Perspective Records

{{Short description|American record label}} {{Infobox record label  | name = Perspective Records | image = PerspectiveRecordsLogo.png | image_size =  | parent = [[Universal Music Group]] | founded = {{start date|1991}} | founder = [[Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis|James Harris, Terry Lewis]] | fate =  | defunct = | status = Active | distributor = [[A&M Records]] (1991-1999)<br>[[Virgin Music Group]] (2018-present) | genre = {{hlist|[[Rhythm and blues]]|[[Gospel music|gospel]]|{{nowrap|[[Hip hop music|hip hop]]}}|}} | country = U.S. | location = [[Los Angeles, California]] }}

'''Perspective Records''' is an American [[record label]], launched in 1991 by the producing team [[Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis]], through a joint venture with [[A&M Records]]—which Jam & Lewis had had a prosperous working relationship with throughout the 1980s, with several of its major acts including [[Janet Jackson]], [[The Human League]], and label founder [[Herb Alpert]].

Acts on Perspective's roster included [[The Avila Brothers|Bobby Ross Avila]], [[Smooth (singer)|Smooth]], [[Mint Condition]], [[Lo-Key]], [[Solo (American band)|Solo]], [[Sounds of Blackness]], [[Young Zee]], and [[Ann Nesby]]. From 1993 to 1996, A&M Records released most of its own [[Urban contemporary|urban]] acts through Perspective. Rapper [[Tech N9ne]] was one of the signees for the label, however he was released from the label due to creative differences. In 1997, Jam and Lewis resigned as the label's CEOs, but remained consultants. Over the next year, Perspective continued to release recordings by the current artists for the sake of fulfilling contractual obligations with them.<ref>{{cite web|date=2006|url=http://www.onamrecords.com/Perspective_Records.html|title=Perspective Records|publisher=On A&M Records.com.}}</ref> The company was dismantled, and absorbed into A&M Records, in early [[1999 in music|1999]]—per the merger of A&M's [[PolyGram]] parent and [[Universal Music Group]].

In 2018, Jam & Lewis reactivated Perspective Records under its current distributor, [[Virgin Music Label & Artist Services]]. The first album released under the label since 1998 was [[Peabo Bryson]]'s album ''Stand For Love''.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Mitchell |first1=Gail |title=Peabo Bryson Gets Ready to 'Stand for Love' on New Album Coming Aug. 3 |url=https://www.billboard.com/music/rb-hip-hop/peabo-bryson-announces-new-album-stand-for-love-8455590/ |website=billboard.com |publisher=Billboard Magazine |access-date=2018-06-17}}</ref> In 2019, [[Mint Condition]] lead singer [[Stokley Williams]] signed to Perspective for the second time as a solo artist to release his second album, ''Sankofa''.<ref>{{cite web |title=Stokley Strips Down & Celebrates Women In 'She…' And Announces New Album 'Sankofa' |url=http://www.soulbounce.com/2019/10/stokley-strips-down-celebrates-women-in-she-and-announces-new-album-sankofa/ |website=soulbounce.com |date=14 October 2019 |publisher=SoulBounce |accessdate=2019-10-20}}</ref>

==Albums released on Perspective Records==

===Sounds of Blackness=== *''[[The Evolution of Gospel]]'' (1991) *''[[Africa to America: The Journey of the Drum]]'' (1994) * ''Time for Healing'' (1997)

===Lo-Key?=== * ''Where Dey At?'' (1992) * ''Back 2 Da House'' (1994)

===Mint Condition=== * ''[[Meant to Be Mint]]'' (1991) * ''[[From the Mint Factory]]'' (1993) * ''[[Definition of a Band]]'' (1996) * ''The Collection (1991-1998)'' (1998)

===Drama=== * ''Open Invitation'' (1994)

===4.0=== * ''4.0'' (1997)

===Rufus Blaq=== * ''Credentials'' (1998)

===Smooth=== * ''[[Reality (Smooth album)|Reality]]'' (1998)

===Bobby Ross Avila=== * ''My Destiny'' (1993)

===Raja-Nee=== * ''Hot & Ready'' (1994)

===Solo=== * ''[[Solo (Solo album)|Solo]]'' (1995) * ''[[4 Bruthas & a Bass]]'' (1998)

===Ann Nesby=== * ''I'm Here for You'' (1996)

===Lisa Keith=== * ''Walkin' in the Sun'' (1993)

===Peabo Bryson=== * ''Stand For Love'' (2018)

===Stokley=== * ''Sankofa'' (2021)

==Soundtracks== * ''[[Mo' Money (soundtrack)|Mo' Money]]'' (1992) * ''[[Kazaam (soundtrack)|Kazaam]]'' (1996)

==Shelved albums==

===Pudgee Tha Phat Bastard=== * ''King Of New York'' (recorded in 1996, released in 2015 under Back 2 Da Source Records)<ref>[http://www.unkut.com/2013/04/pudgee-the-phat-bastard-the-unkut-interview-part-2/ Pudgee The Phat Bastard - The Unkut Interview, Part 2]</ref><ref>[http://back2dasourcerecords.bigcartel.com/product/pudgee-king-of-new-york-full-album-cd-1995/ Pudgee The Phat Bastard - King Of New York CD]</ref>

===Young Zee=== * ''Musical Meltdown'' (recorded in 1996, released in 2015)<ref>[http://www.fatbeats.com/products/young-zee-musical-meltdown-cd Young Zee- Musical Meltdown CD at Fat Beats]{{dead link|date=March 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

==References== {{Reflist}}

== See also == * [[List of record labels]]

[[Category:American record labels]] [[Category:Record labels established in 1991]] [[Category:Vanity record labels]] [[Category:1991 establishments in the United States]]