Musical Chairs: MCs Who Made Power Moves by Switching Labels

Artists who found success after signing new deals.

Bounce With Me - There’s no place like home as Shad Moss announced this weekend that he was leaving Cash Money after never releasing an album. Tired of being shelved with no release date in site, the artist formerly known as Bow Wow is now linking back up with Jermaine Dupri and Snoop Dogg, who brought the young MC into the game. After stints with So So Def/Sony/Columbia and briefly on Death Row, Bow stated that he has a new label situation in the works and, “I’m officially a boss. I now work for myself.”As Shad sets up his next power move, check out some more MCs who created new successes after switching labels and playing musical chairs. — Michael Harris (@IceBlueVA) (Photos from left: David Buchan/Getty Images for Environmental Media Association, Paras Griffin/Getty Images)

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Bounce With Me - There’s no place like home as Shad Moss announced this weekend that he was leaving Cash Money after never releasing an album. Tired of being shelved with no release date in site, the artist formerly known as Bow Wow is now linking back up with Jermaine Dupri and Snoop Dogg, who brought the young MC into the game. After stints with So So Def/Sony/Columbia and briefly on Death Row, Bow stated that he has a new label situation in the works and, “I’m officially a boss. I now work for myself.”As Shad sets up his next power move, check out some more MCs who created new successes after switching labels and playing musical chairs. — Michael Harris (@IceBlueVA) (Photos from left: David Buchan/Getty Images for Environmental Media Association, Paras Griffin/Getty Images)

Woo Hah!! Got You All In Check - Busta first opened up shop with The Leaders of The New School on Elektra in 1991 and continued his solo exploits there until he created Anarchy and bounced to J Records in 2001. The hits continued for Busta and his Flipmode Squad before he left the building again and delivered The Big Bang with Dr. Dre at Aftermath/Interscope.Motown then followed before he signed with Birdman’s squad and then broke north from Ca$h Money without releasing an album. It’s all about that Conglomerate status now, as Busta inked a deal with Republic to distribute his next project.(Photo: Kevin Winter/Getty Images for Coachella)

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Woo Hah!! Got You All In Check - Busta first opened up shop with The Leaders of The New School on Elektra in 1991 and continued his solo exploits there until he created Anarchy and bounced to J Records in 2001. The hits continued for Busta and his Flipmode Squad before he left the building again and delivered The Big Bang with Dr. Dre at Aftermath/Interscope.Motown then followed before he signed with Birdman’s squad and then broke north from Ca$h Money without releasing an album. It’s all about that Conglomerate status now, as Busta inked a deal with Republic to distribute his next project.(Photo: Kevin Winter/Getty Images for Coachella)

Hate Me Now - Nas spent the first ten years of his career spitting Illmatic verses on Sony/Columbia before life became good at Def Jam after he and Jay Z waved the white flag and Jigga signed his former foe while he held the reigns at the legendary home of hip hop.(Photo: Kimberly White/Getty Images for Hennessy)

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Hate Me Now - Nas spent the first ten years of his career spitting Illmatic verses on Sony/Columbia before life became good at Def Jam after he and Jay Z waved the white flag and Jigga signed his former foe while he held the reigns at the legendary home of hip hop.(Photo: Kimberly White/Getty Images for Hennessy)

Photo By Photo: Kimberly White/Getty Images for Hennessy

Survival of the Fittest - The official Queensbridge murderers caused Juvenile Hell on 4th & Broadway in 1993 but didn’t become infamous until 1995 after signing on the dotted line with Loud. Mobb Deep's murda muzik also let loose clips and stuck up Jive and 50 Cent's G-Unit/Interscope before they took their destiny into their own hands with Infamous Records. (Photo: Ross Gilmore/Redferns via Getty Images)

