Jive

Jive is a record label founded by Clive Calder in 1981 as part of the Zomba Group, known first for hip-hop and R&B and then for the teen-pop boom of the late 1990s. Backstreet Boys, NSYNC and Britney Spears became its three best-selling acts. RCA brought it back as a standalone label in New York in February 2026, and the name also lives on in Berlin as Jive Germany, home of Nina Chuba.

Whodini's "Magic's Wand" helped set the early direction, and Boogie Down Productions, DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince, Too $hort, E-40, UGK and A Tribe Called Quest followed. R. Kelly and Aaliyah carried the R&B side. Justin Timberlake, Ciara and Chris Brown came later.

Calder sold Zomba to BMG in 2002 for $2.74 billion, which took Jive into the group that later became part of Sony. In October 2011 Jive, Arista and J Records were retired and folded into RCA, with the back catalog going to Legacy Recordings. The 2026 relaunch put Mike Weiss and David Melhado in charge as co-presidents. Weiss is the son of Barry Weiss, who ran Jive for much of its original life.

Jive Germany works with Sony Music and has its own roster. Kayla Shyx released her debut album through it in 2025, Paula Engels records for it, and it backed Abor & Tynna on their way to Eurovision 2025 with "Baller".