Steve Rifkind
Encyclopedia
Steve Rifkind is a music
entrepreneur
who is, according to XXL
magazine, "responsible for breaking in some of hip-hop
’s biggest artists in his 25 years in the business". Rifkind was the founder and chairman of Loud Records
as well as the founder and current chairman and CEO of SRC Records
. He is associated with artists such as Wu Tang Clan, Mobb Deep
, Akon
, David Banner
, Asher Roth
, Tha Crow, Joell Ortiz
and Big Pun
. Rifkind has also launched marketing campaigns for companies like T-Mobile
, Adidas
, SanDisk
and Chief Executive Air, a charter jet company .
, Long Island
. The elder Rifkind ran the R&B label in the 1960s and 1970s, whose clients included James Brown
and Millie Jackson
. In his youth, Steve worked for his father at Spring, even working as a promotion man on "King Tim III (Personality Jock)
" by the FatBack Band
in 1979. Widely regarded as the first rap song ever recorded (it beat Sugarhill Gang's Rapper's Delight
into record stores by weeks). After leaving Spring Records, Rifkind re-located to Los Angeles where he managed the R&B group New Edition
from 1986-1988.
in 1991, Rifkind positioned himself as a major tastemaker in a new era of hip hop music and culture. Designed as a bi-coastal hip-hop label focused on "street-themed" hip-hop, Loud was influential in launching the careers of several hip-hop stars in the early and mid-1990s; most notably the Wu-Tang Clan
, Mobb Deep
, Three 6 Mafia
, and Big Pun
isher. With Loud, Rifkind used the techniques he had developed at SRC to bring his artists success in branding and cross-promoting themselves. Among others, Loud's holdings included a film division and a clothing line.
Loud's success led to Rifkind's selling 50% of the company to RCA in 1996. In July 1999 Loud moved to Sony
. Loud launched its film division in 1999, signing a multi- year pact with Dimension/Miramax. Loud Film's first and only project, "Paid in Full
" (a film on which Brett Ratner
, Jay-Z
, and Damon Dash
were partners with Rifkind) was released in 2002.
in 2002, Rifkind started Street Records Corporation (a second SRC). Early artist signings included platinum-selling southern rapper David Banner
, as well as R&B singer Akon
. In 2003, Rifkind joined the Universal
/Motown Records
group as Vice President.
In 2007, Rifkind acquired limited rights to the Loud Records name from Sony and released the Wu-Tang Clan's 8 Diagrams under the Loud banner.
Along with operating SRC, and his ever expanding roster of corporate clients, Rifkind's latest ventures include investments in Coalition Music Group, a Reggaeton
label, as well in Kid's Block, an educational DVD series for children featuring music by the Trackmasters
production team. 2008 saw the foundation of the Rifkind Thal Group (RTG), a technology marketing company. Its first client is SanDisk a data storage products inventor and manufacturer.
In the near future, SRC plans to release records from its new R&B artists Tami Chynn
, Shontelle
, Melanie Fiona
, and Shiré.
promotional model as pioneered by Steve Rifkind is based on the simple principle of word of mouth advertising
coupled with the touchstones of what makes "urban cool.” The street team is fundamentally based on knowledge of the urban subculture on the part of the marketer and what the potential consumers relate to. "Nobody should put out a record before they know what the street thinks." Says Rifkind.
The main promotional techniques used by members of a street team mirrors the hip-hop subculture of graffiti
. This can include posting bills or stickers in areas that are not designated for them or hard to reach places, or stenciling spray painted images or messages in high traffic urban areas. Other common street team practices include giveaways of promotional products (CDs, T- shirts, posters, etc.) at events (shows, basketball
games, hip-hop battles, etc.) "We create the biggest buzz we can by building it one step at a time" said Rifkind.
By focusing on the trendsetters of urban cool culture; the rappers, DJs, and street hustlers, and knowing the best places to promote their artists (clubs, on college radio, street corners, record stores, at shows, etc.), Rifkind and SRC were able to make inroads into urban markets that many mainstream advertisers had a hard time getting to. "You can't reach America's youth with off the mark radio ads or insulting television commercials," Rifkind has said.
