{"id":665348,"date":"2025-04-02T14:16:22","date_gmt":"2025-04-02T12:16:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/numero.com\/non-classifiee\/why-is-empire-one-of-todays-most-popular-rap-labels\/"},"modified":"2025-04-10T15:47:08","modified_gmt":"2025-04-10T13:47:08","slug":"why-is-empire-one-of-todays-most-popular-rap-labels","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/numero.com\/en\/culture-en\/music\/why-is-empire-one-of-todays-most-popular-rap-labels\/","title":{"rendered":"Why is Empire one of today\u2019s most popular rap labels?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Kendrick Lamar - Section.80 Full Album\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" data-cookieconsent=\"statistics, marketing\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/UW-qcsDLxUY?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><div class=\"cookieconsent-optout-statistics cookieconsent-optout-marketing\"><\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Kendrick Lamar &#8211; <em>Section.80<\/em> (2011).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Empire, the rap label endorsed by 50 Cent and Kendrick Lamar<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The name <strong>Empire<\/strong> may not ring a bell, but since 2010, this American label has been standing out for its ability to attract established figures from the rap and R\u2019n\u2019B scenes. Seduced by the label\u2019s independence, rapper <strong>50 Cent<\/strong> has released several projects with them, just like <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/numero.com\/en\/fashion\/fashion-week-en\/tyga-nolween-leroy-evan-mock-celebrities-at-the-lanvin-spring-summer-2022-show\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Tyga<\/a><\/strong>, <strong>Shaggy<\/strong>, <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/numero.com\/en\/culture-en\/5-crazy-stories-about-snoop-dogg-releasing-a-new-album-with-dr-dre\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Snoop Dogg<\/a><\/strong> and <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/numero.com\/en\/fashion\/fashion-week-en\/cardi-b-offset-lewis-hamilton-the-stars-at-the-balenciaga-show\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Cardi B<\/a><\/strong>. The label has also worked on re-releasing albums by R\u2019n\u2019B icon <strong>Aaliyah<\/strong> &#8211; she tragically died on her way home from shooting the video for\u00a0<em>Rock the Boat\u00a0<\/em>in the Bahamas in 2001 &#8211; thus reviving the singer\u2019s legacy for a new generation of listeners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Right from the start, the label <strong>Empire<\/strong> made a name for itself by distributing\u00a0<em>Section.80\u00a0<\/em>(2011), <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/numero.com\/en\/non-classifiee\/can-kendrick-lamar-win-an-oscar-2\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Kendrick Lamar<\/a><\/strong>\u2019s debut album, also known as K-Dot. At the time, the Compton rapper was still unknown to the public and that release marked a decisive turning point in his career.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201c<em>In the early 2010s, my associate had a connection with TDE, Kendrick Lamar\u2019s label,<\/em>\u201d <strong>Ghazi Sham<\/strong>i explained to us when we met in Empire\u2019s large office in San Francisco. Four recording studios are located in the vast premises of the label, which boast a swimming pool, lots of marble and a rooftop. \u201c<em>They used to release their mixtapes online for free. I told them, \u2018Why not monetise them? There are people out there willing to pay to listen to your tracks through more convenient media.<\/em>\u201d This proposal won over TDE and enabled Empire to lay the foundations of a hybrid distribution model, combining artistic freedom and commercial efficiency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Cardi B - Foreva\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" data-cookieconsent=\"statistics, marketing\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/wDaxmHJuFgA?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><div class=\"cookieconsent-optout-statistics cookieconsent-optout-marketing\"><\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Cardi B &#8211; <em>Foreva<\/em> (2016).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\">\u201c<em>I grew up taking tapes apart to figure out how they worked.<\/em>\u201d Ghazi Shami, founder of the label Empire<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It takes a healthy dose of audacity to launch a music label in the midst of economic turmoil, especially in a city like San Francisco, renowned for its start-ups rather than for its recording studios. Yet for <strong>Ghazi Shami<\/strong>, who formerly trained as an engineer, it was the right time. In 2010, at a time when the Silicon Valley was establishing itself as the nerve centre of technological innovation, Ghazi saw digital technology as a unique opportunity to reinvent the traditional model promoted by music labels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-left wp-block-paragraph\">To compete with other labels and get a better feel for what\u2019s about to come in the music industry, the founder of Empire drew on his experience in tech &#8211; he used to work on music distribution softwares. \u201c<em>I grew up taking tapes apart to find out how they worked<\/em>,\u201d <strong>Ghazi Shami<\/strong> shared, while scanning the gold records hanging on the walls of his office. \u201c<em>Then, I worked on streaming networks long before they became the norm<\/em>.