Coalmine Records is a

Brooklyn Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...

, New York-based independent hip-hop record label. Coalmine's catalog includes Pharaohe Monch,

El Da Sensei William E. Williams, also known as El Da Sensei is an American rapper from Newark, New Jersey. During the 1990s he was a member of the hip hop duo, Artifacts. Since then he has released several solo albums. In 2015, at The 14th Annual Independe ...

Kool G. Rap Nathaniel Thomas Wilson (born July 20, 1968), better known by his stage name Kool G Rap (or simply G Rap), is an American rapper. He began his career in the mid-1980s as one half of the group Kool G Rap & DJ Polo and as a member of the Juice Cre ...

Talib Kweli Talib Kweli Greene (; born October 3, 1975) is an American rapper. He first earned recognition through his collaboration with fellow Brooklyn rapper Mos Def (now known as Yasiin Bey) in 1997, when they formed the group Black Star. Kweli's music ...

Large Professor William Paul Mitchell (born March 21, 1972), better known by the stage name of Large Professor (also Extra P. and Large Pro), is an American rapper and music producer. Based in New York City, he is known as a founding member of the underground ...

Heltah Skeltah Heltah Skeltah was an American Hip hop music, hip hop duo which consisted of rappers Jahmal "Rock" Bush and Sean Price, Sean "Ruck" Price. The two were also members of New York Supergroup (music), supergroup Boot Camp Clik, along with Buckshot ...

Dilated Peoples Dilated Peoples is an American Los Angeles-based Hip hop music, hip hop trio, composed of rapper and record producer Evidence (musician), Evidence, rapper Rakaa, and Beat Junkies deejay and record producer DJ Babu. The group is better known in t ...

, Bekay,

Big K.R.I.T Justin Lewis Scott (born August 26, 1986), known professionally as Big K.R.I.T. (a backronym for King Remembered in Time), is an American rapper and record producer. Born in Meridian, Mississippi, he began his musical career in 2005. He was sign ...

Custom Made Custom, customary, or consuetudinary may refer to: Traditions, laws, and religion * Convention (norm), a set of agreed, stipulated or generally accepted rules, norms, standards or criteria, often taking the form of a custom * Mores, what is wid ...

, Emilio Rojas,

Torae Torae Liston Carr (born March 18, 1983), known mononymously as Torae, is an American rapper from the Coney Island section of Brooklyn, New York. He has released a number of solo albums and collaborative works, and operates the independent recor ...

Skyzoo Gregory Skyler Taylor (born December 24, 1980), known professionally as Skyzoo, is an American Director rapper and songwriter. He has released a number of notable solo and collaborative albums, including '' Cloud 9: The 3 Day High'' with 9th W ...

Termanology Daniel Domingo Carrillo (born October 8, 1982), better known by his stage name Termanology, is an American rapper and record producer. He first gained major attention with the 2006 single "Watch How It Go Down". A solo album, '' Politics as Usua ...

Alchemist Alchemy (from the Arabic word , ) is an ancient branch of natural philosophy, a philosophical and protoscientific tradition that was historically practised in China, India, the Muslim world, and Europe. In its Western form, alchemy is first ...

, J.R.Rotem,

M-Phazes Mark Landon (born 1 February 1983), better known by his stage name M-Phazes, is an Australian-born producer based in LA. He has produced records for Logic, Demi Lovato, Madonna, Eminem, Kehlani, Zara Larsson, Remi Wolf, Kiiara, Noah Cyrus, an ...

, Illmind,

Khrysis Christopher Frederick Tyson (born September 7, 1981), better known as Khrysis, is an American hip hop producer and occasional rapper. He is best known as a former member of the Justus League collective, being one half of the duo The Away Team ...

, Shuko, Domingo, DJ Kayslay, DJ Revolution, and

DJ Babu Christopher E. Oroc, stage name Melvin Babu (born September 17, 1974), better known as DJ Babu or DJ Babu the Dilated Junkie, is a Filipino-American DJ and record producer. He is a member of DJ crew the Beat Junkies, Los Angeles-based hip hop t ...