Steve also sponsors and coaches the Delray Blazers, his son’s youth basketball team, in Del Ray Beach, FL. In 2008 they won the Amateur Athletic Union
(AAU) Florida state championships.
Rifkind is also a sponsor of breast cancer charities, donating the profits from his “Think Pink Rocks” concerts to breast cancer
research and treatment. The first “Think Pink Rocks” event in September 2008 was hosted by Queen Latifah
and featured several SRC Records artists.
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
entrepreneur
Entrepreneur
An entrepreneur is an owner or manager of a business enterprise who makes money through risk and initiative.The term was originally a loanword from French and was first defined by the Irish-French economist Richard Cantillon. Entrepreneur in English is a term applied to a person who is willing to...
who is, according to XXL
XXL (magazine)
XXL is a Hip-Hop magazine, published by Harris Publications.In 1997, XXL was founded by former Source staffers as well as other Harris Publication employees, who wanted to create their own magazine about the hip-hop music and culture using the model developed by the founders of The Source...
magazine, "responsible for breaking in some of hip-hop
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
’s biggest artists in his 25 years in the business". Rifkind was the founder and chairman of Loud Records
Loud Records
Loud Records is a subsidiary of SRC Records founded by Steve Rifkind in 1992.Loud was a hip hop label which has released material by acts such as Wu-Tang Clan, Big Punisher, Mobb Deep, Krayzie Bone, The Beatnuts, M.O.P., Tha Alkaholiks, Pete Rock, Lil' Flip, Three 6 Mafia, Project Pat, Xzibit,...
as well as the founder and current chairman and CEO of SRC Records
SRC Records
SRC Records is an American record label created by former Loud Records CEO Steve Rifkind. It is a subsidiary of Universal Music Group and is distributed through Universal Republic Records.-Company history:...
. He is associated with artists such as Wu Tang Clan, Mobb Deep
Mobb Deep
Mobb Deep is an American hip hop duo from Queensbridge, Queens, New York, U.S., that consists of Havoc and Prodigy. The duo is "one of the most critically acclaimed hardcore East Coast hip-hop groups." The group is best known for its dark, hardcore delivery, as exemplified by the single "Shook Ones...
, Akon
Akon
Aliaune Damala Badara Thiam, better known as simply Akon , is a Senegalese American R&B recording artist and songwriter.According to Forbes, Akon grossed $21 million in 2010, $20 million in 2009 and $12 million in 2008. He rose to prominence in 2004 following the release of "Locked Up", the first...
, David Banner
David Banner
Lavell Crump , better known by his stage name David Banner, is an American rapper, record producer and occasional actor. Banner was born in Jackson, Mississippi and graduated from Southern University. He started his music career as a member of the rap duo, Crooked Lettaz before going solo in 2000...
, Asher Roth
Asher Roth
Asher Paul Roth is an American rapper.-Early life:Asher Roth was born and raised in Morrisville, Pennsylvania, a small town about 20 miles northeast of Philadelphia. His mother, Elizabeth , is a yoga instructor, and his father, David Roth, is the executive director of a design firm...
, Tha Crow, Joell Ortiz
Joell Ortiz
Joell Ortiz is an American rapper from Brooklyn, New York, and a member of the group Slaughterhouse.-Biography:Joell Ortiz was born to Puerto Rican parents. Ortiz grew up in the Cooper Park Houses in the East Williamsburg section of Brooklyn, New York formerly signed to Dr. Dre's Aftermath...
and Big Pun
Big Pun
Christopher Lee Rios , better known by his stage name Big Pun , was an American rapper who emerged from the underground rap scene in The Bronx in the late 1990s...
. Rifkind has also launched marketing campaigns for companies like T-Mobile
T-Mobile
T-Mobile International AG is a German-based holding company for Deutsche Telekom AG's various mobile communications subsidiaries outside Germany. Based in Bonn, Germany, its subsidiaries operate GSM and UMTS-based cellular networks in Europe, the United States, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands...
, Adidas
Adidas
Adidas AG is a German sports apparel manufacturer and parent company of the Adidas Group, which consists of the Reebok sportswear company, TaylorMade-Adidas golf company , and Rockport...
