Longstanding Recording Label, the Malaco Music Group, Makes Plans to Expand and Creates a New Lane for Urban Music

Southern-rooted Malaco Records is poised to take the music industry in a new direction with the launch of an urban music division, and long-term partners, X Records, is prepared to be their premier label.

Richmond, VA – Coming off the launch of its Dreamz to Reality Live Tour which is a national talent search for the country’s best new artists, X Records is also gearing up for big changes with their parent label, The Malaco Music Group. Historically a Blues, R&B and Gospel recording and distribution label, Malaco has represented some of the world’s most successful artists from Yolanda Adams, the Mississippi Mass Choir, and Vanessa Bell Armstrong to Bobby Blue Bland, Jonnie Taylor, ZZ Hill and Anita Ward. With the company’s plans to expand and open an urban music division, the super-charged roster of Hip-Hop artists under X Records are on deck to make waves in the lackluster mainstream rap scene.

At the helm of Malaco’s new urban music division is industry veteran Lionel Ridenour, former executive and thought-leader at powerhouses like Arista and Capitol Records—and most recently the Executive Vice President of Urban Music at Virgin Records where he played a significant role in the careers of Janet Jackson, Craig Mack, Notorious B.I.G., Diddy, MC Hammer, OutKast, Whitney Houston, Tony Braxton, Pink and Usher.

Mr. Ridenour’s concrete experience and vast knowledge of the music industry and its trends are what will make Malaco a leader in developing and producing top-selling artists. X Records President, Thomi Hairston, knows of Ridenour’s talent first-hand, as the former National Director of Hip-Hop Promotions at Arista Records worked directly under Ridenour during his tenure there.

“This is an exciting time for Malaco and X Records—and now with Lionel [Ridenour] on board, the game is officially on a new level. For the past five years X Records has been distributed by Malaco and represented them on the independent Hip-Hop side, however with this expansion the mainstream lanes will now open up,” says Thomas “FAT Thomi” Hairston, President of X Records when asked about the launch of his newest Hip-Hop artist, Shaka Sema-Jhi.

About X Records
X Records was founded in 2001 and is manufactured and distributed by the Malaco Music Group. Founded by Thomas “FAT Thomi” Hairston after a ten-year career in the music industry with giants like Warner Brothers, American Records and Arista, X Records emerged as the creative outlet for his own roster of artists. After promoting major label projects for the Notorious B.I.G., TLC, Usher, Toni Braxton, OutKast, Tamia, Eric Benet, Tevin Campbell, Something for the People and the Wu-Tang Clan under FAT Thomi Promotions, Mr. Hairston has the knowledge and track record required to be an industry leader.

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Jennifer Colter
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