A new hip-hop record label is in town, and they’re attempting a task that many before them gave up on: reaching a wider audience.
INT. Records, which launched this month, calls itself a record label and lifestyle and entertainment company.
The label’s flagship artist is UK-born Ben Rendel, whose song Yeah Yeah, a slick yet weedy club track featuring a falcon in its music video, signals the start of the label’s forthcoming content.
Rendel said that INT. Records was born out of a desire to establish an international label in an ‘innovative country’. He wanted to change Dubai’s reputation for being a stopover destination, where artists only perform for a night or two before leaving.
“We needed to do more to build a music culture,” said Rendel in a release, describing their approach as ‘grass-roots’.
Rendel and the label’s general manager, Nick Bohnlein, aren’t keeping their goals modest — the two are eyeing an international audience (hence the name), Billboard charting hits and platinum plaques for UAE-based artists.
Aside from Rendel, the label has also signed Nsane, a producer and singer-songwriter from Toronto, whose style is influenced by Noah ‘40’ Shebib and Boi-1da. He has worked on Stone Island Mixtape, Uberluxdigital, Hardest Working Mexican and Gate 6.
Grant ‘Fuzza’ Furuholmen, a filmmaker, producer and writer, rounds up the label’s roster. Hailing from West Yorkshire, Furuholmen has worked as a marshal on Thor: Ragnarok, and camera and lighting assistant on In a Heartbeat.
In April, a hip-hop events company dubbed 1520 held its inaugural gig in Dubai — a summer concert for rapper Russ. However, the organisers have yet to announce any further activations since, and could not be reached for an update at time of writing.
INT. Records joins a small roster of UAE record labels, including Ma’ana Records, which launched a dance music compilation album, Sounds of Dubai, last year. The label continues to be active; their latest release, Ma’ana: Day, dropped in April and comprises of 16 tracks from various regional artists.
Other record labels in the UAE include audio tonic Records, formed in 2011, and Bedouin Records, formed in 2014.
Major record labels Sony Music Middle East (The 5, Nathalie Saba, Kalpee) and Universal Music MENA (Esther Eden, The Boxtones, Anthony Touma) also operate out of the UAE.
