Perspective 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, ...

, launched in 1991 by the producing team Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, through a joint venture with

A&M Records A&M Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group and functions as a branch of Interscope Geffen A&M Records, Interscope-Geffen-A&M. Established in 1962 by Herb Alpert and Jerry Moss, the label initially operated independent ...

—which Jam & Lewis had had a prosperous working relationship with throughout the 1980s, with several of its major acts including

Janet Jackson Janet Damita Jo Jackson (born May 16, 1966) is an American singer, songwriter, actress and dancer. She is noted for her innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows. Her sound and choreogr ...

The Human League The Human League are an English synth-pop band formed in Sheffield in 1977. Initially an experimental electronic music, electronic outfit, the group signed to Virgin Records in 1979 and later attained widespread commercial success with their t ...

, and label founder

Herb Alpert Herb Alpert (born March 31, 1935) is an American trumpeter, pianist, singer, songwriter, record producer, arranger, conductor, painter, sculptor and theatre producer, who led the band Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass (sometimes called "Herb Alpe ...

. Acts on Perspective's roster included Bobby Ross Avila, Smooth,

Mint Condition Mint Condition is an American R&B band from St. Paul, Minnesota. The band is focused on diverse genres such as jazz, hip hop, funk and dance. Mint Condition has also been nominated for one Grammy and three Soul Train Awards. The group is cr ...

Lo-Key Lo-Key? is an American hip hop music, hip hop/Contemporary R&B, R&B group that formed in Kansas City, Missouri and Minneapolis, Minnesota. Their single, "I Got a Thang 4 Ya!" (1993), reached No. 1 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, ''Billboard'' Hot ...

Solo Solo or SOLO may refer to: Arts and entertainment Characters * Han Solo, a ''Star Wars'' character * Jacen Solo, a Jedi in the non-canonical ''Star Wars Legends'' continuity * Kylo Ren (Ben Solo), a ''Star Wars'' character * Napoleon Solo, fr ...

, Sounds of Blackness, Young Zee, and Ann Nesby. From 1993 to 1996, A&M Records released most of its own urban acts through Perspective. Rapper

Tech N9ne Aaron Dontez Yates (born November 8, 1971), better known by his stage name Tech N9ne (pronounced "tech nine"), is an American rapper and singer. In 1999, he and business partner Travis O'Guin founded the record label Strange Music. He has sold ...

was one of the signees for the label, however he was released from the label due to creative differences. In 1997, Jam and Lewis resigned as the label's CEOs, but remained consultants. Over the next year, Perspective continued to release recordings by the current artists for the sake of fulfilling contractual obligations with them. The company was dismantled, and absorbed into A&M Records, in early

1999 1999 was designated as the International Year of Older Persons. Events January * January 1 – The euro currency is established and the European Central Bank assumes its full powers. * January 3 – The Mars Polar Lander is launc ...

—per the merger of A&M's PolyGram parent and

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, ...

. In 2018, Jam & Lewis reactivated Perspective Records under its current distributor,

Virgin Music Label & Artist Services Virgin Music, known as Virgin Music Label & Artist Services until 2022 and originally as Caroline Distribution, was a music distributor of independent artists and record labels, most prominently Death Grips, Weezer, and Radiohead. Virgin Music ...

. The first album released under the label since 1998 was

Peabo Bryson Robert Peapo "Peabo" Bryson ( ; born April 13, 1951) is an American singer and songwriter. He is known for singing soul ballads (often as a duet with female singers) including the hit singles " Tonight, I Celebrate My Love", "You're Looking Like ...

's album ''Stand For Love''. In 2019,

lead singer

Stokley Williams Stokley Williams (born July 15, 1967), also known simply as Stokley, is an American musician from St. Paul, Minnesota, best known as the lead singer and studio drummer of the R&B band Mint Condition. Career In 2011, Williams was featured on ...

signed to Perspective for the second time as a solo artist to release his second album, ''Sankofa''.

Albums released on Perspective Records

Sounds of Blackness

* ''

The Evolution of Gospel ''The Evolution of Gospel'' is the debut studio album by Sounds of Blackness, released in 1991. In 1992, the album received the Grammy Award The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented ...

'' (1991) * '' Africa to America: The Journey of the Drum'' (1994) * ''Time for Healing'' (1997)

Lo-Key?

* ''Where Dey At?'' (1992) * ''Back 2 Da House'' (1994)

Mint Condition

* ''

Meant to Be Mint ''Meant to Be Mint'' is the debut studio album of R&B band Mint Condition. The album was released on June 11, 1991, on Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis' A&M imprint Perspective Records. ''Meant to Be Mint'' reached to no. 13 on the Top R&B/Hip-Ho ...

'' (1991) * '' From the Mint Factory'' (1993) * '' Definition of a Band'' (1996) * ''The Collection (1991-1998)'' (1998)

Drama

* ''Open Invitation'' (1994)

4.0

* ''4.0'' (1997)

Rufus Blaq

* ''Credentials'' (1998)

Smooth

* ''

Reality Reality is the sum or aggregate of everything in existence; everything that is not imagination, imaginary. Different Culture, cultures and Academic discipline, academic disciplines conceptualize it in various ways. Philosophical questions abo ...

'' (1998)

Bobby Ross Avila

* ''My Destiny'' (1993)

Raja-Nee

* ''Hot & Ready'' (1994)

Solo

* ''

'' (1995) * '' 4 Bruthas & a Bass'' (1998)

Ann Nesby

* ''I'm Here for You'' (1996)

Lisa Keith

* ''Walkin' in the Sun'' (1993)

Peabo Bryson

* ''Stand For Love'' (2018)

Stokley

* ''Sankofa'' (2021)

Soundtracks

* ''

Mo' Money ''Mo' Money'' is a 1992 American comedy-drama film directed by Peter Macdonald, and written by Damon Wayans, who also starred in the film. The film co-stars Stacey Dash, Joe Santos, John Diehl, Harry Lennix, Bernie Mac (in his film debut), ...

'' (1992) * ''

Kazaam ''Kazaam'' () is a 1996 American musical fantasy comedy film directed by Paul Michael Glaser, written by Christian Ford and Roger Soffer based on a story by Glaser, and starring Shaquille O'Neal as the title character, a 5,000-year-old genie w ...

'' (1996)

Shelved albums

Pudgee Tha Phat Bastard

* ''King Of New York'' (recorded in 1996, released in 2015 under Back 2 Da Source Records)

Young Zee

* ''Musical Meltdown'' (recorded in 1996, released in 2015) Young Zee- Musical Meltdown CD at Fat Beats
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Albums released on Perspective Records

Sounds of Blackness

Lo-Key?

Mint Condition

Drama

4.0

Rufus Blaq

Smooth

Bobby Ross Avila

Raja-Nee

Solo

Ann Nesby

Lisa Keith

Peabo Bryson

Stokley

Soundtracks

Shelved albums

Pudgee Tha Phat Bastard

Young Zee

References

See also