RAP LABEL RELAUNCHED

Patrick Moxey, founder of Ultra Music, is relaunching his label Payday Records 25 years after it started. You may remember the label, which shuttered in 1999, from Jay-Z’s “In My Lifetime,” a Jeru the Damaja cassette or perhaps a Guru 12-inch.

Gang Starr member/producer DJ Premier is the first artist to release music on the imprint, with “Our Streets” f/A$AP Ferg coming out on Friday. Moxey managed Gang Starr for 15 years, beginning in the early 1990s.

As far as staffing, Moxey is President of Payday Records, with former Payday employee Neale Easterby serving as Managing Director of the U.K. Ultra International Music Publishing’s Adrian Nunez will manage A&R and Will Scott, formerly product manager at Mass Appeal Records, will head up the Product Management and Marketing divisions.

“Hip-hop has become a global language and the new Payday is here to reflect that and help bring diverse and talented artists to the world” Moxey said. “We want to push hip-hop's creative boundaries across borders and cultures.”

The second release will be Pell’s single “chirpin’” on 11/10 followed by his girasoul EP on 12/8. Payday has also signed OJ Da Juiceman, Yung Fume and the group Gloss Gang.

Moxey noted they have recording studios in L.A., London and Atlanta and their approach to signing acts is much different than in the first go-round. “Our initial signings are from four different cities—New York, Atlanta, New Orleans, and London—and it reflects today's relationship of music and the internet.”

For some odd reason, the entire time we’ve been typing this, we’ve had a craving for caramel wrapped in peanuts…and a desire to get loan with a 20% vig.