Blacksmith Records

{{Short description|Music management company and record label}}

{{infobox record label

| name = Blacksmith Records

| image = Blacksmith Records logo.gif

| parent = Fontana

| founded = 2005

| founder = Talib Kweli, Corey Smyth

| distributor = Element 9/Fontana (US)

| genre = Hip hop, R&B

| country = US

| url = {{URL|http://blacksmithnyc.com/}}

}}

Blacksmith is a music management company and record label founded by Harlem-born Corey Smyth and Talib Kweli of Black Star in 2005.{{Cite news|url=https://theurbandaily.cassiuslife.com/1642185/blacksmith-ceo-corey-smyth-forges-his-own-style-exclusive/|title=Blacksmith CEO Corey Smyth Forges His Own Style|date=2011-11-19|work=The Urban Daily|access-date=2017-12-12|language=en-US}}

Signees include Jean Grae, Strong Arm Steady, Vince Staples and Idle Warship. Kweli has stated he hopes to sign Camp Lo and had expressed interest in signing Rakim as well.

The label was originally distributed through Warner Bros. Records but split in December 2008.{{cite web|url=http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/news/id.16776/title.idle-warship-to-release-lp-habits-of-the-heart-on-october-24th.|title=Idle Warship To Release LP "Habits Of The Heart" On October 24th|work=HipHopDX|date=7 September 2011|accessdate=18 January 2018}} As of 2012, the label is defunct and was disbanded after Kweli's manager decided to focus the Blacksmith brand elsewhere as a Management company rather than a label.{{cite web|url=http://www.hiphopdx.com/m/index.php?s%3Dnews%26id%3D21814 |title=Talib Kweli Pushes Back "Prisoner of Consciousness," Explains Dismantling Blacksmith Records | HipHopDX Mobile |accessdate=2013-05-06 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20131228125254/http://www.hiphopdx.com/m/index.php?s=news&id=21814 |archivedate=2013-12-28 }} As of 2024, Blacksmith Management is home to artists such as Chad Hugo and Vince Staples.