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Survival of the Fittest - The official Queensbridge murderers caused Juvenile Hell on 4th & Broadway in 1993 but didn’t become infamous until 1995 after signing on the dotted line with Loud. Mobb Deep's murda muzik also let loose clips and stuck up Jive and 50 Cent's G-Unit/Interscope before they took their destiny into their own hands with Infamous Records. (Photo: Ross Gilmore/Redferns via Getty Images)

Photo By Photo: Ross Gilmore/Redferns via Getty Images

Vapors - After Dre jumped ship and 'Pac was murdered, Snoop Dogg caught the first tank smoking as he escaped Death Row and joined Master P’s No Limit regime. Paying the cost to be the boss, the Long Beach great continued to stack up the deck with over 20 years of hits as Geffen, TVT, Priority, RCA and Sony have all seen several reincarnations of the D.O. Double G. (Photo: Kevin Winter/Getty Images for iHeartMedia)

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Vapors - After Dre jumped ship and 'Pac was murdered, Snoop Dogg caught the first tank smoking as he escaped Death Row and joined Master P’s No Limit regime. Paying the cost to be the boss, the Long Beach great continued to stack up the deck with over 20 years of hits as Geffen, TVT, Priority, RCA and Sony have all seen several reincarnations of the D.O. Double G. (Photo: Kevin Winter/Getty Images for iHeartMedia)

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One Day It'll All Make Sense - Tired of borrowing dollars from Relativity, Common took his talents to MCA, who gave him new life when he delivered Like Water For Chocolate. Deciding to Be all he could be, he and his Chi-town brother Kanye then supplied some G.O.O.D. music for Geffen before he ventured on to Warner Bros and lastly reunited with his day one producer No. I.D., joining the ARTium/Def Jam fold last year. (Photo: Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

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One Day It'll All Make Sense - Tired of borrowing dollars from Relativity, Common took his talents to MCA, who gave him new life when he delivered Like Water For Chocolate. Deciding to Be all he could be, he and his Chi-town brother Kanye then supplied some G.O.O.D. music for Geffen before he ventured on to Warner Bros and lastly reunited with his day one producer No. I.D., joining the ARTium/Def Jam fold last year. (Photo: Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

Change the Game - Priority Records's work wasn't right, so Jay Z switched suppliers and went to Def Jam after dropping his debut Reasonable Doubt in 1996. Hov rocked with Def Jam and proved his American Gangster when he took over presidential duties of the iconic label in 2005. Deciding it was time to be his own boss of his own company, he kicked off Roc Nation in 2009, which enjoyed distribution deals with Atlantic and Universal. (Photo: Theo Wargo/Getty Images for Global Citizen Festival)

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Change the Game - Priority Records's work wasn't right, so Jay Z switched suppliers and went to Def Jam after dropping his debut Reasonable Doubt in 1996. Hov rocked with Def Jam and proved his American Gangster when he took over presidential duties of the iconic label in 2005. Deciding it was time to be his own boss of his own company, he kicked off Roc Nation in 2009, which enjoyed distribution deals with Atlantic and Universal. (Photo: Theo Wargo/Getty Images for Global Citizen Festival)

Change Clothes...And Go - Skateboard P always did what made him “Happy” and not having to depend on a label is one of the perks of being a multi-platinum super producer. Pharrell’s 2006 solo debut In My Mind was released through Interscope while 2014’s Girl got him a solo platinum disc on the wall with Columbia. His group N.E.R.D. also went in search of a new label home that understood their music when they left Virgin for Interscope. (Photo: Mauricio Santana/Getty Images)

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Change Clothes...And Go - Skateboard P always did what made him “Happy” and not having to depend on a label is one of the perks of being a multi-platinum super producer. Pharrell’s 2006 solo debut In My Mind was released through Interscope while 2014’s Girl got him a solo platinum disc on the wall with Columbia. His group N.E.R.D. also went in search of a new label home that understood their music when they left Virgin for Interscope. (Photo: Mauricio Santana/Getty Images)

