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| Kemosabe Records | |
|---|---|
| Name | Kemosabe Records |
| Founded | 2011 |
| Founder | Dr. Luke |
| Status | Active (as of 2024) |
| Genre | Pop, Rock, Hip hop, EDM, Country |
| Country | United States |
| Location | Los Angeles, California |
| Parent | Sony Music Entertainment (RCA) |
Kemosabe Records is an American record label established in 2011 that operated as an imprint within the major label system, focusing on pop, rock, hip hop, electronic dance music, and crossover country acts. The label became notable for signing high-profile artists, shaping 2010s pop charts, and generating legal and industry controversies that intersected with lawsuits, publishing disputes, and corporate restructurings among major music corporations. Kemosabe’s trajectory involved interactions with major figures and institutions in the recording industry, publishing, and entertainment law.
Kemosabe Records emerged during a period of consolidation among major labels and independent imprints, linking with entities such as Sony Music Entertainment, RCA Records, Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group, BMG Rights Management, Atlantic Records, Columbia Records, Capitol Records, Island Records, Republic Records, Def Jam Recordings, Interscope Records, Epic Records, Polydor Records, EMI, Virgin Records, MCA Records, Mercury Records, Geffen Records, Motown Records, Island Def Jam Music Group, Elektra Records, A&M Records, Virgin EMI Records, Decca Records, XL Recordings, Big Machine Records, Concord Music Group, Matador Records, Sub Pop, 4AD, Domino Recording Company, Glassnote Records, Secretly Canadian, Dead Oceans, Jagjaguwar, Saddle Creek Records, Rough Trade Records, Mute Records, Rhino Entertainment Company, Cooking Vinyl, Frontiers Records, Nettwerk Music Group, Caroline Distribution, RED Distribution, The Orchard, Kobalt Music Group, PeerMusic, Reservoir Media, AXS TV, Live Nation Entertainment, AEG Presents.
The label’s operational period intersected with cultural moments tied to artists, chart systems, and award institutions such as the Billboard Hot 100, Grammy Awards, MTV Video Music Awards, BRIT Awards, American Music Awards, BET Awards, CMA Awards, iHeartRadio Music Awards, Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, SoundCloud, Pandora (service), Tidal (service), Napster (service), and the restructuring of legacy catalog holders like Sony/ATV Music Publishing.
Kemosabe was founded by record producer and songwriter known professionally as Dr. Luke, whose background includes work with artists on labels such as RCA Records, Sony Music Entertainment, and collaborations involving studios in Los Angeles, California, New York City, Nashville, Tennessee, Miami, Florida, Atlanta, Georgia, London, Paris, Stockholm, Berlin, Toronto, Vancouver and production hubs tied to Max Martin, Shellback (record producer), Ryan Tedder, Greg Kurstin, Sia (artist), Maroon 5, Katy Perry, Britney Spears, Kelly Clarkson, Ariana Grande, Miley Cyrus, Kesha and Pink (singer). The imprint was distributed through RCA, placing it within the corporate umbrella of Sony Music Entertainment and subject to agreements with publishers like Kobalt, Warner Chappell Music, Sony/ATV Music Publishing, Universal Music Publishing Group, and performance rights organizations such as ASCAP, BMI, and SESAC.
Ownership arrangements involved contracts, licensing deals, and joint ventures common to the record industry that connected Kemosabe to executives at Clive Davis, L.A. Reid, Jimmy Iovine, Lucian Grainge, Rob Stringer, Doug Morris, Antonio "L.A." Reid and corporate legal teams that negotiated 360 deals, mechanical royalties, and sync licenses with agencies like Creative Artists Agency, William Morris Endeavor, CAA, WME and publishers engaged with film and television placements for shows on NBC, ABC, FOX, CBS, HBO, Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, FX, Disney+, and networks commissioning soundtracks.