\u201d This dual expertise in music and technology has enabled him to design a distribution model suitable to the challenges of our digital age.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-left wp-block-paragraph\">A few years later, <strong>Empire<\/strong> struck a blow by signing a distribution deal with <strong>XXXTentacion<\/strong>, rap\u2019s rising star with dark lyrics. XXXTentacion was murdered in 2018 and over 500,000 copies of his posthumous album\u00a0<em>Skins\u00a0<\/em>(2018) were sold in the United States within a few months. A success that confirmed the label\u2019s intuition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure data-wp-context=\"{&quot;imageId&quot;:&quot;6a28bd589f5f4&quot;}\" data-wp-interactive=\"core\/image\" data-wp-key=\"6a28bd589f5f4\" class=\"wp-block-image size-full wp-lightbox-container\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"732\" height=\"1000\" data-wp-class--hide=\"state.isContentHidden\" data-wp-class--show=\"state.isContentVisible\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on--click=\"actions.showLightbox\" data-wp-on--load=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on--pointerdown=\"actions.preloadImage\" data-wp-on--pointerenter=\"actions.preloadImageWithDelay\" data-wp-on--pointerleave=\"actions.cancelPreload\" data-wp-on-window--resize=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" src=\"https:\/\/numero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/6027-003_v1.jpg\" alt=\"Shaboozey \u00a9 Daniel Prakopcyk.\" class=\"wp-image-660254\"\/><button\n\t\t\tclass=\"lightbox-trigger\"\n\t\t\ttype=\"button\"\n\t\t\taria-haspopup=\"dialog\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-bind--aria-label=\"state.thisImage.triggerButtonAriaLabel\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-init=\"callbacks.initTriggerButton\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-on--click=\"actions.showLightbox\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--right=\"state.thisImage.buttonRight\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--top=\"state.thisImage.buttonTop\"\n\t\t>\n\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"12\" height=\"12\" fill=\"none\" viewBox=\"0 0 12 12\">\n\t\t\t\t<path fill=\"#fff\" d=\"M2 0a2 2 0 0 0-2 2v2h1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 1 .5-.5h2V0H2Zm2 10.5H2a.5.5 0 0 1-.5-.5V8H0v2a2 2 0 0 0 2 2h2v-1.5ZM8 12v-1.5h2a.5.5 0 0 0 .5-.5V8H12v2a2 2 0 0 1-2 2H8Zm2-12a2 2 0 0 1 2 2v2h-1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 0-.5-.5H8V0h2Z\" \/>\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Shaboozey \u00a9 Daniel Prakopcyk.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A talent-scouting label, from Asake to Shaboozey<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Empire<\/strong> has recently signed two trending artists &#8211; <strong>Asake<\/strong>, the Nigerian superstar who gathers 6.5 million monthly listeners on Spotify, and <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/numero.com\/en\/culture-en\/music\/meet-shaboozey-the-new-prince-of-country-beyonce-sent-flowers-to-my-mother\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Shaboozey<\/a><\/strong>, the new prince of country music endorsed by <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/numero.com\/en\/culture-en\/cowboy-carter-beyonces-flamboyant-and-political-take-on-country-music-2\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Beyonc\u00e9<\/a><\/strong>. They are both exploding at an international level and are among the label\u2019s most recent signings. On the other side of the globe, the rapper <strong>G-Dragon<\/strong>, leader of the K-pop group BigBang, allows the label to make a name for itself among an ever-widening audience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At the same time, <strong>Empire<\/strong> supported other promising young artists, becoming the first label to distribute records by <strong>K Camp<\/strong>,<strong> Rocko<\/strong>, <strong>Trinidad James<\/strong> and the group <strong>Migos<\/strong>. Thanks to that support, these names stepped into the international hip-hop scene.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201c<em>Ghazi is a visionary. He sees a lot of potential where a lot of people wouldn\u2019t. He owes the success of his label to ten years of hard work, and I\u2019m impressed by everything he has achieved<\/em>,\u201d Grammy Awards genre manager <strong>Shawn Thwaites<\/strong> explained at a private party in San Francisco organised by the label to celebrate the 2025 NBA All-Star Game.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure data-wp-context=\"{&quot;imageId&quot;:&quot;6a28bd589fa99&quot;}\" data-wp-interactive=\"core\/image\" data-wp-key=\"6a28bd589fa99\" class=\"wp-block-image size-full wp-lightbox-container\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"667\" height=\"1000\" data-wp-class--hide=\"state.isContentHidden\" data-wp-class--show=\"state.isContentVisible\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on--click=\"actions.showLightbox\" data-wp-on--load=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on--pointerdown=\"actions.preloadImage\" data-wp-on--pointerenter=\"actions.preloadImageWithDelay\" data-wp-on--pointerleave=\"actions.cancelPreload\" data-wp-on-window--resize=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" src=\"https:\/\/numero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/4E0A7638-copie.jpg\" alt=\"Doria for Num\u00e9ro.com in San Francisco, February 15, 2025 \u00a9 Nathan