Founded by James "" Smith and in 1986, Rap-A-Lot Records is a hip-hop and R&B music label, headquartered in Smith's hometown of Houston, Texas. Upon foundation and local notoriety, it soon became a prominent independent hip-hop label in the Gulf Coast region of the United States. In 1987, the label initiated a distribution deal with Def Jam Recordings, but former parent company Sony Music rejected the idea. It then received its first signage, a Houston-based gangsta rap group, the Geto Boys, put together by the label's co-founder, J. Prince. via Discogs →