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Interscope Records
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===1995–2000: Gangsta rap controversy, acquisition by MCA, Aftermath and Shady=== In May 1995, the controversy related to gangsta rap and explicit lyrics intensified as [[U.S. Senate Majority Leader]] [[Bob Dole]] accused Interscope of releasing music that glorified violence and degraded women. Among others, the label was criticized by [[William J. Bennett]], a former Education Secretary, and [[C. DeLores Tucker]], the chairwoman of the National Political Congress of Black Women. In September, Time Warner announced it would disassociate itself from Interscope by selling its half-interest in the company to Field and Iovine for $115 million.<ref name="LA Times Warner Split" /><ref name="NYT fuchs">{{cite news|last1=Landler|first1=Mark|title=Time Warner Seeks to Sell Stake in Gangsta Rap Label|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1995/08/10/business/time-warner-seeks-to-sell-stake-in-gangsta-rap-label.html|access-date=September 17, 2015|work=The New York Times|date=August 10, 1995}}</ref> Ownership in Interscope was aggressively pursued by [[EMI Records|EMI]], [[Bertelsmann Music Group|BMG]], [[PolyGram]] and MCA. On December 1, 1995, the ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'' noted that with five albums on that week's pop charts and sales of $350 million over the previous three years, "what may have been a smart move politically for Time Warner is now looking like a financial fiasco."<ref>{{cite news|last1=Philips|first1=Chuck|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1995-12-01-fi-9207-story.html|title=Company Town : 4 Music Companies Wooing Interscope : Recording: Time Warner's move to distance itself from the controversial label may prove to be politically savvy but financially disastrous|date=December 1, 1995|access-date=September 18, 2015|work=Los Angeles Times}}</ref> In February 1996, [[MCA Records]]—then owned by [[Seagram]]—bought 50% of Interscope for a reported $200 million. Under the agreement, Interscope retained complete creative control over the label's recordings. MCA was not required to distribute material that it deemed offensive.<ref name="MCA buys LA Times">{{cite news|last1=Philips|first1=Chuck|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1996-01-19-fi-26268-story.html|title=MCA Offers $200 Million Acquire a 50% Stake in Interscope Records|date=January 19, 1996|access-date=September 17, 2015|work=Los Angeles Times}}</ref> Dre left Death Row in mid-1996 due to what was then reported as tension over the creative direction of the label, and founded [[Aftermath Entertainment]], a new joint venture with Interscope. In November that same year, Aftermath debuted with the album ''[[Dr. Dre Presents the Aftermath]]''. The Death Row deal remained in place until 1997, when Knight was imprisoned for parole violations.<ref name="Dre Aftermath Phillips">{{cite news|last1=Phillips|first1=Chuck|title=The Doctor, Unmasked|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1996-10-13-ca-53256-story.html|access-date=September 19, 2015|work=Los Angeles Times|date=October 13, 1996}}</ref><ref name="Dre Rolling Stone Bio">{{cite magazine|title=Dr. Dre Biography|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/artists/dr-dre/biography|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101228203101/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/artists/dr-dre/biography|url-status=dead|archive-date=December 28, 2010|magazine=Rolling Stone}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Strauss|first1=Neil|title=Rap Empire Unraveling As Stars Flee|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1998/01/26/business/rap-empire-unraveling-as-stars-flee.html|access-date=September 20, 2015|work=Los Angeles Times|date=January 28, 1998}}</ref> In November 1996, with records by Bush, Snoop Dogg, No Doubt, and Tupac Shakur, Interscope became the first label in 20 years to hold the top 4 positions on the ''Billboard'' charts. Six additional Interscope releases were in the Top 100. The label was frequently criticized for overspending on artist acquisitions and joint ventures, however, with revenue for 1996 estimated at $250 million, it operated at a profit.<ref name="More Phillips Writing Interscope is GREAT! 1996">{{cite news|last1=Philips|first1=Chuck|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1996-11-28-fi-3681-story.html|title=Interscope Is Golden on the Pop Chart|date=November 28, 1996|work=Los Angeles Times|access-date=September 19, 2015}}</ref> In 1996, MCA Music Entertainment was renamed [[Universal Music Group]]. In 1998, the Universal Music Group parent company Seagram acquired [[PolyGram Records]]. MCA's [[Geffen Records]] and PolyGram's [[A&M Records]] were merged into Interscope, and in early 1999, Interscope Records began operating under the umbrella of [[Interscope Geffen A&M Records]], with Iovine and Field serving as co-chairmen.<ref name="Strauss Merger NYT">{{cite news|last1=Neil|first1=Strauss|title=A Major Merger Shakes Up the World of Rock|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1998/12/21/arts/a-major-merger-shakes-up-the-world-of-rock.html|access-date=September 18, 2015|work=The New York Times|date=December 21, 1998}}</ref> Iovine's assistant (and former intern) Dean Geistlinger saw [[Eminem]] perform at the Rap Olympics in Los Angeles in 1997 and passed Eminem's CD on to Iovine; Iovine, in turn, passed it on to Dre. In February 1999, Interscope and Aftermath released ''[[The Slim Shady LP]].''<ref name="MM Vulture">{{cite news|last1=Lockett|first1=Dee|title=7 Fun Facts We Learned From Eminem's Genius Annotations|url=http://www.vulture.com/2015/04/7-fun-facts-from-eminems-genius-annotations.html|access-date=September 18, 2015|work=[[New York (magazine)|New York]]|date=April 2, 2015}}</ref> The album entered the charts at number two, and won two Grammy Awards.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Erlewine|first1=Stephen Thomas|title=The Slim Shady LP|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/the-slim-shady-lp-mw0000601851 |publisher=[[AllMusic]]}}</ref> Later in 1999 Eminem and his manager, [[Paul Rosenberg (music manager)|Paul Rosenberg]], founded [[Shady Records]].<ref name="Shady at 15">{{cite news|last1=Graham|first1=Adam|title=Eminem looks back, forward on 15 years of Shady Records|url=http://www.detroitnews.com/story/entertainment/music/2014/11/19/eminem-looks-back-years-shady-records/19307415/|access-date=September 21, 2015|work=Detroit News|date=November 20, 2014}}</ref> In 1998, Interscope signed a joint-venture deal with [[Ruff Ryders]]. On June 22, 1999, Interscope/Flip records released [[Limp Bizkit]]'s second studio album ''[[Significant Other (album)|Significant Other]]'' selling 643,874 copies in the first week. In the second week, it sold an additional 335,000 copies. It would go on to sell 7,000,000 copies in the US. Being certified 7× Platinum in 2001. It would go on to sell 16,000,000 copies worldwide. By the close of the decade, Interscope sales accounted for nearly one-third of Seagram's 27% share of the U.S. music market. Records by Limp Bizkit, Eminem, Dre, [[Eve (rapper)|Eve]], [[Nine Inch Nails]], [[Enrique Iglesias]], [[Blackstreet]], [[Smash Mouth]] and others generated an estimated $40 million in profit during the final six months of 1999.<ref name="Seagram Info on 90s LA Times">{{cite news|last1=Phillips|first1=Chuck|title=Interscope Emerges as Star Act for Seagram|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1999-dec-14-fi-43807-story.html|access-date=September 23, 2015|work=Los Angeles Times|date=December 14, 1999}}</ref>
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