Merchadier. \" class=\"wp-image-659912\"\/><button\n\t\t\tclass=\"lightbox-trigger\"\n\t\t\ttype=\"button\"\n\t\t\taria-haspopup=\"dialog\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-bind--aria-label=\"state.thisImage.triggerButtonAriaLabel\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-init=\"callbacks.initTriggerButton\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-on--click=\"actions.showLightbox\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--right=\"state.thisImage.buttonRight\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--top=\"state.thisImage.buttonTop\"\n\t\t>\n\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"12\" height=\"12\" fill=\"none\" viewBox=\"0 0 12 12\">\n\t\t\t\t<path fill=\"#fff\" d=\"M2 0a2 2 0 0 0-2 2v2h1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 1 .5-.5h2V0H2Zm2 10.5H2a.5.5 0 0 1-.5-.5V8H0v2a2 2 0 0 0 2 2h2v-1.5ZM8 12v-1.5h2a.5.5 0 0 0 .5-.5V8H12v2a2 2 0 0 1-2 2H8Zm2-12a2 2 0 0 1 2 2v2h-1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 0-.5-.5H8V0h2Z\" \/>\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Doria for Num\u00e9ro.com in San Francisco, February 15, 2025 \u00a9 Nathan Merchadier. Special thanks to Florent Farinelli.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Rapper Doria: Empire\u2019s first French signing<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In France, rapper <strong>Doria<\/strong> is the first French artist to sign with Empire &#8211; a symbol of the label\u2019s international openness. \u201c<em>They constantly want to build bridges between cultures,<\/em>\u201d the rapper from Nanterre told us when we met her in one of the label\u2019s studios in San Francisco. \u201c<em>Empire is everywhere: in the United States, France, Africa, but also in Asia since they\u2019ve signed K-Pop artists&#8230; All that buzz is what makes the difference<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Their collaboration began unexpectedly during an informal meeting at a concert at the Institut du Monde Arabe. \u201c<em>In the beginning, it wasn\u2019t about business. It was a human exchange first and foremost. Then, the conversation just flowed<\/em>,\u201d she shared. Shortly afterwards, <strong>Doria<\/strong> was invited to the label\u2019s offices in the United States and her Empire adventure took a more tangible turn. The label\u2019s organic approach is what first caught the artist\u2019s attention. \u201c<em>Here, you can release a track overnight if you feel like it. It\u2019s much more instinctive, there\u2019s much more freedom<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure data-wp-context=\"{&quot;imageId&quot;:&quot;6a28bd589feaf&quot;}\" data-wp-interactive=\"core\/image\" data-wp-key=\"6a28bd589feaf\" class=\"wp-block-image size-full wp-lightbox-container\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1365\" height=\"2048\" data-wp-class--hide=\"state.isContentHidden\" data-wp-class--show=\"state.isContentVisible\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on--click=\"actions.showLightbox\" data-wp-on--load=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on--pointerdown=\"actions.preloadImage\" data-wp-on--pointerenter=\"actions.preloadImageWithDelay\" data-wp-on--pointerleave=\"actions.cancelPreload\" data-wp-on-window--resize=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" src=\"https:\/\/numero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Unknown.jpeg\" alt=\"Ghazi Shami and Pauline Ducruet in San Francisco on February 15, 2025 \u00a9 Empire.\" class=\"wp-image-659920\"\/><button\n\t\t\tclass=\"lightbox-trigger\"\n\t\t\ttype=\"button\"\n\t\t\taria-haspopup=\"dialog\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-bind--aria-label=\"state.thisImage.triggerButtonAriaLabel\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-init=\"callbacks.initTriggerButton\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-on--click=\"actions.showLightbox\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--right=\"state.thisImage.buttonRight\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--top=\"state.thisImage.buttonTop\"\n\t\t>\n\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"12\" height=\"12\" fill=\"none\" viewBox=\"0 0 12 12\">\n\t\t\t\t<path fill=\"#fff\" d=\"M2 0a2 2 0 0 0-2 2v2h1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 1 .5-.5h2V0H2Zm2 10.5H2a.5.5 0 0 1-.5-.5V8H0v2a2 2 0 0 0 2 2h2v-1.5ZM8 12v-1.5h2a.5.5 0 0 0 .5-.5V8H12v2a2 2 0 0 1-2 2H8Zm2-12a2 2 0 0 1 2 2v2h-1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 0-.5-.5H8V0h2Z\" \/>\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Ghazi Shami and Pauline Ducruet in San Francisco on February 15, 2025 \u00a9 Empire.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Connections with Pauline Ducruet and Alter Design<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While <strong>Empire<\/strong> has already created several clothing collections revisiting the classics of California streetwear, including T-shirts and basketball shorts, the label will be taking a new step forward next June by celebrating its friendship with the highly promising fashion brand <strong>Alter Design<\/strong>, founded by <strong>Pauline Ducruet<\/strong>. This collaboration will be celebrated in style at the prestigious Monaco Grand Prix, where artists, models and jetsetters will gather for an exceptional evening.