music business veteran Troy Carter has acquired the whole catalog of Pop Art Records, the pioneering Philadelphia Hip-Hop label that launched the careers of legendary artists together with Roxanne Shanté, Salt-N-Pepa, and MC Shan.

The deal marks a homecoming for Carter, who grew up in West Philadelphia earlier than changing into certainly one of music’s most influential executives.

“I’m proud to be a steward of some of the most important pieces of music in Hip-Hop history,” Carter stated in asserting the acquisition. “These are songs and artists who shaped my childhood and inspired me to pursue a career in music.”

The Pop Art Records catalog represents a treasure trove of Hip-Hop’s earliest and most influential recordings from the Nineteen Eighties. The assortment contains “Roxanne’s Revenge,” the 1984 observe by Roxanne Shanté, which kicked off the legendary “Roxanne Wars” that outlined early rap battles.

Salt-N-Pepa’s debut single, “The Showstoppa,” initially launched beneath the identify Super Nature, additionally sits within the catalog alongside MC Shan’s traditional 1986 observe “The Bridge,” which ignited the well-known “Bridge Wars” with KRS-One and Boogie Down Productions.

Biz Markie additionally recorded for Pop Art earlier than attaining mainstream success.

Pop Art Records was based by Lawrence Goodman and his brother Dana Goodman, who constructed the label right into a powerhouse that put Philadelphia on the Hip-Hop map.

Lawrence Goodman, usually referred to as “L.G. The Teacher,” found and developed expertise that may form Hip-Hop’s sound for many years. The Goodman brothers began Pop Art Records in 1979 with a imaginative and prescient to showcase Philadelphia’s rising Hip-Hop scene.

Lawrence Goodman served as producer and expertise scout whereas Dana dealt with enterprise operations, making a family-run operation that competed with main labels in New York.

Under their management, Pop Art Records grew to become residence to Philadelphia’s most vital early Hip-Hop artists. The label’s roster included Steady B, Lawrence Goodman’s nephew; Cool C; and the trio Three Times Dope, that includes EST, Chuck Nice, and Woody Wood.

Philadelphia artists dominated Pop Art’s early releases, with Steady B changing into one of many metropolis’s first rap stars by means of tracks like “Bring The Beat Back” in 1986.

Cool C, who attended Overbrook High School alongside future Fresh Prince Will Smith, additionally discovered success on the label earlier than his profession took a tragic flip after he robbed a financial institution with Steady B and killed police officer Lauretha Vaird.

Both rappers are serving life sentences.

Three Times Dope introduced a definite sound to Pop Art with their 1988 debut album, Original Stylin’, that includes hits similar to “Crushin’ & Bussin’” and “From Da Giddy Up” that showcased Philadelphia’s distinctive Hip-Hop model.

Carter’s connection to this music runs deep by means of his Philadelphia roots.

Born in West Philadelphia in 1972, Carter dropped out of West Philadelphia High School at age 17 in 1990 to pursue music along with his Hip-Hop group, which briefly signed to Will Smith and James Lassiter’s WilJam Records.

After his rap desires ended, Carter pivoted to administration and found his true calling behind the scenes. He interned at Bad Boy Records earlier than touchdown his first main consumer, Philadelphia rapper Eve, whose profession he helped launch within the late Nineties.

Carter’s administration abilities shortly gained recognition, main him to work with Nelly throughout his breakthrough interval.

His greatest success got here from managing Lady Gaga from her early days by means of her rise to international superstardom, establishing Carter as certainly one of music’s strongest managers.

Throughout his profession, Carter has managed John Legend, Priyanka Chopra, and Meghan Trainor whereas constructing a number of corporations. He based Coalition Media Group in 2007 and Atom Factory in 2010, increasing his affect past conventional artist administration.

In 2019, Carter co-founded Q&A Media with Suzy Ryoo, the place he presently serves as CEO. He additionally launched Venice music, a expertise platform that helps unbiased artists navigate the fashionable music business by means of AI instruments.

Carter’s tech investments have made him a bridge between music and Silicon Valley, backing greater than 80 startups in recent times by means of his enterprise capital agency, Cross Culture Ventures. His portfolio contains corporations targeted on creator financial system instruments and music expertise improvements.

His govt roles have included serving as Global Head of Creator Services at Spotify, the place he helped develop packages for unbiased artists. Carter additionally serves on SoundCloud’s Board of Directors.

Carter has not disclosed the monetary phrases of the acquisition.

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