Top Dawg Entertainment is an independent hip hop record label founded in 2004 that signs artists like Kendrick Lamar, Jay Rock, and SZA. Universal Music Group is one of the "Big Three" major record labels worth $17 billion that signs mainstream artists like The 1975, Madonna, and Drake. While major labels have greater resources to market artists, minor labels like TDE provide more support over the long-term to help build an artist's career.

1. Major and Minor Record
Labels
Top Dawg Entertainment & Universal Music Group

2. Top Dawg Entertainment
Top Dawg Entertainment is an American independent
record label founded in 2004, by Anthony ‘Top Dawg’
Tiffith. It signs and showcases music from Hip-Hop artists
such as: Kendrick Lamar, Jay Rock, Ab-Soul and
ScHoolboy Q.
They have been releasing records from artists since 2009
starting from Kendrick Lamar’s self-titled ep and most
recently releasing SZA’s ‘Ctrl’.
Although TDE have remained fairly underground, the
company has become more noticeable in the Hip-Hop
community due to artists such as Kendrick Lamar and
ScHoolboy Q.

3. Universal Music Group
Universal Music Group is an American global music
corporation that is a subsidiary of the French media
conglomerate Vivendi. It is considered one of the ‘Big
Three’ record labels, along with Sony Music and Warner
Music Group.
They have signed artists such as: The 1975, Iron Maiden,
Madonna and Drake.
As of April 2017, UMG are worth £17 billion.

4. TDE vs UMG
 Major labels such as UMG have close links to radio stations and online
streaming services, meaning that they can present artists to large scale
audiences quickly and easily.
 Minor labels like TDE have to build a large fan base over several years and
use target audiences to effectively market artist music.
 The problem with a major label is that if they do not see potential in an
artist, they can quickly stop marketing their music. They only want to
feature music from their most famous artists.
 Minor labels are much more helpful in the support of an artists career.

5. Which type of record label would you like to
publish your work?
I would want a minor label to publish my work, as I believe they put more time
an effort into their artists. For example TDE only have 9 artists signed to their
label which they can devote more time and effort into supporting and
marketing their music. Whereas UMG have over 100 artists signed, many of
which are ‘one hit wonders’.