7. Cold Chillin’
Created by Tyrone Williams, Cold Chillin’ was responsible for releasing several of the top rap albums during hip-hop’s “Golden Years” (1987-88). They released classic albums by Big Daddy Kane, Biz Markie, Kool G. Rap and MC Shan. But after Ice T’s Cop Killer debacle, many rap labels lost their national distribution. Warner Bros. and Time Warner cut ties with Cold Chillin’ and the label found it difficult to release projects. Moreover, West Coast gangsta rap caused many rap fans to forget about the early contributions of Big Daddy Kane and Biz Markie by the mid-90s. The company folded in 1998.
