Blackground Records

The label that signed a 12-year-old JoJo to a seven-album deal, then — by her account and lawsuit — failed to release her music for years while she remained contractually trapped and unable to record elsewhere.

Blackground Records (and its imprint Da Family Records) was an R&B and hip-hop label founded by Barry Hankerson, best known for Aaliyah and for launching JoJo.

Its case study here is JoJo: signed at 12 to a seven-album deal, she scored a No. 1 hit at 13 — and then, she alleged in a 2013 lawsuit, spent years unable to release new music while still bound to the label. The dispute became a leading example of how a long contract can effectively freeze an artist's career.

Primary sources

[1]JoJo Sues Her Label, Blackground Records — The FADER (2013-07-31)

Cases on file

Verified2004–2013

Severe

JoJo had a No. 1 hit at 13 — then her label left her unable to release music for years

Signed at 12 to a seven-album deal, JoJo had a No. 1 single at 13 — then spent years contractually trapped at Blackground Records, which she said failed to release her music while she couldn't record elsewhere. She sued in 2013 and was finally freed under a law protecting minors from contracts over seven years.

3 sourcesRead the receipts →