13 Label Bosses Who Smashed Their Artists

1 of 14

❯

❮

In addition to large checks and A-list exposure, being a record executive allows you to sample more than just the music.

These 13 label bosses who smashed their artists enjoyed the money, fame, and when they weren’t pressing up product, they were pressing the flesh of women on their labels.

—
Photo: WENN

photo: TVOne Screen Capture/WENN

Suge Knight and Michel’le

Michel’le has a child with Dr. Dre and another one with Suge Knight. One could see how things could potentially get awkward for this blended family.

photo: WENN

Memphitz and K. Michelle

Michelle has never been shy about airing out former Jive executive Mickey “Memphitz” Wright Jr. You can view the particulars of the case online, but as far as the smashing an artist part goes, facts are facts. K. Michelle was signed to Jive/Hitz Committee in 2010.

photo: WENN

Swizz Beatz and Mashonda

You’ll find Mashonda’s only retail album (January Joy) was released on Swizz’s Clive Davis-backed imprint, Full Surface Records. In case you didn’t know, Mashonda and Swizz have a son named Kasseem Dean, Jr.

photo: Dennis Van Tine/Future Image/WENN.com

Diddy and Cassie

For what it’s worth, Cassie hasn’t dropped another Bad Boy retail project since going public as Diddy’s girlfriend. Either they don’t want to mix business and pleasure, of the curse of Bad Boy struggle artists strikes again.

photo: Joseph Marzullo/WENN.com

Berry Gordy and Diana Ross

Years after Diana Ross moved on from Motown, Gordy and Ross publicly confirmed what everyone already knew. The pair shared a child in Rhonda Ross, who was born around the time Diana Ross dropped her third Motown album.

Lil Wayne and Christina Milian

Christina Milian signed to Young Money, and even though Wayne wants to leave, it appears she’s still riding with YMCMB after breaking up with Lil Wayne.

Pharrell and Kelis

Star Trak was most likely not a full-fledged label back when Skateboard P got a taste of Kelis’ milkshake. But even after she hooked up with and married Nas, Kelis remained signed to Star Trak through a joint venture with Virgin Records.

Diplo and M.I.A.

By the time Diplo cemented his industry clout with Mad Decent, he and M.I.A. were long finished and still slandering each other in interviews. They’ve since reconciled, but neither party has been shy about admitting the smash sessions that led up to M.I.A.’s 2005 album, Arular.

photo: WENN

Tommy Mottola and Mariah Carey

From 1993 through 1998, Mariah Carey and Tommy Mottola made a boatload of money together as Mariah became one of the most commercially successful artists ever. It all happened under Mottola at Columbia Records.

DJ Paul and Gangsta Boo

Depending on when and whom she’s interviewing with, you might get Gangsta Boo to admit that she “maybe” was involved with DJ Paul during her initial run as an artist on Hypnotize Minds.

photo: MadamNoire Screen Capture/WENN

Dr. Dre and Michel’le

Back during the “Nicety” days, Michel’e was a Ruthless artist with some certified, charting hits. Technically, Dre was also a Ruthless artist, but everyone can agree he was much higher on the label’s totem pole than most.

R. Kelly and Aaliyah

Technically, Kellz and Aaliyah were labelmates. But a cursory glance at the credits to Age Ain’t Nothing But A Number reveal R. Kelly produced every track on the album. Aaliyah might not have been his artist, but he very much groomed her during that initial run on Blackground/Jive records.

photo: Chris Connor / WENN

L.A. Reid

While LA and Pebbles clearly had a business and personal relationship, the husband and wife team never brought their union to LaFace Records. Pebbles was actually signed to MCA, while Babyface and Reid’s label was distributed through RCA. Maybe that made it easier to produce the overwhelming majority of her sophomore album.