R.I.P. Jive, Arista and J Records

 

RCA Music Group is shutting down Arista, Jive and J Records subsidiaries, a move by new label execs to strengthen the identity of the RCA brand. Artists who have been with those three imprints, which have been home to Britney Spears, Alicia Keys, Rod Stewart, Pitbull, Whitney Houston, Justin Timberlake, Barry Manilow, R. Kelly, Kelly Clarkson, Fantasia, Dido, Jennifer Hudson, Leona Lewis and others, will be shifted to RCA.

Jive Records, founded in 1977, was one of the premiere labels for 80′s hip hop, having released iconic records from A Tribe Called Quest, KRS-One, R. Kelly, and DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince. In the ’90s, the label helped break a trio of pop super stars in Britney Spears, ‘N Sync, and Backstreet Boys. More recently, it represented the likes of Chris Brown, Usher, and T-Pain.

Arista and J Records were both founded by legendary record executive Clive Davis. The former , launched in 1974, boasted a roster featuring Whitney Houston, Jennifer Hudson, Barry Manilow and Carlos Santana. J Records, founded in 2000, represented the likes of Alicia Keys and D’Angelo.