Photo By Photo: Mauricio Santana/Getty Images

Follow Me Home - Jay Rock was TDE’s flagship artist and first kicked up dust with his hit single “All My Life” with Lil Wayne on Warner Bros. Not seeing the vision, TDE went it’s own way and the rest is history. Rock’s official debut came out in 2011 through a joint venture with TDE and Tech N9ne’s Strange Music.(Photo: Rick Diamond/BET/Getty Images for BET)

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Follow Me Home - Jay Rock was TDE’s flagship artist and first kicked up dust with his hit single “All My Life” with Lil Wayne on Warner Bros. Not seeing the vision, TDE went it’s own way and the rest is history. Rock’s official debut came out in 2011 through a joint venture with TDE and Tech N9ne’s Strange Music.(Photo: Rick Diamond/BET/Getty Images for BET)

Down and Out  - Cam made his entrance through Sony/Epic’s doors, but they never could get it right. So the Diplomat let them know he was leaving and connected with his O.G. Damon Dash, scoring his first platinum plaque with Roc-A-Fella/Def Jam.After the Roc dismantled, the Harlem hustler then showed that cats from Harlem don’t have bosses and went on his Killa Season, showing that New York could get that independent money too when he partnered with Koch and Asylum.(Photo: Eugene Gologursky/Getty Images for SoundCTRL/Flash FWD)

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Down and Out  - Cam made his entrance through Sony/Epic’s doors, but they never could get it right. So the Diplomat let them know he was leaving and connected with his O.G. Damon Dash, scoring his first platinum plaque with Roc-A-Fella/Def Jam.After the Roc dismantled, the Harlem hustler then showed that cats from Harlem don’t have bosses and went on his Killa Season, showing that New York could get that independent money too when he partnered with Koch and Asylum.(Photo: Eugene Gologursky/Getty Images for SoundCTRL/Flash FWD)

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Wild Out - The LOX wanted more Money, Power & Respect than Diddy wanted to give and they beasted their way off Bad Boy when they released We Are the Streets on Ruff Ryders/Interscope in 2000. Jada also gave Interscope The Kiss of Death when he booked to Def Jam in 2009 after dropping two solo projects with Jimmy Iovine and his crew. Not feeling at home either, Styles P also dropped two solo efforts on Interscope before getting gangster and going the indie route with E1/Koch and High Times.(Photo: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for GQ)

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Wild Out - The LOX wanted more Money, Power & Respect than Diddy wanted to give and they beasted their way off Bad Boy when they released We Are the Streets on Ruff Ryders/Interscope in 2000. Jada also gave Interscope The Kiss of Death when he booked to Def Jam in 2009 after dropping two solo projects with Jimmy Iovine and his crew. Not feeling at home either, Styles P also dropped two solo efforts on Interscope before getting gangster and going the indie route with E1/Koch and High Times.(Photo: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for GQ)

Resurrection - Bone Thugs literally learned The Art of War after Eazy E died as they continued to produce platinum hits while battling to leave the label. Signed to Ruthless since 1993, the rapid fire spitters finally broke free in 2006 as they explored the indie game with Koch before connecting with Swizz Beatz’s Full Surface/ Interscope in 2007 with Strength & Loyalty. Bone proved they still had it as they squeezed out another gold plaque in 2007 before embarking on their independent charge once again.(Photo: Peter Kramer/Getty Images)

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Resurrection - Bone Thugs literally learned The Art of War after Eazy E died as they continued to produce platinum hits while battling to leave the label. Signed to Ruthless since 1993, the rapid fire spitters finally broke free in 2006 as they explored the indie game with Koch before connecting with Swizz Beatz’s Full Surface/ Interscope in 2007 with Strength & Loyalty. Bone proved they still had it as they squeezed out another gold plaque in 2007 before embarking on their independent charge once again.(Photo: Peter Kramer/Getty Images)

