From under the cloud of Louisiana Gangster Rap, Media Darling was conceived by a collective of artists whose main goal was to keep one another motivated and focused on their music. Media Darling Records, a New Orleans-based independently owned and operated label, was formed in January 2004 with the objective to produce, market, and distribute quality hip-hop music. In August of that year emerged the label's first release, the compilation "The Humid Sounds of Media Darling Records", with a style similar to Rhymesayers or Def Jux rather than No Limit or Cash Money. "The Humid Sounds is a thrilling first snapshot of a viable new player in New Orleans musicology and a must-hear for the city's artistically starved hip hop heads." -Ira Brooker, Where Y'at Magazine "The Humid Sounds" was the only hip-hop album to make Offbeat's Top 50 Albums of 2004, and was honored with Best Hip Hop Album at the "2004 Best of the Beat Awards". Media Darling artists have shared stages with some of the greatest hip-hop groups in the industry including Gift of Gab, Murs, Lyrics Born, RJD2, Brother Ali, Inspectah Deck, Perceptionists, Dakah Hip-Hop Orchestra, and many more. Media Darling Artists have also been featured at some of the biggest festivals around including The Louisiana Jazz & Heritage Festival, Essence Festival, Mo-Fest, SXSW, and Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival. Last April Media Darling Artists went on their second highly successful tour opening for Galactic across the mid-west for sold-out crowds. Recently the Lucky Stiffs song "Q & A" has been featured as the first track on Scion's 11th CD Sampler "Label-Less Lifestyle", with 500,000 copies distributed worldwide. "Be prepared to put your prejudices aside either way, because Media Darling has created and taken over a genre of Crescent City hip-hop all at once. Raising the bar? This IS the bar."-Robert Fontenot, Offbeat Magazine