Priority Records

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Priority Records was founded in 1985 by Bryan Turner, Mark Cerami and Steve Drath, former K-tel executives. The Los Angeles-based company had no ties to a previous Priority Records label that was a subsidiary of CBS Records. Initial funding came from R-tek, a company headed by former K-tel board members Ray and Harold Kives, which took an initial 50% ownership. Priority bought out the R-tek interest in 1987. The label's first success came with novelty act the California Raisins. Priority developed a "street-based" formula of underground marketing that bypassed mainstream radio, allowing it to sell millions of records. In the early 1990s, Priority struck a distribution deal with EMI, which bought a 50% stake in 1996 and the remainder in 1998. Despite full ownership, Priority continued as an independently managed company until 2001, when its operations were merged into Capitol Records. Priority was absorbed into Capitol Records in 2004 and ceased operations. In late 2006, EMI revived Priority Records, but it only released compilation and greatest hits albums until 2009, when Snoop Dogg was appointed creative chairman and released Malice N Wonderland. In July 2013, Priority was re-launched via a joint venture between Capitol Records and Insurgency Music, releasing several projects including Snoop Dogg's 7 Days of Funk, but contrary to some reports, Malice N Wonderland was not part of this relaunch—it had been released in 2009. In 2015, due to the success of the film Straight Outta Compton, Priority was relaunched again as a distributor focusing on new acts.

In Their Own Story

In 2009, Snoop Dogg was appointed creative chairman of Priority Records, and the label released his tenth studio album, Malice N Wonderland on December 8, 2009. The album was a commercial failure. Before that, Snoop Dogg had appeared as a guest on Priority/No Limit releases: Master P's 1998 album MP Da Last Don, which sold over 495,000 copies in its first week, debuted atop the Billboard 200, and went on to sell over 4.5 million copies in America, being certified quadruple platinum by the RIAA; and Mack 10's 1998 album The Recipe, which charted in the top 15 on the U.S. Billboard 200 and was certified Gold by the RIAA.

Reader's Guide

Priority Records distributed Snoop Dogg's music through its partnership with No Limit Records. Snoop Dogg appeared as a featured artist on Priority/No Limit releases including Master P's MP Da Last Don (1998) and Mack 10's The Recipe (1998). In 2009, Snoop Dogg was appointed creative chairman of the label, and Priority released his tenth studio album, Malice N Wonderland on December 8, 2009. The album was a commercial failure. Following this, Priority remained dormant until its second relaunch in 2015. Priority Records also distributed albums by other artists including N.W.A, Ice Cube, MC Ren, Eazy-E, Master P, Silkk the Shocker, Jay-Z, Paris, Mack 10, 504 Boyz, Brotha Lynch Hung, C-Murder, Mia X, Westside Connection, and Ice-T. The label distributed hip-hop record labels including Death Row Records, Hoo-Bangin' Records, No Limit Records, Posthuman Records, Rap-A-Lot Records, Rawkus Records, Roc-A-Fella Records, Ruthless Records, Duck Down Records, and Wu-Tang Records.

Did You Know?

• Priority Records was formed in 1985 by three former K-tel executives: Bryan Turner, Mark Cerami and Steve Drath.
• Priority's first success came with novelty act the California Raisins.
• Snoop Dogg was appointed creative chairman of Priority Records in 2009.
• Priority released Snoop Dogg's tenth studio album, Malice N Wonderland, on December 8, 2009.
• According to Billboard, 'few record labels were as important to the rise of West Coast hip-hop as Priority Records.'