Record Label
US label. **Tabu** was founded by industry legend [[artist:Clarence Avant]] in the late 1970s and became a legendary early 1980s R&B label with its marquee acts [[artist:The S.O.S. Band]], [[artist:Alexander O'Neal]] and [[artist:Cherelle]]. It was also the training ground in which [[artist:Jimmy Jam]] and [[artist:Terry Lewis]] honed their production skills—writing and producing virtually all of the label’s hits—until they began working with [[artist:Janet Jackson]] in 1986. It was initially distributed by [[label:RCA]] then within three years switched distribution to [[label:CBS]] Records, where it remained well after the label became [[label:Sony Music Entertainment]], until 1991 it changed distribution again, this time to A&M Records. In 1993, [[label:PolyGram]] hired Avant to run [[label:Motown]] Records. During his tenure as Motown's president, Motown distributed Tabu Record’s releases. Avant left suddenly during the late 1990s, and Motown replaced him with [[artist:André Harrell]]. The label went out of business in 1999, but between 2002 and 2011 Tabu Records was an imprint of [[label:Capitol]]-[[label:EMI]]’s [[label:The Right Stuff]] via [[label:Virgin Records America]], focusing primarily on reissuing its 1980s catalog. In 2011, a new distribution deal with [[label:Universal Music Group]] began, with new entries by the label’s core artists released as part of Universal’s *Icon* series. In 2012 a new deal was struck with Demon Music Group for distribution, licensing and representation.