, SanDisk
SanDisk
SanDisk Corporation is an American multinational corporation that designs, develops and manufactures data storage solutions in a range of form factors using the flash memory, controller and firmware technologies. It was founded in 1988 by Dr. Eli Harari and Sanjay Mehrotra, non-volatile memory...
and Chief Executive Air, a charter jet company .
Origins
The son of Spring Records' Jules Rifkind, Steve found an early affinity to R&B and Rap music growing up in MerrickMerrick
-Arts and entertainment:* Zack Merrick , Bassist in band All Time Low* Bryn Merrick , British guitarist with The Damned* Dave Merrick , American oil-on-canvas artist* David Merrick , American theatre producer...
, Long Island
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
. The elder Rifkind ran the R&B label in the 1960s and 1970s, whose clients included James Brown
James Brown
James Joseph Brown was an American singer, songwriter, musician, and recording artist. He is the originator of Funk and is recognized as a major figure in the 20th century popular music for both his vocals and dancing. He has been referred to as "The Godfather of Soul," "Mr...
and Millie Jackson
Millie Jackson
Mildred "Millie" Jackson is an American R&B/soul singer-songwriter and comedienne. Three of her albums have been certified gold by the RIAA for over 500,000 copies....
. In his youth, Steve worked for his father at Spring, even working as a promotion man on "King Tim III (Personality Jock)
King Tim III (Personality Jock)
"King Tim III " is a 1979 song by the Fatback Band from the disco album XII. Released on July 25, 1979, several weeks before "Rapper's Delight" , this song is often cited as the beginning of recorded hip hop...
" by the FatBack Band
Fatback Band
The Fatback Band is an American funk and disco band. Most popular in the 1970s and 1980s, The Fatback Band is most known for their Top Ten R&B hits, " Spanish Hustle", "I Like Girls", "Gotta Get My Hands on Some ", and "Backstrokin'"...
in 1979. Widely regarded as the first rap song ever recorded (it beat Sugarhill Gang's Rapper's Delight
Rapper's Delight
"Rapper's Delight" is a 1979 single by American hip hop trio The Sugarhill Gang. While it was not the first single to feature rapping, it is generally considered to be the song that first popularized hip hop in the United States and around the world. The song's opening lyric "I said a hip hop, a...
into record stores by weeks). After leaving Spring Records, Rifkind re-located to Los Angeles where he managed the R&B group New Edition
New Edition
New Edition is an R&B group formed in Boston in 1978. The group reached its height of popularity during the 1980s. They were the progenitors of the boy band movement of the 1980s and 1990s and led the way for groups like New Kids on the Block, Boyz II Men, Backstreet Boys and 'N Sync...
from 1986-1988.
Loud Records
As the CEO and founder of Loud RecordsLoud Records
Loud Records is a subsidiary of SRC Records founded by Steve Rifkind in 1992.Loud was a hip hop label which has released material by acts such as Wu-Tang Clan, Big Punisher, Mobb Deep, Krayzie Bone, The Beatnuts, M.O.P., Tha Alkaholiks, Pete Rock, Lil' Flip, Three 6 Mafia, Project Pat, Xzibit,...
in 1991, Rifkind positioned himself as a major tastemaker in a new era of hip hop music and culture. Designed as a bi-coastal hip-hop label focused on "street-themed" hip-hop, Loud was influential in launching the careers of several hip-hop stars in the early and mid-1990s; most notably the Wu-Tang Clan
Wu-Tang Clan
The Wu-Tang Clan is a hip-hop group from Staten Island that consists of RZA, GZA, Method Man, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck, U-God, Masta Killa, and the late Ol' Dirty Bastard. They are frequently joined by fellow childhood friend Cappadonna, a quasi member of the group...
, Mobb Deep
Mobb Deep
Mobb Deep is an American hip hop duo from Queensbridge, Queens, New York, U.S., that consists of Havoc and Prodigy. The duo is "one of the most critically acclaimed hardcore East Coast hip-hop groups." The group is best known for its dark, hardcore delivery, as exemplified by the single "Shook Ones...
, Three 6 Mafia
Three 6 Mafia
Three 6 Mafia are an Academy Award-winning, American rap group originating from Memphis, Tennessee. Formed in 1991 as Triple 6 Mafia, by DJ Paul, Juicy J, & Lord Infamous, the group at its most featured six members including; Crunchy Black, Gangsta Boo and Koopsta Knicca...
