For Top Dawg Entertainment, it's been all grind. A decade ago, Anthony "Top Dawg" Tiffith began building the groundwork for the independent label. The first artist signed by Tiffith was Watts, Los Angeles rapper Jay Rock. The next was K-Dot, a king now known as Kendrick Lamar. From there TDE's success gradually snowballed, effectively becoming the West Coast powerhouse they are today.
Thus far, 2012 has probably been the biggest year for TDE. Three of the four Black Hippy members released albums that year, including Kendrick Lamar's highly-praised good kid, m.A.A.d city. Last year, TDE didn't rebuild: they reloaded. Adding pieces like SZA and Isaiah Rashad only helped strengthen the already robust label. This year, TDE plans to release albums from all six of their artists, from Schoolboy Q's much-hyped Oxymoron to Ab-Soul's Black Lip Pastor. Yield to TDE, a record label with no brake pedals. They're set to have a MONSTROUS year.
For a more in-depth look at TDE's come-up, check out our infographic timeline below. Feel free to share it!