Back That A** Up - Ca$h Money exploded on the rap game nationally in 1998 as Juvenile unleashed his inferno 400 Degreez. But the New Orleans MC threw up his arms in protest for not being compensated fairly and eventually jumped ship from CMR/Universal and took his Cocky & Confident uptown talents to Atlantic. They say time heals all wounds and it must be true because Stunna and Juve reconnected last year when he returned to Ca$h Money, telling the world he wanted to end his career where he started.(Photo: Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images)

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Back That A** Up - Ca$h Money exploded on the rap game nationally in 1998 as Juvenile unleashed his inferno 400 Degreez. But the New Orleans MC threw up his arms in protest for not being compensated fairly and eventually jumped ship from CMR/Universal and took his Cocky & Confident uptown talents to Atlantic. They say time heals all wounds and it must be true because Stunna and Juve reconnected last year when he returned to Ca$h Money, telling the world he wanted to end his career where he started.(Photo: Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images)

Kinda Like a Big Deal - No Malice and Pusha T’s Elektra debut Exclusive Audio Footage never saw the light of day after being scheduled to make its debut in 1997. But the Lord had another will as they ended up “Grindin’” with Arista their second time around in 2002. Label politics continued to haunt the Clipse, but they kept their Re-Up going with Jive and then Columbia. With Malice putting his drug dealing days behind him, Push then went solo, delivering more G.O.O.D. Music with Def Jam as the house that Russell built learned the Wrath of Caine.(Photo: Bryan Bedder/Getty Images)

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Kinda Like a Big Deal - No Malice and Pusha T’s Elektra debut Exclusive Audio Footage never saw the light of day after being scheduled to make its debut in 1997. But the Lord had another will as they ended up “Grindin’” with Arista their second time around in 2002. Label politics continued to haunt the Clipse, but they kept their Re-Up going with Jive and then Columbia. With Malice putting his drug dealing days behind him, Push then went solo, delivering more G.O.O.D. Music with Def Jam as the house that Russell built learned the Wrath of Caine.(Photo: Bryan Bedder/Getty Images)

Guess Who's Back? - Columbia couldn’t see the Power of the Dollar that they invested in Curtis. Thankfully Eminem and Interscope recognized the Get Rich or Die Tryin’ ambition in 50 Cent and the Queens MC massacred the game and made himself, Dr. Dre, Em and Jimmy Iovine a ton of money in the process, not to mention his own G-Unit empire.(Photo: Noam Galai/Getty Images)

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Guess Who's Back? - Columbia couldn’t see the Power of the Dollar that they invested in Curtis. Thankfully Eminem and Interscope recognized the Get Rich or Die Tryin’ ambition in 50 Cent and the Queens MC massacred the game and made himself, Dr. Dre, Em and Jimmy Iovine a ton of money in the process, not to mention his own G-Unit empire.(Photo: Noam Galai/Getty Images)

Trap Back Jumpin' - L.A. Reid and LaFace/Arista didn’t take T.I. Serious with his claim that he was the “King of the South,” as his 2001 debut didn’t even strike gold. After being released, Tip got on his Grand Hustle and connected with Atlantic in 2003, pulling in a string of platinum hits and finally living up to his royalty status. After that tag team tired out, Tip reorganized his Paperwork and brought his “No Mediocre” mantra to a partnership with Columbia.(Photo: Bryan Bedder/Getty Images for Power 105.1)

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Trap Back Jumpin' - L.A. Reid and LaFace/Arista didn’t take T.I. Serious with his claim that he was the “King of the South,” as his 2001 debut didn’t even strike gold. After being released, Tip got on his Grand Hustle and connected with Atlantic in 2003, pulling in a string of platinum hits and finally living up to his royalty status. After that tag team tired out, Tip reorganized his Paperwork and brought his “No Mediocre” mantra to a partnership with Columbia.(Photo: Bryan Bedder/Getty Images for Power 105.1)