Beasties Label Grand Royal to be Distributed by Capitol
Capitol Records is now handling Grand Royal, the label owned by the Beastie Boys that was previously distributed independently. The first new release through Capitol – slated for early ’94 – will be an album by the rap group’s longtime DJ, Hurricane. Industry sources say the impetus for the deal, however, was the female hip-hop group Luscious Jackson, whose Grand Royal debut EP, In Search of Manny, was much admired by new Capitol Records president and CEO Gary Gersh and has recently been reissued by the label. The Grand Royal deal is the latest move by Gersh, who is quickly putting his own stamp on the company. Capitol had had a similar deal with onetime rap superstar Hammer, whose Bust It label was bankrolled by the label, but the relationship was severed in October 1992.
This story is from the December 9th, 1993 issue of Rolling Stone.