal, which you might want to watch out for. But until then, here's some late-breaking news. Lethal Records has left their relationship with Blackheart Records Group to join the ranks of the many labels under the distribution arm of the great Lightyear Entertainment, who itself is distributed by WEA. Founder Ron Skoler tells DLC IndustryWatch/deep in the nooz TM that it was a mutual agreement to terminate their nearly two-year relationship. Additionally, another source explains that it was due to Blackheart "not living up to its expectations with Lethal in terms of sales or distribution".
To refresh your memory, Lethal Records was founded in approximately 1995 by Ron Skoler (former lawyer for Public Enemy) and became a member, in 1998, of the Blackheart Records Group (owned by Rock legend Joan Jett and her partner Kenny Laguna of her group, The Blackhearts). Lethal was one of two labels to bring Hip-Hop (and Reggae music, for that matter) to Blackheart for the first time. Blackheart Records Group was (in the PolyGram heyday) and still is (in more Universal times) distributed under Mercury Records, which is now a barely-recognized imprint of The Island Def Jam Music Group.
From the beginning of Lethal's existence until around early 1998, it was an independent label distributed by MS Distribution, which recently closed its doors late last year. Lethal Records pretty much began with their then star group Punk Barbarians in 1996, who came by way of Poisoned Ivy Entertainment. Punk Barbarians unleashed the hit, "Blast Off" and one album, 'Sex, Props, Cream....And The Drama In Between', whose album is still in stores. Other artists on Lethal at that time included the much-talked-about DJ S&S, and Bass artist Mikki (by way of Walk Records, founded by Kevin Walker). During their time with Blackheart*Mercury (which by then, Mikki and Punk Barbarians were no longer with the label), Lethal Records released albums from Professor Griff (no surprise), Reggae Dub poet Mutabaruka, and, of course, DJ S&S. Any plans to re-release these albums with Lightyear is unknown and, at the same time, doubtful.
Making the transition from the Blackheart family to the Lightyear family, their latest release is called 'Kissing After Dark', which is based on the late-night romantically-set radio show of the same name on Emmis Broadcasting-owned WRKS 98.7 Kiss FM in New York. As a matter of fact, Skoler tells us that there may be future album companion projects for 98.7 Kiss FM under way. The first 'Kissing After Dark' will feature R&B tunes and Soul classics from Isaac Hayes, Bloodstone, The Temprees, Brenda & The Tabulations, The Stylistics, The Temptations, The Dells, and more.
Moreover, as there won't be too many newly-signed artists on Lethal, look out for an album from upcoming Washington state rapper Self, who was featured on the DJ S&S 'Harlem World Order' project album with Tragedy Khadafi on a song called "Armageddon (Crime Side Of Life)". The finalization of his album is currently unknown. All in all, this relationship will create a super coup for both Lethal and Lightyear, a coup of continuous quality.