Rich Isaacson
| Rich Isaacson | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Rich Isaacson |
| Born |
October 18, 1964 Merrick, Long Island, NY, United States |
| Occupation(s) | Music entrepreneur |
| Years active | 1991-present |
| Labels | Loud Records, SRC Records |
| Associated acts | Wu-Tang Clan, MIKA, Akon, Gustavo Santaolalla, Charles Bradley, Mobb Deep, Melanie Fiona, SafetySuit, and Three 6 Mafia |
| Website | http://www.rientertainment.net/ |
Rich Isaacson is an international music entrepreneur whose influence spans artists such as Wu-Tang Clan, MIKA, Akon, Gustavo Santaolalla, Charles Bradley, Mobb Deep, Melanie Fiona, SafetySuit, and Three 6 Mafia.
Born in Brooklyn and raised in Merrick, Long Island, the son of a toy manufacturer father and medical office professional mother, Richard identified with soul and R&B music at an early age.
He attended Cornell University’s College of Labor Relations, where he studied the union movement and labor history. After attending the University of Pennsylvania Law School, he joined the Manhattan law firm of Shea and Gould. Disillusioned with the corporate grind, he took up an offer to join his childhood friend Steve Rifkind in Los Angeles.
In the early '90s, Rifkind’s LOUD Records had secured a small production deal with Zoo Records, at the same time running SRC, an upstart street promotion/marketing company designed to connect the dots at the emerging rap scene. Isaacson spent a few weeks on Rifkind’s couch, studying Billboard, reading lawyer Don Passman’s All You Need to Know About the Music Business and going over the LOUD contracts. He soon took over day to day operations at the fledgling start-up.
The pair soon built LOUD Records from a $3,000-a-month production deal to a $100 million powerhouse, featuring multi-platinum artists such as Wu-Tang Clan, Mobb Deep, Big Pun, Xzibit, Funkmaster Flex and Three6Mafia. Rich led the negotiation for LOUD’s landmark deal, signing Wu-Tang Clan for $10,000. LOUD released the single, "Protect Ya Neck," with the promise to allow leader RZA to shop the other members of the collective to individual solo deals at other labels, then an unprecedented concession in recording contracts. It proved to be a smart bet as Wu-Tang's success catapulted LOUD to the forefront of the music industry.
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