History

In 2005, Coalmine Records was founded. Matt Diamond is the company's founder and CEO. The label's inaugural release was a

12-inch single The twelve-inch single (often written as 12-inch or 12) is a type of vinyl ( polyvinyl chloride or PVC) gramophone record that has wider groove spacing and shorter playing time with a "single" or a few related sound tracks on each surface, compa ...

that was distributed in April 2005 under Diamond's DJ moniker, titled DJ Dutchmaster Presents: "The Raw" featuring

Saigon Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) ('','' TP.HCM; ), commonly known as Saigon (; ), is the most populous city in Vietnam with a population of around 14 million in 2025. The city's geography is defined by rivers and canals, of which the largest is Saigo ...

Inspectah Deck Jason Hunter (born July 6, 1970), better known by his stage name Inspectah Deck, is an American rapper and hip hop producer. He is a member of the groups Wu-Tang Clan and Czarface. He has acquired critical praise for his intricate lyricism, ...

& Bekay, the latter of which became Coalmine's first signed artist. "The Raw" highlights the classic east coast hip hop style that Diamond would model his label on. After receiving tremendous positive feedback and gracing countless mixshows and

mixtape In the modern music industry, a mixtape is a musical project, typically with looser constraints than that of an album or extended play. Unlike the traditional album or extended play, mixtapes are labeled as laid-back projects that allow artists mo ...

s worldwide, "The Raw" charted as college radio's number one hip hop song in the nation. In August 2005, Coalmine released its second 12-inch single, this time featuring

Supernatural Supernatural phenomena or entities are those beyond the Scientific law, laws of nature. The term is derived from Medieval Latin , from Latin 'above, beyond, outside of' + 'nature'. Although the corollary term "nature" has had multiple meanin ...

, winner of the 1993 New Music Seminar MC battle and

Guinness World Records ''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a British reference book published annually, list ...

holder for a nine-hour-long freestyle session. The single, "Altitude", produced by

Marco Polo Marco Polo (; ; ; 8 January 1324) was a Republic of Venice, Venetian merchant, explorer and writer who travelled through Asia along the Silk Road between 1271 and 1295. His travels are recorded in ''The Travels of Marco Polo'' (also known a ...

B/W "1-2 Punch", received acclaim from DJs nationwide and helped further brand Coalmine Records into the indie radio community. For the first two years of the label's history, Coalmine's releases were exclusive to 12-inch singles. In 2007, Rawkus Record's, Rawkus 50 campaign was launched and included Coalmine's flagship artist Bekay as part of their artist roster. Bekay's album ''The Horror Flick LP'' was released on November 27, 2007, along with the other members of the Rawkus 50. The LP was released with much praise from the hip hop community and strengthened Bekay's online presence and overall visibility to help set the stage for his Coalmine debut with his full-length LP, ''Hunger Pains''. Due to the significant decline in vinyl sales, Coalmine Records adapted to a digital platform and signed a label deal with The Orchard in January 2008. Towards the end of 2008, Coalmine Records began to digitally distribute several hip hop titles, which include but are not limited to El Da Sensei & The Returners ''Global Takeover: New Beginning'', CL Smooth "Perfect Timing" featuring Skyzoo (Digi-12"), Bekay's ''Horror Flick Remix EP'' and more. In April 2009, Coalmine released ''The Foundation'': A Compilation Produced Entirely by Shuko. The project is hosted by Heltah Skeltah and mixed by DJ Dutchmaster. This release is considered to be Coalmine's first full-length physical & digital release and was received with much acclaim. ''The Foundation'' includes several features and guest appearances including

, Dre Robinson, Jae Millz,

Papoose Papoose (from the Narragansett ''papoos'', meaning "child") is an American English word whose present meaning is "a Native American child" (regardless of tribe) or, even more generally, any child, usually used as a term of endearment, often in ...

Rakim William Michael Griffin Jr. (born January 28, 1968), better known by his stage name Rakim (), is an American rapper. He is one half of Golden age hip-hop, golden age hip hop duo Eric B. & Rakim, with whom he released four albums: ''Paid in Full ...

