Roc-A-Fella Records is the 8th most important hip-hop record label of all time, and not just because of the greatest rapper of all time…

…though he is a big part of it.

#8 Roc-A-Fella Records

Although record labels stopped being important brands in the last few years, EVERYONE knows that Roc-A-Fella records was the home to Jay-Z.  He, along with his partners Damon Dash and Kareem “Biggs” Burke, founded the label back in1996 and Jay-Z repped the label as hard as any artist ever has represented a label.  What many don’t know, however, was that Roc-A-Fella was not Jay-Z’s first label.  That distinction belonged to Payday Records, home to underground legends like Jeru the Damaja, O.C. and Showbiz and A.G., which released In My Lifetime Jay’s first single.  When that single didn’t perform well, Payday dropped Jay and the rest, as they say, is history.  Jay, Dame and Kareem invested funds received from “various sources” and proceeded to crank out some of the biggest hits and artists in hip-hop.  Long after Jay-Z and his partners split, Roc-A-Fella continued to churn out hits.  In fact, they were so successful that Jay-Z was ultimately asked to head up Def Jam, the label that eventually became Roc-A-Fella’s parent label.  The music speaks for itself.  In this case, because Jay-Z is so inextricably intertwined with Roc-A-Fella, he gets several nods.

Can’t Knock the Hustle – Jay-Z

Dead Presidents – Jay-Z

Full of Smoke – Christion

Hard Knock Life – Jay-Z

Big Pimpin’ – Jay-Z

The Truth – Beanie Sigel

I Just Wanna Love U – Jay-Z

The Blueprint – Jay-Z

Roc the Mic – State Property

Oh Boy – Cam’Ron

What We Do – Freeway

Encore – Jay-Z

Jesus Walks – Kanye West

Diamonds from Sierra Leone (Remix) – Kanye West ft. Jay-Z

Previously:  #20 Rakwus Records, #19 Loud Records, #18 Select Records, #17 Rap-A-Lot Records, #16 No Limit Records, #15 Sleeping Bag Records, #14 Uptown Records, #13 Ruffhouse Records, #12 Cold Chillin’ Records, #11 Jive Records, #10 Aftermath Records, #9 Cash Money Records