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Wild Pitch Records

{{short description|Defunct American record label}}

{{For|records related to wild pitches in baseball|Wild pitch#Records}}

{{Infobox record label

| bgcolor = #000000

| name = {{color|white|Wild Pitch Records}}

| image =

| parent =

| founded = {{start date and age|1985}}

| defunct = {{end date|1999}}

| founder = Stu Fine

| distributor = EMI Records

| genre = Golden age hip hop

| country = United States

| location = New York City, New York, US

| url =

}}

Wild Pitch Records was an American Golden age hip hop record label, started in 1987 by Stuart Fine, that was eventually distributed by EMI.{{cite book|title=The Virgin Encyclopedia of Dance Music|editor=Colin Larkin|publisher=Virgin Books|date=1998|edition=First|isbn=0-7535-0252-6|page=368}}{{Cite news |last=McGee |first=Alan |date=January 3, 2008 |title=The missing link of hip-hop's golden age |language=en-GB |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/musicblog/2008/jan/03/thegoldenageofhiphop |access-date=October 26, 2023 |issn=0261-3077}} Artists who released records on the label included Gang Starr, Chill Rob G, Lord Finesse & DJ Mike Smooth, Main Source, The U.M.C.'s, Hard Knocks, Brokin English Klik, Street Military, Super Lover Cee & Casanova Rud, The Coup, Ultramagnetic MCs, O.C., as well as Latee, Jamose, and female rapper N-Tyce.{{Cite web |title=Wild Pitch Songs, Albums, Reviews, Bio & More |url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/wild-pitch-mn0000224520 |access-date=October 26, 2023 |website=AllMusic |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Wild Pitch Records |url=https://wildpitchrecords.bandcamp.com/ |access-date= |website=Bandcamp |language=en}}

Together, Fine and Howard re-established and released the label's catalogue, while also releasing records by Bigmouth, The Wallmen, Mary Lee's Corvette and Mighty Purple. The hip hop music catalogue was eventually acquired by Jay Faires, who tried to reactivate it as part of his short-lived JCOR Entertainment label.

As the majority of its albums were released in the early 1990s and went out of print, Faires re-released the label's catalog on April 22, 2008, through Fontana Distribution.{{Cite web |last=Paine |first=Jake |date=April 16, 2008 |title=Wild Pitch Records Re-releases Historic Catalogue |url=https://hiphopdx.com/news/id.6755/title.wild-pitch-records-re-releases-historic-catalogue |access-date=October 26, 2023 |website=HipHopDX |language=en}}

In 2013, Complex placed Stu Fine at No. 25 of their 'The 25 Best A&Rs in Hip-Hop History' list.{{Cite web |last=Charnas |first=Dan |author-link=Dan Charnas |date=February 1, 2013 |title=The 25 Best A&Rs in Hip-Hop History |url=https://www.complex.com/music/a/dan-charnas/the-25-greatest-hip-hop-ars-ever |access-date=October 26, 2023 |website=Complex |language=en-us}}

Discography

= Studio albums =

class="wikitable"
rowspan="2" style="width:20px;" | Year

! rowspan="2" style="width:350px;" | Album details

! colspan="4" | Peak chart positions

scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;" | US

! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;" | US R&B

! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;" | UK

! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;" | UK R&B

rowspan="2" style="text-align:center;" | 1980s

|Gang Starr – No More Mr. Nice Guy

  • Released: April 22, 1989

| style="text-align:center;" | —

| style="text-align:center;" | 83

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Chill Rob G – Ride the Rhythm

  • Released: May 23, 1989

| style="text-align:center;" | —

| style="text-align:center;" | 60

| style="text-align:center;" | —

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rowspan="17" |1990s

|Lord Finesse & DJ Mike Smooth – Funky Technician

  • Released: February 6, 1990

| style="text-align:center;" | —

| style="text-align:center;" | 93

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Main Source – Breaking Atoms

  • Released: July 23, 1991

| style="text-align:center;" | —

| style="text-align:center;" | 40

| style="text-align:center;" | —

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The U.M.C.'s – Fruits of Nature

  • Released: October 15, 1991

| style="text-align:center;" | —

| style="text-align:center;" | 32

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Hard Knocks – School of Hard Knocks

  • Released: 1992
  • Label: EMI

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Brokin English Klik – Brokin English Klik

  • Released: April 20, 1993
  • Label: EMI

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The Coup – Kill My Landlord

  • Released: May 4, 1993
  • Label: EMI

| style="text-align:center;" | —

| style="text-align:center;" | 83

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Ultramagnetic MCs – The Four Horsemen

  • Released: August 10, 1993
  • Label: EMI

| style="text-align:center;" | —

| style="text-align:center;" | 55

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The U.M.C.'s – Unleashed

  • Released: January 25, 1994
  • Label: EMI

| style="text-align:center;" | —

| style="text-align:center;" | 63

| style="text-align:center;" | —

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Main Source – Fuck What You Think

