Universal Artists
The founders of Universal Artists, International consists of 4 partners who broke away from the major labels of the music industry to found the company.
One was Kiyotaka Kanemitsu, a Japanese entertainment attorney from the city of Ikebukuro in Tokyo.
The other, Carlos Flores, a former flamenco dancer turned record peddler in the urban districts of Mexico City and then entering Sony Records as a freelance consultant.
The third is named Terje Himberg-Larsen, also known as DJ White Shadow, whose ties are linked to Blao of Gothenburg, Sweden, and the label, EMI as well as Atlantic Records.
The core founder is Joe Stern-McGovern, aka The Bionic Rapper. He worked from 1987-1989 stateside at labels such as the now defunct Nasty Mix label in Seattle, and then with the production crew, Rhyme Cartel, of platinum artist, Sir Mix A lot, when he broke off and into Warner/Def American. Mr. McGovern was featured in the MTV video by his mentor titled, "One Time's Got No Case Version 2". He then went on to sell nearly half a million albums from 1990-1993 in the regional Kanto area in and surrounding Tokyo/Yokohama Metro. Following this stint as a rapper, he became a freelance writer for Sony Records Japan, then agent, and then founded Universal Artists, International, which has sought talent since 2005 as a maverick talent agency. Recently, the company has transitioned into a label, with two smaller labels under it, Universal Soldier Records and Light Brigade Records.