Fifteen years after being folded into RCA Records, the influential hip-hop, R&B and pop label JIVE Records is being relaunched as a standalone frontline imprint under Sony Music’s RCA, with former UnitedMasters executives Mike Weiss and David Melhado named co-presidents.
According to a press release, the revived JIVE aims to honor the label’s storied legacy while reimagining its role for today’s music landscape. The new iteration will focus on signing and developing artists across genres, guided by what the company describes as a bold, artist-first creative approach.
Weiss, the son of longtime Jive leader Barry Weiss, and Melhado arrive after successful tenures at UnitedMasters, where they helped drive what’s described as a “holistic artist development model.” During their time at the company, they worked with artists including Brent Faiyaz, NLE Choppa, BigXthaPlug, FloyyMenor and Ekkstacy, among others.
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“JIVE Records is deeply personal to me — it shaped entire generations and the way I learned this business,” said Weiss in a statement. “Relaunching this iconic label allows us to carry forward JIVE’s legacy of creative and operational excellence while proving that major labels can deliver both innovation and fairness for artists.”
Melhado added that the relaunch reflects his career-long focus on building artists from the ground up, “which has shaped my perspective on this business and what artists need to build lasting careers.” He called working with Weiss to relaunch the imprint an “opportunity to honor JIVE’s independent spirit and double down on developing artists while shaping culture.”
Founded in 1981 by Clive Calder as part of the Zomba Group, Jive rose to prominence in the 1980s and 1990s through its key role in hip-hop, R&B and pop. The label released bangers by DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince, A Tribe Called Quest and Too Short, later expanding into major pop successes with the Backstreet Boys, *NSYNC and Britney Spears. Following Sony’s acquisition of BMG, Jive was folded into RCA during a 2011 restructuring.
JIVE Records will operate out of Sony Music’s New York headquarters, with Weiss and Melhado reporting to RCA chairman and CEO Peter Edge and COO John Fleckenstein. Edge called the relaunch “a natural evolution—and a poetic way to revive a label that has been at the forefront of hip-hop and pop.”