, and Big Pun
Big Pun
Christopher Lee Rios , better known by his stage name Big Pun , was an American rapper who emerged from the underground rap scene in The Bronx in the late 1990s...
isher. With Loud, Rifkind used the techniques he had developed at SRC to bring his artists success in branding and cross-promoting themselves. Among others, Loud's holdings included a film division and a clothing line.
Loud's success led to Rifkind's selling 50% of the company to RCA in 1996. In July 1999 Loud moved to Sony
Sony
, commonly referred to as Sony, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan and the world's fifth largest media conglomerate measured by revenues....
. Loud launched its film division in 1999, signing a multi- year pact with Dimension/Miramax. Loud Film's first and only project, "Paid in Full
Paid in Full (film)
Paid in Full is a 2002 American criminal drama film that was produced by Roc-A-Fella Films and directed by Charles Stone III. It takes place in Harlem just before the Crack Epidemic that hit during the 1980s. The title of the film is taken from the 1987 album by Eric B. and Rakim."Paid in Full" is...
" (a film on which Brett Ratner
Brett Ratner
Brett Ratner is an American film director, film producer and music video director. He is best known for directing the Rush Hour film series, The Family Man, Red Dragon, X-Men: The Last Stand, and Tower Heist. He was also a producer on the Fox drama series, Prison Break.- Early life :Ratner was...
, Jay-Z
Jay-Z
Shawn Corey Carter , better known by his stage name Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is one of the most financially successful hip hop artists and entrepreneurs in America, having a net worth of over $450 million as of 2010...
, and Damon Dash
Damon Dash
__NOINDEX__...
were partners with Rifkind) was released in 2002.
The New Millenium
Today Rifkind is still deeply involved in the hip-hip and R&B world. After losing the Loud records name after a sale to SonySony
, commonly referred to as Sony, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan and the world's fifth largest media conglomerate measured by revenues....
in 2002, Rifkind started Street Records Corporation (a second SRC). Early artist signings included platinum-selling southern rapper David Banner
David Banner
Lavell Crump , better known by his stage name David Banner, is an American rapper, record producer and occasional actor. Banner was born in Jackson, Mississippi and graduated from Southern University. He started his music career as a member of the rap duo, Crooked Lettaz before going solo in 2000...
, as well as R&B singer Akon
Akon
Aliaune Damala Badara Thiam, better known as simply Akon , is a Senegalese American R&B recording artist and songwriter.According to Forbes, Akon grossed $21 million in 2010, $20 million in 2009 and $12 million in 2008. He rose to prominence in 2004 following the release of "Locked Up", the first...
. In 2003, Rifkind joined the Universal
Universal Music Group
Universal Music Group is an American music group, the largest of the "big four" record companies by its commanding market share and its multitude of global operations...
/Motown Records
Motown Records
Motown is a record label originally founded by Berry Gordy, Jr. and incorporated as Motown Record Corporation in Detroit, Michigan, United States, on April 14, 1960. The name, a portmanteau of motor and town, is also a nickname for Detroit...
group as Vice President.
In 2007, Rifkind acquired limited rights to the Loud Records name from Sony and released the Wu-Tang Clan's 8 Diagrams under the Loud banner.
Along with operating SRC, and his ever expanding roster of corporate clients, Rifkind's latest ventures include investments in Coalition Music Group, a Reggaeton
Reggaeton
Reggaeton is a form of Puerto Rican and Latin American urban and Caribbean music. After its mainstream exposure in 2004, it spread to North American, European and Asian audiences. Reggaeton originated in Puerto Rico but is also has roots from Reggae en Español from Panama and Puerto Rico and...
label, as well in Kid's Block, an educational DVD series for children featuring music by the Trackmasters
Trackmasters
The Trackmasters are the successful production duo of Poke and Tone , sometimes credited as Poke & Tone, best known for their commercial hit records in the late 90s and early 2000s. Throughout their career they have worked with various hip-hop and R&B artists including R...
production team. 2008 saw the foundation of the Rifkind Thal Group (RTG), a technology marketing company. Its first client is SanDisk a data storage products inventor and manufacturer.
