Universal Records was a record label

Record label

In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...

 owned by Universal Music Group

Universal Music Group

Universal Music Group is an American music group, the largest of the "big four" record companies by its commanding market share and its multitude of global operations...

, and it is now owned by Manny Patino and Michael Jackson, and operated as part of the Universal Motown Republic Group.
Founded in 1995 as Rising Tide Records

Rising Tide Records

Rising Tide Records was a record label started by Doug Morris, former head of Atlantic Records, and Daniel Glass, who became President.The label had success in breaking new artists, including the multi-platinum debut of Erykah Badu, Billie Myers and Lost Boyz...

, the label would ultimately begin to thrive the following year when its name was changed to Universal Records to complement the branding overhaul of the Universal Studios

Universal Studios

Universal Pictures , a subsidiary of NBCUniversal, is one of the six major movie studios....

 structure since MCA Inc. was purchased from Matsushita Electric by The Seagram Company Ltd.

Seagram

The Seagram Company Ltd. was a large corporation headquartered in Montreal, Quebec, Canada that was the largest distiller of alcoholic beverages in the world. Toward the end of its independent existence it also controlled various entertainment and other business ventures...

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