MNRK Music Group, (pronounced "monarch") formerly known as Koch Records and Entertainment One (eOne) Music/Records, is an American independent record label and music management company based in New York City. It was formed in 1987 as a music division of Koch Entertainment, which was acquired by and absorbed into Entertainment One (or eOne for short) in 2004. eOne was acquired by toy and multimedia company Hasbro in 2019, absorbed its family brands division in the process and announced the sale of this division to The Blackstone Group in April 2021, which then adopted this name. Hasbro then sold the remains of eOne to Lionsgate, who then rebranded it initially as eOne Canada and then Lionsgate Canada.
The label as a whole has its origins in the Canadian music distributor Records on Wheels, which was acquired by the Canadian retail chain CD Plus in 2001 to expand its wholesale business.[3] Darren Throop joined the company after CD Plus acquired his record store chain Urban Sound Exchange. The combined company later became known as ROW Entertainment, with Throop as president and CEO.[4][5]
In June 2005, ROW acquired the American independent music distributor and home entertainment publisher Koch Entertainment, including its label Koch Records.[6][5]
In 2016, eOne acquired the management firms Hardlivings and Nerve Artist Management.[13][14] In November 2016, eOne Music hired Ted May, the former senior international marketing manager of Universal Music UK, as director for its UK division, operating from eOne's offices in London.[15] In March 2018, eOne Music acquired the live event production company Round Room Entertainment.[16]
In 2019, Amelia Artists partnered with eOne's management division.[17] Later in 2019, eOne partnered with the Latin management and marketing group Entotal.[18] In November 2020, it signed AMPED Distribution as its new physical distributor in North America.[19]
In April 2021, following the acquisition of its parent company by toy and entertainment company Hasbro,[20] eOne announced that it would divest its music business to the private equity firm The Blackstone Group for $385 million, in order to focus more on its film and television entertainment businesses.[21]
The sale was completed in June, and the unit continued to use the eOne branding until September 2021;[2] when the company was subsequently renamed MNRK Music Group.[22]
On February 9, 2022, MNRK sold the rights to the Death Row Records brand and catalogue to hip-hop rapper Snoop Dogg.[23]
In 2022, MNRK's Management division added 2 managers, Phil Jones[24] and Keith Hagan.[25]
