Roc-A-Fella Records founded by Jay-Z and partners

Jay-Z, Damon Dash, and Kareem "Biggs" Burke founded Roc-A-Fella Records in 1995 after major labels rejected Jay-Z's debut album. By distributing through Priority Records and then Island Def Jam, Roc-A-Fella became a model for artist-owned label entrepreneurship in hip-hop, eventually selling to Island Def Jam for $10 million and launching Jay-Z's multi-billion-dollar business career.