The first Black American record label launched in Harlem New York named Black Swan. Blues singer Ethel Waters was the Big deal for Black Swan. At the end of World War I, the music industry was already well on its way to becoming big business in the United States, producing goods worth more than $335 million and exerting a far-reaching influence on the sound and character of American popular culture. The music industry, however, was not an equal opportunity employer. Phonograph companies issued thousands of titles in dozens of foreign languages to cultivate consumers in “ethnic” and immigrant communities, while they all but refused to issue records by African-American performers and disregarded African-American consumers. The eminent W. E. B. Du Bois himself stood as a champion of Black Swan, the first major black-owned record company, and served on its board of directors.
By 1924, Black Swan was known not only as a pioneering black-owned business but also as a radical experiment in black politics and culture. Activist and music publisher Harry Pace launched Black Swan in 1921, believing that making records represented an important form of social and economic power. With Black Swan, he strove to start a new kind of record company, which combined the powers of music and business in the cause of racial uplift and the fight for social justice.
Real Wreckords Inc. is recording and restoring the respect to a history of black music and musicians globally while protecting the individual freedom to effect the hearts of many that live with reckless endangerment.
"If your heart
was as big as your mouth
you'd be real"
- DMX
Real Wreckords Inc. stands as a pillar for African American Artists and all creators offering a comprehensive range of services, including artist development, production, publishing, distribution, management, branding, administration, legal services, consultation, creative direction, publicity, studio recording, mixing, master classes, choreography, road management and booking, promotion, and touring. Our goal is to provide a platform that champions the integrity of Black artistry and the powerful voices within our communities.
For too long, the narrative of African American culture has been co-opted and commodified by outside forces, often distorting the true essence of our stories. At Real Wreckords Inc., we believe it’s time for us to take control. By owning our culture, our art and defining our own image, we are able to preserve the authenticity of our cultural expression and protect it from exploitation.
We are committed to creating opportunities for African American Artists and African Artists in America to thrive, ensuring that their work is celebrated on their own terms, and providing them with the resources they need to succeed in the music industry and beyond.
Our mission is clear:
To own our culture, preserve our heritage, our legacy and uplift the Black community through the power of words, sound, creative expression. We partner with corporations that are put in place to hold anyone seeking to exploit the Trans-Atlantic slave trade, ongoing generational trauma, historical international conspiracy to separate black families to be held accountable.