Founded: 1981 (Label)/1989 (Clothing)
Founder: Tom Silverman
Location: New York City, NY

Tommy Boy Records, is a (mainly hip hop) record label and multimedia brand. It was founded in 1981 by Tom Silverman. Tommy Boy helped launch the music careers of influential artists like Queen Latifah, Afrika Bambaataa, Stetsasonic, Digital Underground, Coolio, De La Soul, House of Pain, and Naughty By Nature. In addition to its place in the hip hop annuls, Tommy Boy also helped introduced genres like early techno and rave, Latin freestyle and Latin hip hop to worldwide audiences

The infamous Tommy Boy logo was designed in 1989 by Eric Haze (check the Haze page for more info on Eric Haze). At one point, it was recognized as one of the 50 Greatest Rap Logos of all time by Complex, coming in at #9. In the late 1980s, coinciding with the rise of streetwear, Tommy Boy ventured into the apparel industry with its own streetwear line, Tommy Boy Gear.

They produced and distributed Carhartt jackets embroidered with their logo and became the first to use lanyards as promotional items, a trend that gained popularity in the 1990s. By the early 1990s, other hip hop record labels like Def Jam and Delicious Vinyl began retailing branded tees and clothing as well, incorporating embroidery on letterman and workwear jackets. The evolution of streetwear saw a shift from tracksuits, caps, sneakers, and gold chains to big graphic T-shirts, hoodies, and loose sweatpants.

Contributing Members: @mrthingone