I'm not splitting hairs defining all the sublabels like Young vs. Cash Money etc.
These are the labels that are true powerhouses, in terms of roster popularity/talent. I'm keeping it to labels with mainstream appeal, I love Strange Music but they aren't making this list. I'm not listing all the artists on each label, just the biggest.
Shady/Aftermath: Em, Slaughterhouse, Dre, 50, Yelawolf, D12, G-Unit
Roc Nation/GOOD Music: Jay-Z, Kanye, J Cole, Common, Big Sean, Kid Cudi, Mos Def
Young/Cash Money: Lil Wayne, Birdman, Drake, Nicki Minaj, T-Pain,
Any other powerhouses? Try to only include coherent labels that are run like a family. Ex: Def Jam has TONS of huge artists, but you would never know Nas was on the same label as Ludacris without looking it up. Everyone knows who is a Young Money artist or a Shady artist.










