Decline
In the summer of 1993, Sean “Puffy” Combs was abruptly terminated due to tension between him and label head Andre Harrell. Within two weeks of that dismissal he established Bad Boy Records and took The Notorious B.I.G. along with him. Without Combs' keen vision, Uptown began to suffer. However, he remained involved as Executive Producer of Mary J. Blige’s second album My Life, which was released in late 1994 and would later be certified three times Platinum. Tension started to exist between Uptown and its key acts Mary J. Blige and Jodeci. The two signed to Death Row Records label head Suge Knight's "West Coast Management" firm. Knight was able to upgrade their contracts by doubling their royalty rates, secure greater creative control and landed them substantial back payments.
Even with all these distractions, Uptown managed to still put out some hit records. 1994's Heavy D & The Boyz final album, "Nuttin' But Love" would chart number one on the R&B charts and be certified Platinum. While in 1995 both Soul for Real's debut album Candy Rain and Jodeci's final Uptown album The Show, the After Party, the Hotel" which charted number one on the R&B charts
By early 1996, Andre was offered the chance to revive Motown Records and became their CEO. Heavy D moved into the role of Uptown's president and CEO. Even with this change, there was only some minor success with rap group Lost Boyz debut album, "Legal Drug Money". The album sold well, peaking at #6 on the Billboard Hot 200 and #1 on the R&B/Hip Hop Albums charts. Not long afterwards, Uptown folded when Heavy D decided that running the company was not for him, choosing instead to pursue acting and performing. Mary J. Blige would move over to MCA Records to release her next album, "Share My World in 1997. The same year, Uptown was repositioned to operate under the newly established Universal Records umbrella. By 1999, Uptown Records was absorbed into Universal Records. Subsequently, many of Uptown's artists (with the exception of Monifah and Soul for Real) were moved to the MCA roster. Today the label is a part of Universal Motown Republic Group, but remains defunct.
Read more about this topic: Uptown Records
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