Rockland Records is an American

record label "Big Three" music labels A record label or record company is a brand or trademark of Sound recording and reproduction, music recordings and music videos, or the company that owns it. Sometimes, a record label is also a Music publisher, ...

founded by singer, songwriter and record producer R. Kelly in 1997. It was launched as an imprint of

Interscope Records Interscope Records is an American record label based in Santa Monica, California, owned by Universal Music Group through its Interscope Geffen A&M imprint. Founded in late 1990 by Jimmy Iovine and Ted Field as a $20 million joint venture ...

, a division of

Universal Music Group Universal Music Group N.V. (often abbreviated as UMG and referred to as Universal Music Group or Universal Music) is a Netherlands, Dutch–United States, American multinational Music industry, music corporation under Law of the Netherlands, ...

. The label signed Chicago-based musical acts including singer Sparkle, hip hop duo Boo & Gotti, and rapper Strings, among others. The label released just three albums before folding in 2002, following controversy surrounding Kelly's alleged pedophilia, including a sex tape scandal. As of 2025, with Kelly incarcerated in federal prison for multiple sex crimes, Rockland remains defunct with its rights under the control of

Interscope Geffen A&M Records Interscope Geffen A&M Records (IGA) is an American umbrella label operating as a unit of Interscope Capitol Labels Group, owned by Universal Music Group. It currently consists of record labels Interscope Records (with its subsidiary, A&M Records) ...

History

Following the success of his chart-topping single, "

I Believe I Can Fly "I Believe I Can Fly" is a song written, produced, and performed by American singer R. Kelly from the soundtrack to the 1996 film '' Space Jam''. It was originally released on November 26, 1996, and was later included on Kelly's 1998 album '' R ...

", singer-songwriter R. Kelly founded Rockland Records in 1997, in a distribution deal with

, a part of

. The deal was in agreement with Interscope co-founder

Jimmy Iovine James Iovine ( ; born March 11, 1953) is an American entrepreneur, former Music executive, record executive, and media proprietor. He is the co-founder of Interscope Records and became chairman and CEO of Interscope Geffen A&M Records, Interscop ...

. Its artists included singer Sparkle, rap duos Boo & Gotti, Vegas Cats, and R&B boy band Talent, among others. Sparkle was the first and only artist to release an album on the label; her self-titled debut was released in the summer of 1998. Despite various conflicts between Sparkle and the label, her debut album was certified platinum by the

Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...

(RIAA) in December 2000. Its single, " Be Careful", became a novelty hit for the album and Sparkle's career. The

soundtrack A soundtrack is a recorded audio signal accompanying and synchronised to the images of a book, drama, motion picture, radio program, television show, television program, or video game; colloquially, a commercially released soundtrack album of m ...

to the 1999 film, ''

Life Life, also known as biota, refers to matter that has biological processes, such as Cell signaling, signaling and self-sustaining processes. It is defined descriptively by the capacity for homeostasis, Structure#Biological, organisation, met ...

'', was also released under the label. It featured tracks from

K-Ci & JoJo K-Ci & JoJo is an American R&B duo, consisting of brothers Cedric "K-Ci" Hailey (born September 2, 1969) and Joel "JoJo" Hailey (born June 10, 1971). Natives of Charlotte, North Carolina, they are also the lead singers of the chart-topping R& ...

Maxwell Maxwell may refer to: People * Maxwell (surname), including a list of people and fictional characters with the name ** James Clerk Maxwell, mathematician and physicist * Justice Maxwell (disambiguation) * Maxwell baronets, in the Baronetage of N ...

Mýa Mya Marie Harrison (; born October 10, 1979), known professionally as Mýa, is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, record producer, and actress. She was born in Washington D.C. and studied ballet, jazz, and tap dance as a child. Her ca ...

, and

Destiny's Child Destiny's Child was an American girl group whose final lineup comprised Beyoncé, Beyoncé Knowles, Kelly Rowland, and Michelle Williams (singer), Michelle Williams. The group began their musical career as Girl's Tyme, formed in 1990 in Hou ...

, as well as Rockland's artists, Sparkle, Talent, and Vegas Cats. The label's roster soon included Lady, Frankie, Secret Weapon and Rebecca F. Around this time, Sparkle was dropped from the label for refusing to show up to work unless her boyfriend, Steve Huff, was allowed to work on her next project. In addition, she was released several times for insubordination. Talent released a single titled "Celebrity" from their intended debut album, ''Bulls Eye''. The single, however, performed poorly, peaking at number 90 on the Bubbling Under Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. In 2002, following controversy surrounding founder R. Kelly's pedophilia and with leaking of the infamous sex tape featuring him and a fourteen-year-old female, Interscope effectively folded the label, ending their association with Kelly and its remaining artists. Rockland's planned albums and singles were also cancelled consequentially without notice. The label was revived once in 2004 to release Kelly and

Jay-Z Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969), known professionally as Jay-Z, is an American Rapping, rapper, businessman, and record executive. Rooted in East Coast hip-hop, he was named Billboard and Vibe's 50 Greatest Rappers of All Time, the ...

's collaborative album, ''Unfinished Business''.

Artists prior to 2002 disestablishment

Discography

References

{{Authority control R. Kelly Record labels established in 1998 American record labels Music production companies Defunct record labels of the United States Vanity record labels Contemporary R&B record labels Interscope Records

History

Artists prior to 2002 disestablishment

Discography

See also

References