In the near future, SRC plans to release records from its new R&B artists Tami Chynn
Tami Chynn
-Early years:Tami Chynn was born in Kingston, Jamaica. Her father, Richard Chin, is of Chinese descent with Cherokee ancestry and her mother, Christine Chin is Afro-Jamaican and British...
, Shontelle
Shontelle
Shontelle Layne , known professionally as Shontelle, is a Barbadian singer, and songwriter. She released her debut album Shontelligence in November 2008. Her sophomore album, No Gravity, was released in September 2010...
, Melanie Fiona
Melanie Fiona
Melanie Fiona Hallim is a Canadian R&B and Grammy-nominated recording artist from Toronto, Ontario. She was born to Guyanese immigrant parents of African, Indian, and Portuguese descent and grew up in the inner city of Toronto. Living in a music filled household, Fiona says she always knew music...
, and Shiré.
The Street Team Concept
The Street TeamStreet team
A street team is a term used in marketing to describe a group of people who 'hit the streets' promoting an event or a product. 'Street Teams' are a powerful promotional tool that has been adopted industry wide as a standard line item in marketing budgets by entertainment companies, record labels,...
promotional model as pioneered by Steve Rifkind is based on the simple principle of word of mouth advertising
Advertising
Advertising is a form of communication used to persuade an audience to take some action with respect to products, ideas, or services. Most commonly, the desired result is to drive consumer behavior with respect to a commercial offering, although political and ideological advertising is also common...
coupled with the touchstones of what makes "urban cool.” The street team is fundamentally based on knowledge of the urban subculture on the part of the marketer and what the potential consumers relate to. "Nobody should put out a record before they know what the street thinks." Says Rifkind.
The main promotional techniques used by members of a street team mirrors the hip-hop subculture of graffiti
Graffiti
Graffiti is the name for images or lettering scratched, scrawled, painted or marked in any manner on property....
. This can include posting bills or stickers in areas that are not designated for them or hard to reach places, or stenciling spray painted images or messages in high traffic urban areas. Other common street team practices include giveaways of promotional products (CDs, T- shirts, posters, etc.) at events (shows, basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
games, hip-hop battles, etc.) "We create the biggest buzz we can by building it one step at a time" said Rifkind.
By focusing on the trendsetters of urban cool culture; the rappers, DJs, and street hustlers, and knowing the best places to promote their artists (clubs, on college radio, street corners, record stores, at shows, etc.), Rifkind and SRC were able to make inroads into urban markets that many mainstream advertisers had a hard time getting to. "You can't reach America's youth with off the mark radio ads or insulting television commercials," Rifkind has said.
Philanthropic Efforts
Aside from his numerous business ventures, Steve Rifkind is involved in several philanthropic activities. Camp Excel, founded in 1996 with childhood friend, Psychologist, Dr. Gary Altheim, is a week-long overnight camp for underprivileged children struggling with learning disabilities.Steve also sponsors and coaches the Delray Blazers, his son’s youth basketball team, in Del Ray Beach, FL. In 2008 they won the Amateur Athletic Union
Amateur Athletic Union
The Amateur Athletic Union is one of the largest non-profit volunteer sports organizations in the United States. A multi-sport organization, the AAU is dedicated exclusively to the promotion and development of amateur sports and physical fitness programs.-History:The AAU was founded in 1888 to...
(AAU) Florida state championships.
Rifkind is also a sponsor of breast cancer charities, donating the profits from his “Think Pink Rocks” concerts to breast cancer
Breast cancer
Breast cancer is cancer originating from breast tissue, most commonly from the inner lining of milk ducts or the lobules that supply the ducts with milk. Cancers originating from ducts are known as ductal carcinomas; those originating from lobules are known as lobular carcinomas...
research and treatment. The first “Think Pink Rocks” event in September 2008 was hosted by Queen Latifah
Queen Latifah
Dana Elaine Owens , better known by her stage name Queen Latifah, is an American singer, rapper, and actress. Her work in music, film and television has earned her a Golden Globe award, two Screen Actors Guild Awards, two Image Awards, a Grammy Award, six additional Grammy nominations, an Emmy...
and featured several SRC Records artists.