Waxploitation Records

The Waxploitation label was founded in 1997 by Jeff Antebi as a home for innovative artists in music. The Company broadened to include Artist Management and Music Publishing in 2000.

Waxploitation

In its early years, Waxploitation broke with the decades-old tradition of managing ‘producer/engineers’ and began to manage artists as record producers - a not-so-subtle distinction at the time.

Waxploitation began handling the burgeoning producer careers of artists including Ministry's Al Jourgensen, Butthole Surfers founder (and Sublime producer) Paul Leary, Nine Inch Nails co-founder Chris Vrenna, and Digable Planets' King Britt, to name a few - a roster which ended up working with an array of artists including U2, R.E.M., Beck, Elliot Smith, Depeche Mode, Erykah Badu, Ol’ Dirty Bastard, Smashing Pumpkins, Bright Eyes, Nelly Furtado, and Weezer, among many others.

It was the management of acclaimed urban producer E-Swift of Tha Alkaholiks which led to Waxploitation managing and ultimately releasing Tha Liks' swan song Firewater album, before they retired as one of hip hop’s legendary acts. And from there, the Company segued from primarily producer management to primarily artist management.

Waxploitation has held a standard of working with artists early in their careers. An example being the Company's relationship with six-time nominated, two-time Grammy Award winning producer and artist Danger Mouse, which began well before the release of the infamous Grey Album.

Waxploitation ended up becoming the longtime artist management company for Danger Mouse, which has also meant managing Cee-Lo Green and Danger Mouse's multi-platinum, two-time Grammy Award winning Gnarls Barkley persona, whose debut album has sold over 3 million albums worldwide.

Waxploitation manages Danger Mouse’s producing career, which has included the Grammy Award-winning Gorillaz Demon Days album, as well as critically acclaimed releases from Sparklehorse, The Rapture and Martina Topley-Bird, to name a few.

Waxploitation handles publishing catalogs with classics including 'Bust a Move', 'Wild Thing' and 'Funky Cold Medina,' as well as Beastie Boys' seminal album Paul's Boutique and songs by the Pharcyde and Brand New Heavies, among many others.

In addition to Tha Alkaholiks, Waxploitation Records has released notable albums throughout the years, beginning with Strictly Ballroom’s Hide Here Forever (1997), the first band for Postal Service’s Jimmy Tamborello. Later releases include the Being Black soundtrack (2003) with songs from Will.i.am, Jurassic 5 and Blackalicious, KutMasta Kurt’s RNO (2004) featuring the Beastie Boys, Linkin Park and Mos Def, as well as two critically hailed albums by Tweaker (2001's Attraction to All Things Uncertain and 2004's 2am Wake Up Call), the band formed by Nine Inch Nails alumnus Chris Vrenna. These two albums featured guest appearances from Will Oldham, David Sylvian, The Smiths' Johnny Marr, The Cure’s Robert Smith, and Elysian Fields’ Jennifer Charles.

Causes & Activism

Waxploitation Records released an album in 2003 entitled Genocide in Sudan with songs donated by System of a Down, Gorillaz, Yoko Ono, Bad Religion and Thievery Corporation. This was the start of what has been a core attribute of the Company’s dedication to charity and activism. Waxploitation holds several charity auctions each year to benefit non-profits including Oxfam, Save Darfur, Doctors without Borders, the UN Refugee Agency and Human Rights Watch which have included items donated by Angelina Jolie, Radiohead, Tony Hawk, Kanye West, Nine Inch Nails, OutKast, Julius ‘Dr. J’ Irving and more.

See also

• List of record labels

External links

• Official Waxploitation homepage
• Gnarls Barkley homepage
• Dangerdoom homepage
• Danger Mouse homepage
• Tweaker homepage
• Teargas & Plateglass homepage
• Billboard story on Genocide in Sudan project