Interscope Records has been a supporter of the West Coast hip hop scene since its very first days. Even before picking up Death Row Records, Interscope Records released albums by Tupac Shakur and other minor West Coast artists. When Dr. Dre left Death Row, he set up his Aftermath Entertainment label under Interscope Records.
Dr. Dre has worked more as a partner than an artist of the Interscope label. After being criticized for doing little to help the West Coast hip hop scene, Dr. Dre became highly involved in Kendrick Lamar’s career. Kendrick Lamar has worked closely with Dr. Dre and some have mistakenly named him as an Aftermath artist.
In actuality, Kendrick Lamar is signed to independent Los Angeles record label, Top Dawg Entertainment. But, as his career has taken off, Kendrick Lamar has been working with major labels. Top Dawg Entertainment appears to be the leading label in the “New West” movement. This lead got a little bigger, since Top Dawg Entertainment has signed a joint venture deal with Aftermath Entertainment and Interscope Records. Kendrick Lamar’s upcoming album will be released by Top Dawg/Aftermath/Interscope, while the other releases from Top Dawg will simply be through Interscope Records.