  • Released: March 22, 1994

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The Coup – Genocide & Juice

  • Released: October 13, 1994
  • Label: EMI

| style="text-align:center;" | —

| style="text-align:center;" | 62

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Wild Pitch Classics

  • Released: April 12, 1994
  • Label: EMI

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O.C. – Word...Life

  • Released: October 18, 1994
  • Label: EMI

| style="text-align:center;" | —

| style="text-align:center;" | 34

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Bigmouth – Bigmouth

  • Released: August 5, 1997

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Bryan Steele Group – Bryan Steele Group

  • Released: 1997

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Wallmen – Electronic Home Entertainment System

  • Released: March 10, 1998

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Mary Lee's Corvette – True Lovers of Adventure

  • Released: March 23, 1999

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Mighty Purple – Para Mejor ó Peor...Mighty Purple Live

  • Released: March 9, 1999

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colspan="6" style="font-size:90%" align="center" | "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

= Extended plays =

class="wikitable"
rowspan="2" style="width:20px;" | Year

! rowspan="2" style="width:350px;" | Album details

! colspan="4" | Peak chart positions

scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;" | US

! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;" | US R&B

! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;" | UK

! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;" | UK R&B

rowspan="2" style="text-align:center;" | 1993

|Street Military – Don't Give a Damn

  • Released: June 29, 1993

| style="text-align:center;" | —

| style="text-align:center;" | —

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Super Lover Cee & Casanova Rud – Blow Up the Spot

  • Released: June 29, 1993

| style="text-align:center;" | —

| style="text-align:center;" | —

| style="text-align:center;" | —

| style="text-align:center;" | —

colspan="6" style="font-size:90%" align="center" | "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

= Singles =

  • 1987: Gang Starr — "The Lesson"
  • 1987: LeMonier — "The Hardest Beat Around"
  • 1987: Latee — "This Cut's Got Flavor"
  • 1987: Gang Starr — "Believe Dat!"
  • 1988: Chill Rob G — "Dope Rhymes"
  • 1988: Latee — "No Tricks"
  • 1988: Artomatik — "Free"
  • 1988: Kool D & Technolo-G — "Now Dance"
  • 1988: Gang Starr — "Movin' On"
  • 1988: Trybe — "Psychedelic Shack"
  • 1989: Chill Rob G — "Court Is Now in Session"
  • 1989: Gang Starr — "Words I Manifest"
  • 1989: Jamose — "Dance to the Megablast"
  • 1989: Lord Finesse & DJ Mike Smooth — "Baby, You Nasty"
  • 1989: Gang Starr — "Positivity"
  • 1990: Chill Rob G — "Let Me Show You"
  • 1990: Power Jam & Chill Rob G — "The Power"
  • 1990: Lord Finesse & DJ Mike Smooth — "Strictly for the Ladies"/"Back to Back Rhyming"
  • 1990: Main Source — "Looking at the Front Door"
  • 1990: N-Tyce — "Black to the Point"/"Chinese Eyes"
  • 1991: Main Source — "Just Hangin' Out"
  • 1991: The U.M.C.'s — "Blue Cheese"/"Anyway the Wind Blows"
  • 1991: Elements of Style — "That's the Kind of Girl"/"Walking in Harmony"
  • 1991: Main Source — "Peace Is Not the Word to Play"
  • 1991: Hard Knocks — "Nigga for Hire"
  • 1991: The U.M.C.'s — "One to Grow On"
  • 1992: Main Source — "Fakin' the Funk"
  • 1992: Hard Knocks — "Dirty Cop Named Harry"
  • 1992: The U.M.C.'s — "Never Never Land"
  • 1992: Ultramagnetic MCs — "Two Brothers With Checks (San Francisco, Harvey)"
  • 1993: N-Tyce — "Walk a Little Closer"/"Peace Ride"
  • 1993: Brokin English Klik — "Who's da Gangsta?"
  • 1993: The Coup — "Dig It"
  • 1993: The Coup — "Funk"
  • 1993: The U.M.C.'s — "Time To Set It Straight"/"Ill Demonic Clique"
  • 1993: Main Source — "What You Need"
  • 1993: Brokin English Klik — "Hard Core Beats"/"Here Come da Hoods"
  • 1993: The Coup — "Not Yet Free"
  • 1993: Ultramagnetic MCs — "Raise It Up"/"The Saga of Dandy, The Devil and Day"
  • 1993: N-Tyce — "Hush Hush Tip"/"Root Beer Float"
  • 1994: The Coup — "Takin' These"
  • 1994: O.C. — "Born 2 Live"
  • 1994: O.C. — "Time's Up"
  • 1994: The U.M.C.'s — "Hit the Track"
  • 1995: N-Tyce — "Sure Ya Right"
  • 1995: The Coup — "Fat Cats, Bigga Fish"

References

{{Reflist}}

External links

  • {{Discogs label|label=Wild Pitch Records}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:American hip-hop record labels

Category:Record labels based in New York (state)

Category:Record labels established in 1985

Category:1985 establishments in New York City

Category:Record labels disestablished in 1999

Category:Defunct companies based in New York City

Category:Defunct record labels of the United States

Category:Re-established companies