Idolator

Following a corporate shake-up last year, Epic Records dumped its "urban" music marketing department as a cost-cutting measure, only to find itself with two urban hits this summer—including the No. 1 single in the country, Sean Kingston's "Beautiful Girls"—and no way to get the word out to stores, magazines, radio, video, etc. More »

Today's New York Times takes a look at the recent ascent of Koch Records, the record label that was once best known (if at all) for third-tier hip-hop CDs and William Hung compilations. But thanks to ever-decreasing sales expectations, Koch has become a home to rappers who might have gotten lost within the major-label system: More »