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201c<em>Music and fashion share a common language<\/em>,\u201d <strong>Pauline Ducruet<\/strong> stated. This collaboration, which could also result in a capsule collection, demonstrates Empire\u2019s desire to play on several cultural fronts and to extend its influence well beyond the music world&#8230;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Traduction Emma Naroumbo Armaing<\/em>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Empire, the rap label endorsed by 50 Cent and Kendrick Lamar The name Empire may [&#8230;]<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"btn btn-secondary understrap-read-more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/numero.com\/en\/culture-en\/music\/why-is-empire-one-of-todays-most-popular-rap-labels\/\">Read More&#8230;<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> from Why is Empire one of today\u2019s most popular rap labels?<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":660260,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[87,3177],"tags":[8894,8891,8892,8893,8755],"class_list":["post-665348","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-culture-en","category-music","tag-50-cent-en","tag-cardi-b-en","tag-empire-en","tag-ghazi-shami-en","tag-shaboozey-en"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.7 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Why is Empire one of today\u2019s most popular rap labels ?<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Founded in 2010, Ghazi Shami&#039;s music label Empire is now one of the most sought-after in the rap and the R&#039;n&#039;B world.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/numero.com\/en\/culture-en\/music\/why-is-empire-one-of-todays-most-popular-rap-labels\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Why is Empire one of today\u2019s most popular rap labels ?\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Founded in 2010, Ghazi Shami&#039;s music label Empire is now one of the most sought-after in the rap and the R&#039;n&#039;B world.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/numero.com\/en\/culture-en\/music\/why-is-empire-one-of-todays-most-popular-rap-labels\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Num\u00e9ro\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/numeromagazine\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-04-02T12:16:22+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-04-10T13:47:08+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/numero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Shaboozey-12.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1300\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1634\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Nathan Merchadier\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@NumeroMagazine\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@NumeroMagazine\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Nathan Merchadier\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"7 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"NewsArticle\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/numero.com\\\/en\\\/culture-en\\\/music\\\/why-is-empire-one-of-todays-most-popular-rap-labels\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/numero.com\\\/en\\\/culture-en\\\/music\\\/why-is-empire-one-of-todays-most-popular-rap-labels\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Nathan Merchadier\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/numero.com\\\/en\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/99a5773283e1575077257e5eeb082296\"},\"headline\":\"Why is Empire one of today\u2019s most popular rap labels?\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-04-02T12:16:22+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-04-10T13:47:08+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/numero.com\\\/en\\\/culture-en\\\/music\\\/why-is-empire-one-of-todays-most-popular-rap-labels\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":1077,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/numero.com\\\/en\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/numero.com\\\/en\\\/culture-en\\\/music\\\/why-is-empire-one-of-todays-most-popular-rap-labels\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/numero.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/03\\\/Shaboozey-12.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"50 Cent\",\"cardi b\",\"Empire\",\"Ghazi Shami\",\"Shaboozey\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Culture\",\"Music\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/numero.com\\\/en\\\/culture-en\\\/music\\\/why-is-empire-one-of-todays-most-popular-rap-labels\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/numero.com\\\/en\\\/culture-en\\\/music\\\/why-is-empire-one-of-todays-most-popular-rap-labels\\\/\",\"name\":\"Why is Empire one of today\u2019s most popular rap labels ?\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/numero.com\\\/en\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/numero.com\\\/en\\\/culture-en\\\/music\\\/why-is-empire-one-of-todays-most-popular-rap-labels\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/numero.com\\\/en\\\/culture-en\\\/music\\\/why-is-empire-one-of-todays-most-popular-rap-labels\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/numero.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/03\\\/Shaboozey-12.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-04-02T12:16:22+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-04-10T13:47:08+00:00\",\"description\":\"Founded in 2010, Ghazi Shami's music label Empire is now one of the most sought-after in the rap and the R'n'B world.