Andre Harrell, founder of the influential hip-hop label Uptown Records, passed away at the age of 59. The cause of death is still unknown. Various media report this on Saturday, including Billboard.
Harrell created hip hop songs in the 1980s with Alonzo Brown, as the duo Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Soon, however, he started to focus on the business side of music, with Def Jam Records. Shortly after becoming general manager there, he resigned to start his own label.
Thus, from 1986, Uptown Records became a leading company for the emerging R&B and hip-hop scene. One of Harrell’s best known discoveries was Sean Combs, later known as Puff Daddy (and P. Diddy). He did an internship at Uptown and later turned artists like Mary J. Blige and Jodeci into celebrities.
Uptown Records was also involved in the early career of Notorious B.I.G. When Combs left the company in 1993, he took big names with him to found his own label Bad Boys. Uptown was less successful after that and was eventually acquired by Universal in 1999. Harrell was later himself at the cradle of the career of Robin Thicke and others.
American artists reacted shocked and saddened on Saturday to the unexpected death of Harrell. “My heart is broken”, writes Mariah Carey on Twitter. Music producer Mark Ronson leaves via a message on Instagram know how inspiring Harrell has been to him.
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