Artists associated with the label included chart-topping acts and emerging performers from diverse genres, whose careers intersected with songwriters, producers, and collaborators across the industry. Notable roster members included singers and bands who worked alongside producers and co-writers such as Dr. Luke (founder), Max Martin, Ryan Tedder, Sia (artist), Rhett Akins, Luke Laird, Jack Antonoff, Mark Ronson, Calvin Harris, Zedd, Diplo, Skrillex, Flume, The Chainsmokers, Pharrell Williams, The Weeknd, Bruno Mars, Lady Gaga, Dua Lipa, Halsey, Selena Gomez, Demi Lovato, Nicki Minaj, Cardi B, Lizzo, Doja Cat, Billie Eilish, Olivia Rodrigo, Tayla Parx, Iggy Azalea, Meghan Trainor, Ellie Goulding, Christina Aguilera, Adele, Beyoncé, Rihanna, Sia Furler, Lorde, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Jessie J, Carly Rae Jepsen, Charli XCX, Tove Lo, MØ, Icona Pop, Clean Bandit, Little Mix, Fifth Harmony, One Direction, Maroon 5, Imagine Dragons, Coldplay, Green Day, Foo Fighters, The Killers, Paramore.
Kemosabe’s catalogue included singles, albums, and collaborative productions that reached mainstream charts and sync placements. Releases under the imprint appeared on the Billboard 200, UK Albums Chart, ARIA Charts, Canadian Hot 100, Oricon, Gaon Chart, Nielsen SoundScan tallies, and earned certifications from organizations like the RIAA, BPI, ARIA, and Music Canada. High-profile singles cut or co-produced by the label’s producers featured in film soundtracks for franchises and studios including Marvel Studios, Walt Disney Pictures, Universal Pictures, Paramount Pictures, Warner Bros. Pictures, and television tie-ins on Saturday Night Live, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, and Good Morning America.
As an imprint, Kemosabe’s operations relied on distribution, marketing, and A&R pipelines coordinated with RCA Records, Sony Music Entertainment, and global distributors like The Orchard and RED Distribution. The label utilized digital platforms and streaming partnerships with Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, Tidal (service), and engaged publicity firms, radio promotion companies, and chart reporting services tied to Billboard and Nielsen Music. Sync licensing and placement deals involved agencies such as Musicbed, Songtradr, Music Dealers, and film/TV music supervisors who negotiated placements through unions and guilds including SAG-AFTRA and ASCAP issues in audiovisual productions.
Kemosabe’s public profile was heavily shaped by legal disputes involving artists, producers, and corporations, touching on allegations, lawsuits, restraining orders, and claims commonly litigated in state and federal courts including the United States District Court for the Central District of California. High-profile cases involved celebrity plaintiffs and defendants represented by law firms active in entertainment litigation and intersected with media outlets such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Rolling Stone (magazine), Billboard, Variety (magazine), The Hollywood Reporter, Pitchfork, NME (magazine), Vogue (magazine), Time (magazine), and The Guardian. Disputes raised issues related to contract law, royalty accounting, producer credits, and trademark registrations administered by the United States Patent and Trademark Office and involved settlement negotiations, depositions, discovery, and public statements managed by public relations teams.
Kemosabe’s imprint model exemplified trends in 21st-century label structures, influencing how producers, songwriter-centric imprints, and pop architects negotiated label deals with legacy corporations like Sony Music Entertainment and competitors such as Universal Music Group and Warner Music Group. The imprint’s productions and associated controversies contributed to industry debates over artist protections, producer credits, executive accountability, and catalog ownership—topics debated at conferences and institutions like the Recording Academy, Music Business Association (Music Biz), MIDEM, SXSW, Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, Glastonbury Festival, Lollapalooza, Bonnaroo Music Festival, Tomorrowland, Ultra Music Festival, Exit Festival, Sziget Festival, and in academia at Berklee College of Music, University of Southern California Thornton School of Music, New York University Clive Davis Institute, UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music.
Category:American record labels