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/numero.com\\\/en\\\/culture-en\\\/music\\\/why-is-empire-one-of-todays-most-popular-rap-labels\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/numero.com\\\/en\\\/culture-en\\\/music\\\/why-is-empire-one-of-todays-most-popular-rap-labels\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/numero.com\\\/en\\\/culture-en\\\/music\\\/why-is-empire-one-of-todays-most-popular-rap-labels\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/numero.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/03\\\/Shaboozey-12.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/numero.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/03\\\/Shaboozey-12.jpg\",\"width\":1300,\"height\":1634,\"caption\":\"Le chanteur Shaboozey \u00a9 Daniel Prakopcyk.\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/numero.com\\\/en\\\/culture-en\\\/music\\\/why-is-empire-one-of-todays-most-popular-rap-labels\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Accueil\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/numero.com\\\/en\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Culture\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/numero.com\\\/en\\\/category\\\/culture-en\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"Music\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/numero.com\\\/en\\\/category\\\/culture-en\\\/music\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":4,\"name\":\"Why is Empire one of today\u2019s most popular rap labels?\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/numero.com\\\/en\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/numero.com\\\/en\\\/\",\"name\":\"Num\u00e9ro\",\"description\":\"\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/numero.com\\\/en\\\/#organization\"},\"alternateName\":\"Num\u00e9ro Magazine\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/numero.com\\\/en\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/numero.com\\\/en\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Num\u00e9ro\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/numero.com\\\/en\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/numero.com\\\/en\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/numero.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2024\\\/04\\\/Logo.svg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/numero.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2024\\\/04\\\/Logo.svg\",\"width\":907,\"height\":181,\"caption\":\"Num\u00e9ro\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/numero.com\\\/en\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/numeromagazine\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/NumeroMagazine\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.instagram.com\\\/numeromagazine\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/fr.wikipedia.org\\\/wiki\\\/Num\u00e9ro_(magazine)\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/numero.com\\\/en\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/99a5773283e1575077257e5eeb082296\",\"name\":\"Nathan Merchadier\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/06be32947284feb5b1ce86701db8aed7b13ba572636367033a3bca02caf38e41?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/06be32947284feb5b1ce86701db8aed7b13ba572636367033a3bca02caf38e41?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/06be32947284feb5b1ce86701db8aed7b13ba572636367033a3bca02caf38e41?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Nathan Merchadier\"},\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/numero.com\\\/en\\\/author\\\/n-merchadiernumero-com\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Why is Empire one of today\u2019s most popular rap labels ?","description":"Founded in 2010, Ghazi Shami's music label Empire is now one of the most sought-after in the rap and the R'n'B world.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/numero.com\/en\/culture-en\/music\/why-is-empire-one-of-todays-most-popular-rap-labels\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Why is Empire one of today\u2019s most popular rap labels ?","og_description":"Founded in 2010, Ghazi Shami's music label Empire is now one of the most sought-after in the rap and the R'n'B world.","og_url":"https:\/\/numero.com\/en\/culture-en\/music\/why-is-empire-one-of-todays-most-popular-rap-labels\/","og_site_name":"Num\u00e9ro","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/numeromagazine\/","article_published_time":"2025-04-02T12:16:22+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-04-10T13:47:08+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1300,"height":1634,"url":"https:\/\/numero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Shaboozey-12.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Nathan Merchadier","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@NumeroMagazine","twitter_site":"@NumeroMagazine","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Nathan Merchadier","Est. reading time":"7 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https:\/\/numero.com\/en\/culture-en\/music\/why-is-empire-one-of-todays-most-popular-rap-labels\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/numero.com\/en\/culture-en\/music\/why-is-empire-one-of-todays-most-popular-rap-labels\/"},"author":{"name":"Nathan Merchadier","@id":"https:\/\/numero.com\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/99a5773283e1575077257e5eeb082296"},"headline":"Why is Empire one of today\u2019s most popular rap labels?","datePublished":"2025-04-02T12:16:22+00:00","dateModified":"2025-04-10T13:47:08+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/numero.com\/en\/culture-en\/music\/why-is-empire-one-of-todays-most-popular-rap-labels\/"},"wordCount":1077,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/numero.com\/en\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/numero.com\/en\/culture-en\/music\/why-is-empire-one-of-todays-most-popular-rap-labels\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/numero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Shaboozey-12.jpg","keywords":["50 