Duck Down Records

infobox record label


founded = 1995
founder = Kenyatta Blake Drew Friedman
distributor = Priority Records (1995-2000) Koch Entertainment (2002-2005)
Navarre Corporation (2005-present)
genre = Hip Hop
country = United States
url = [http://duckdown.com/ DuckDown.com]

Duck Down Records is a hip hop record label, famous as the home of Hip Hop collective Boot Camp Clik. Duck Down was originally established as a management company in 1994, then officially established as Duck Down Entaprizez in 1995 by rapper Buckshot of Black Moon and his business partner Dru-Ha. After the success of the debut albums by Duck Down artists Black Moon and Smif-N-Wessun, they entered a national distribution deal with Priority Records in 1995, until they were dropped from the label in 2000. They remained without distribution until 2002, when they signed a deal with leading independent distributor Koch Entertainment. In April 2005, they left Koch and signed a new distribution deal with the Navarre Corporation (Navarre has since been sold to Koch, once again bringing the Duck Down label back to being distributed by Koch). [http://www.billboard.biz/bbbiz/content_display/industry/e3id38c37b9af98234a1bd56ea742131d06]

Duck Down's original roster consisted of Boot Camp Clik members Black Moon, Smif-N-Wessun, Heltah Skeltah and O.G.C.. Their first full length release was Heltah Skeltah's 1996 debut album "Nocturnal". They released nine albums with Priority Records between 1995-2000. During their period with no distribution deal, they released only vinyl singles. During their stint with Koch Entertainment, they released four albums. Since their current deal with the Navarre Corporation, they have released four albums. Their next release will be Boot Camp Clik's "The Last Stand", hitting shelves on July 18, 2006. According to the Duck Down website, the label has sold over 3,000,000 records to date.

The labels current roster consists of Buckshot, Black Moon, Smif-N-Wessun, Heltah Skeltah, Sean Price, O.G.C., Representativz, DJ Logic and Rustee Juxx. In the fall of 1997, the label attempted signing Eminem, but Priority passed on the deal, not wanting to take the risk of signing a White rapper. The label is also famous for being involved in the "One Nation Petition", a petition asking for the release of the 2Pac album "One Nation", recorded during the summer of 1996, and featuring appearances from Duck Down artists Buckshot and Smif-N-Wessun. Other artists that have been signed to the label include Masta Ace, and Phife Dawg of A Tribe Called Quest.

Artists

* B-Real
* Black Moon - Buckshot, 5FT, DJ Evil Dee
* Boot Camp Clik
* Da Beatminerz
* Diamond D
* DJ Revolution
* Heltah Skeltah - Rock, Sean Price
* Kidz in the Hall - Naledge, Double-O
* KRS-One
* O.G.C. - Louieville Sluggah, Starang Wondah, Top Dog
* Representativz - Supreme, Lidu Rock
* Rustee Juxx
* Smif-N-Wessun (a.k.a.Cocoa Brovaz), Tek, Steele
* Special Teamz - Ed O.G., Jaysaun, Slaine

Label discography (albums)

Past Albums

* 1996: Heltah Skeltah "Nocturnal"
* 1996: O.G.C. "Da Storm"
* 1997: Boot Camp Clik "For the People"
* 1998: Cocoa Brovaz "The Rude Awakening"
* 1998: Heltah Skeltah "Magnum Force
* 1999: Black Moon "War Zone"
* 1999: O.G.C. "The M-Pire Shrikez Back"
* 1999: "",
* 1999: Buckshot "The BDI Thug"
* 1999: Representativz Angeles of Death
* 2000: Boot Camp Clik ""
* 2002: Boot Camp Clik "The Chosen Few"
* 2003: "Collect Dis Edition"
* 2003: Buckshot "The BDI Thug" (expanded re-released version)
* 2003: Black Moon "Total Eclipse"
* 2005: Sean Price "Monkey Barz"
* 2005: Buckshot & 9th Wonder "Chemistry"
* 2005: Smif-N-Wessun ""
* 2005: Black Moon "War Zone Revisited" (expanded re-released version)
* 2006: Boot Camp Clik "The Last Stand"
* 2007: Sean Price "Jesus Price Supastar"
* 2007: Boot Camp Clik "Still For the People" ("For the People" re-release)
* 2007: Boot Camp Clik "Casualties of War"
* 2007: Special Teamz "Stereotypez"
* 2007: Smif-N-Wessun ""
* 2008: Buckshot & 9th Wonder "The Formula"
* 2008: Kidz in the Hall "The In Crowd"
* 2008: Heltah Skeltah "D.I.R.T."

Mixtape Albums

* Sean Price "Master P"
* Rock - "Shell Shock"

Upcoming Albums

* DJ Revolution - "Kings of the Decks"
* KRS-One & Buckshot - "Conflosation"
* Sean Price - "Mic Tyson"
* Sean Price, Black Milk & Guilty Simpson - "Random Axe"
* B Real - "Smoke 'N Mirrors"

ee also

* List of record labels