, Bad Seed, Bekay,

Canibus Germaine Williams (born December 9, 1974), better known by his stage name Canibus, is a Jamaican-American rapper. First having gained recognition for his freestyling abilities, he signed with Universal Records to release his debut studio al ...

Chino XL Derek Keith Barbosa (April 8, 1974 – July 28, 2024), better known by his stage name Chino XL, was an American rapper and actor. He released five solo studio albums. His album '' Ricanstruction: The Black Rosary'' (2012) won the 2012 HHUG Alb ...

Big Noyd TaJuan Akeem Perry (born August 15, 1975), better known by his stage name Big Noyd, is an American rapper. He is closely affiliated with Mobb Deep and is featured on all of their albums except '' Blood Money''. Career Big Noyd's debut was his v ...

Krondon Marvin Jones III (born July 9, 1976), also known as Krondon, is an American rapper and actor from Los Angeles, California. He is a member of the group Strong Arm Steady, along with rappers Phil Da Agony and Mitchy Slick. As an actor Jones is kn ...

, Phil the Agony,

Craig G Craig Curry (born March 24, 1973),Hess, Mickey (2009) ''Hip Hop in America: a Regional Guide: Volume 1 - East Coast and West Coast'', Greenwood Publishing Group, , p. 55Bry, David (2001) "Something in the Water", ''Vibe'', March 2001, p. 80 bette ...

., Mr. Met (of Brooklyn Academy),

Shabaam Sahdeeq Marcus Vialva (born January 13, 1974), better known by his stage name Shabaam Sahdeeq, is an American alternative hip hop artist from Brooklyn, New York City. He appeared with Rawkus Records and was featured alongside artists including Busta Rhym ...

, DJ Revolution,

, HellRazah,

Cuban Link Felix Delgado (born December 18, 1974), better known by his stage name Cuban Link, is a Cuban-American rapper. Emerging from the underground hip hop scene in the Bronx, he came to prominence upon discovery by fellow Bronx rapper Fat Joe and m ...

SoulStice Soulstice may refer to: * Soulstice (band), an American electronica/dance band * ''Soulstice'' (video game), a 2022 hack and slash video game * ''Soulstice'' (album), a 2006 album by Shapeshifter * SoulStice, an American hip-hop artist See also * ...

, R.A. the Rugged Man, & more. By the third quarter of 2009, Coalmine Records began the promotional campaign for Bekay's ''Hunger Pains'', which was released on November 10, 2009. The album's

maxi-single A maxi single, maxi-single, or maxi CD (sometimes abbreviated to MCD or CDM) is a music single release with more than the usual two tracks of an A-side song and a B-side song. Maxi singles are often mistaken for extended plays (EPs), especial ...

was released on August 25 with The Alchemist produced "I Am" feat. DJ Revolution B/W "Brooklyn Bridge" featuring the legendary

Masta Ace Duval Clear (born December 4, 1966), better known by his stage name Masta Ace, is an American rapper and record producer from New York City. A lead member of Mr. Magic's hip hop collective Juice Crew, he is best known for his guest appearance alo ...

& production by

(of

). The album includes guest appearances from

, R.A. the Rugged Man,

Wordsworth William Wordsworth (7 April 177023 April 1850) was an English Romantic poet who, with Samuel Taylor Coleridge, helped to launch the Romantic Age in English literature with their joint publication '' Lyrical Ballads'' (1798). Wordsworth's ...

and DJ Revolution. Producers featured include

The Alchemist An alchemist is a person who practices alchemy. Alchemist or Alchemyst may also refer to: Books and stories * ''The Alchemist'' (novel), the translated title of a 1988 allegorical novel by Paulo Coelho * ''The Alchemist'' (play), a play by Ben ...

, Illmind,

, Shuko, BeanOne and more. ''Hunger Pains'', ranked among several lifestyle and blogs sites as one of the best hip-hop albums for 2009 and even qualified as an honorable mention among the year's top albums by the legendary

DJ Premier Christopher Edward Martin (born March 21, 1966), known professionally as DJ Premier (also known as Preemo), is an American record producer and DJ. He has been frequently lauded as one of hip hop's greatest producers by publications such as '' ...