Cent","cardi b","Empire","Ghazi Shami","Shaboozey"],"articleSection":["Culture","Music"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/numero.com\/en\/culture-en\/music\/why-is-empire-one-of-todays-most-popular-rap-labels\/","url":"https:\/\/numero.com\/en\/culture-en\/music\/why-is-empire-one-of-todays-most-popular-rap-labels\/","name":"Why is Empire one of today\u2019s most popular rap labels ?","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/numero.com\/en\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/numero.com\/en\/culture-en\/music\/why-is-empire-one-of-todays-most-popular-rap-labels\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/numero.com\/en\/culture-en\/music\/why-is-empire-one-of-todays-most-popular-rap-labels\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/numero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Shaboozey-12.jpg","datePublished":"2025-04-02T12:16:22+00:00","dateModified":"2025-04-10T13:47:08+00:00","description":"Founded in 2010, Ghazi Shami's music label Empire is now one of the most sought-after in the rap and the R'n'B world.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/numero.com\/en\/culture-en\/music\/why-is-empire-one-of-todays-most-popular-rap-labels\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/numero.com\/en\/culture-en\/music\/why-is-empire-one-of-todays-most-popular-rap-labels\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/numero.com\/en\/culture-en\/music\/why-is-empire-one-of-todays-most-popular-rap-labels\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/numero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Shaboozey-12.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/numero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Shaboozey-12.jpg","width":1300,"height":1634,"caption":"Le chanteur Shaboozey \u00a9 Daniel Prakopcyk."},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/numero.com\/en\/culture-en\/music\/why-is-empire-one-of-todays-most-popular-rap-labels\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Accueil","item":"https:\/\/numero.com\/en\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Culture","item":"https:\/\/numero.com\/en\/category\/culture-en\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Music","item":"https:\/\/numero.com\/en\/category\/culture-en\/music\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":4,"name":"Why is Empire one of today\u2019s most popular rap labels?"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/numero.com\/en\/#website","url":"https:\/\/numero.com\/en\/","name":"Num\u00e9ro","description":"","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/numero.com\/en\/#organization"},"alternateName":"Num\u00e9ro Magazine","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/numero.com\/en\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/numero.com\/en\/#organization","name":"Num\u00e9ro","url":"https:\/\/numero.com\/en\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/numero.com\/en\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/numero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Logo.svg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/numero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Logo.svg","width":907,"height":181,"caption":"Num\u00e9ro"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/numero.com\/en\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/numeromagazine\/","https:\/\/x.com\/NumeroMagazine","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/numeromagazine\/","https:\/\/fr.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Num\u00e9ro_(magazine)"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/numero.com\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/99a5773283e1575077257e5eeb082296","name":"Nathan Merchadier","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/06be32947284feb5b1ce86701db8aed7b13ba572636367033a3bca02caf38e41?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/06be32947284feb5b1ce86701db8aed7b13ba572636367033a3bca02caf38e41?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/06be32947284feb5b1ce86701db8aed7b13ba572636367033a3bca02caf38e41?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Nathan Merchadier"},"url":"https:\/\/numero.com\/en\/author\/n-merchadiernumero-com\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/numero.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/665348","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/numero.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/numero.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/numero.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/11"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/numero.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=665348"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/numero.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/665348\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/numero.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/660260"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/numero.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=665348"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/numero.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=665348"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/numero.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=665348"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}