Shady Records

United States • New YorkFounded 1999

Shady Records is an American hip-hop imprint founded in 1999 by Eminem and his manager Paul Rosenberg, operating as a subsidiary of Interscope Records (Universal Music Group). Based in New York, it built the careers of 50 Cent, D12, and Obie Trice, and its current roster includes Eminem, Westside Boogie, and Ez Mil. It has a longstanding joint venture with Aftermath Entertainment.

Contact & HQ

Headquarters

New York, NY, USA

Ownership & Distribution

Label Type

Major Imprint

Parent Company

Universal Music Group (Interscope Records)

Distribution

Universal Music Group (Interscope)

Additional Details

Genres

Hip-HopRap

Signing Process

Shady Records is founder-led by Eminem and Paul Rosenberg. The label is highly selective and signs artists through Eminem's personal curation. Unsolicited demos are not accepted. Shady operates a joint venture with Aftermath Entertainment, and several signings (Eminem, Ez Mil) are signed to both labels simultaneously.

Demo Policy

No unsolicited demos. Shady is founder-curated and signs through personal relationships.

Notable Artists

Eminem
Westside Boogie
Ez Mil
50 Cent (former)
D12 (former)
Griselda (former)

Shady Records is an American hip-hop imprint founded in 1999 by Eminem and his manager Paul Rosenberg, following the success of The Slim Shady LP. It operates as a subsidiary of Interscope Records within Universal Music Group, based in New York. Shady Records built the careers of 50 Cent, D12, Obie Trice, and Yelawolf, and signed Griselda Records (Westside Gunn and Conway the Machine) in 2017. Its current roster includes Eminem, Westside Boogie, and Ez Mil (signed in 2023 to both Shady and Aftermath).

Shady Records has earned RIAA certifications of platinum or higher on a number of album releases. The label operates a longstanding joint venture with Aftermath Entertainment, with several artists signed to both labels simultaneously. Eminem's own catalog (12 releases with the label) is the commercial anchor, including The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grace), released in July 2024.

How Shady Operates

Shady Records is founder-led by Eminem and Paul Rosenberg. The label is highly selective and signs artists through Eminem's personal curation. Distribution flows through Interscope and UMG. The joint venture with Aftermath means many signings are co-signed to both labels, combining Dr. Dre's production and Eminem's curation.

Why It Matters for Independent Artists

Shady Records is one of the most recognized hip-hop imprints in the world, but it is nearly impossible to join without an existing relationship. Its track record of breaking 50 Cent and developing Griselda shows it can work across mainstream and underground rap. If you are being courted by Shady, you have already achieved significant recognition in hip-hop.

Drawbacks and Things to Consider

Founder-curated: Shady signs artists who fit Eminem's personal vision. There is no general A&R process.
No unsolicited demos: Shady does not accept cold submissions.
Joint venture with Aftermath: Many deals involve both labels, which adds contractual complexity.
Master ownership: Shady (via Interscope and UMG) owns your masters under a standard deal.