. Coalmine Records continues to expand their growing artist roster with the digital distribution of releases from the

Brown Bag AllStars The Brown Bag AllStars is an American rap group made up of J57, The Audible Doctor, Soul Khan, DeeJay Element and DJ E Holla. The group's repertoire of East Coast hip hop and underground hip hop blended with hard-core rap lyrics won them a s ...

, Cimer Amor & Custom Made. In July 2010, Coalmine Records signed a physical distribution deal with Nail Distribution/Allegro Media Group. The first release under their new deal was ''Global Takeover 2: Nu World (GT2)'', the sequel to El Da Sensei & The Returners ''Global Takeover'' LP. The album has since been revered as El's best solo effort since the 2002 release of ''Relax, Relate, Release'' (Seven Heads Entertainment Ltd.). ''GT2'' features production from the Polish production duo p/k/a The Returners and boasts features from

Treach Anthony Shawn Criss (born December 2, 1970), better known by his stage name Treach, is an American rapper and actor. He is perhaps best known as the lead rapper of the hip hop group Naughty by Nature. Early life, family and education Criss atte ...

(of Naughty by Nature),

Sean Price Sean Duval Price (March 17, 1972August 8, 2015) was an American rapper and member of the hip hop collective Boot Camp Clik. He was one half of the duo Heltah Skeltah, performing under the name Ruck, along with partner Rock. Early life and edu ...

, Bekay, Rakaa Iriscience, John Robinson,

Reks Corey Isiah Christie (born August 24, 1977), better known by his stage name Reks (styled in all caps as REKS), is an American rapper. Reks emerged from Lawrence, Massachusetts' underground rap scene. His debut underground album, '' Along Came ...

Akrobatik Jared K. Bridgeman, (born May 3, 1974) better known by his stage name Akrobatik, is an American rapper from the Dorchester neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts. He is also a part of the hip hop collective named The Perceptionists with Mr. Lif ...

, Tiye Phoenix, MeLa Machinko &

. April 19, 2011, marked the release of ''Can You Dig It?'', a digital-only compilation containing 15 tracks from the label's singles catalog, released in celebration of the label's five-year anniversary.

Diamond Media 360

In the second quarter of 2011, Diamond incorporates Diamond Media 360 (DM360), a label, marketing & lifestyle brand that will become the parent company of Coalmine Records. Diamond Media 360 will launch in three tiers, starting with an overhaul of CoalmineRecords.com, followed by the launch of DiamondMedia360 and lastly, TakinMines.com, a hip-hop lifestyle webzine. DM360 functions as a multi-dimensional marketing one-stop, designed to provide independent artists with label services that includes project consulting, online marketing, digital distribution and radio promotions.

Artists

Bekay

Cimer Amor

One Dae

Discography

12-Inch Vinyl/Digi-Singles

EPs

Full Length/Compilations

References

*http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/album-reviews/id.1135/title.coalmine-records-presents-the-foundation *http://www.ballerstatus.com/2009/05/28/coalmine-records-breaks-down-their-midnight-madness-remix-ep/ *https://web.archive.org/web/20110312204748/http://www.allthatsfab.com/2009/04/14/fab-man-of-the-week-matt-diamond *http://hiphopgame.ihiphop.com/index2.php3?page=djdutchmaster *http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/dxnext/id.137/title.bekay *https://web.archive.org/web/20120322064618/http://www.refinedhype.com/hyped/entry/nxne-the-southwest-invasion/ *http://www.wevegotthejazz.com/?p=9359 *https://web.archive.org/web/20110521091253/http://fludwatches.com/collab/coalmine-records-x-fld

External links

CoalmineRecords.com

DiamondMedia360.comCoalmine Records (Label/Brand)-Underground Hip Hop-Store Coalmine Records Twitter
{{Authority control American independent record labels Hip-hop record labels Record labels based in New York (state)