Eminem's Shady Records has taken on two new acts: Rap supergroup Slaughterhouse and budding superstar Yelawolf. "Yelawolf and Slaughterhouse, it's kinda phase two of Shady," says Eminem. "It's the new generation of Shady Records and as we're trying to rebuild our label, it's exciting for hip-hop and with all of these forces coming together and with what everybody's capable of on the mic, it's gonna be fun."
Bringing together the East Coast, West Coast and Detroit in the middle, Slaughterhouse consists of Crooked I, Joe Budden, Joell Ortiz and Royce Da 5'9". Most recently, Slaughterhouse was featured on "Session One," a bonus track on Eminem's 2010 blockbuster Recovery album. Eminem is expected to be personally involved in Slaughterhouse's sophomore album scheduled for release in 2011.
Said Royce Da 5'9": "It's very exciting for me to reunite with Eminem years after our Bad Meets Evil project together. Slaughterhouse on Shady Records will be a force to reckon with."
Late last year, Yelawolf released Trunk Muzik 0-60, a compilation of select tracks from his critically acclaimed 2010 mixtape Trunk Muzik, along with six previously unavailable songs. The Alabama native is currently in the studio recording his full length major label debut.
Said Yelawolf: "Considering where I'm from and the s*** I've been through, it's hard to put into words what partnering with Shady means to me, my team at Ghet-O-Vision, and my state of Alabama. I can tell you that when you're willing to give your life up to see a dream through, the reward is great. And now that I've become an apprentice to one of the greatest artists in the world, my potential reaches beyond anything I ever imagined. Let's kill this s***."
Shady Records was founded in 1999 by Eminem and his manager Paul Rosenberg. D12, the label's first signing, were also Shady's first breakout stars, selling more than four million albums in the U.S. In 2002, the label released the quadruple platinum 8 Mile soundtrack, with its hit single "Lose Yourself" -- the first hip-hop song to win an Academy Award for Best Original Song. Shady Records then partnered with Dr. Dre's Aftermath Entertainment to ink 50 Cent, who subsequently has sold more than 23 million albums worldwide. Of Shady's 11 albums to date, four have earned U.S. multiplatinum certification, three others platinum (including the compilation Eminem Presents: The Re-Up) and two gold. The label has sold over 40 million albums worldwide.
