Ropeadope Records has been one of the most adventurous independent labels in American music since Andy Hurwitz founded it in 1999, operating at the intersection of jazz, hip-hop, funk, gospel, and electronic music without ever feeling the need to pick a lane. Based in the Philadelphia area and led by CEO Louis Marks, the label has built a catalog that defies easy classification while maintaining a clear throughline: artist-first, community-rooted, uncompromising.

Notable releases include The Philadelphia Experiment, Snarky Puppy's Family Dinner, and Terrace Martin's Velvet Portraits. The Ropeadope roster has included Medeski Martin & Wood, Christian McBride, Marco Benevento, Antibalas, Eddie Palmieri, Charlie Hunter, Vernon Reid, and Sexmob, among dozens of others across more than two decades. In 2014, Snarky Puppy and Lalah Hathaway took home the Grammy for Best R&B Performance for a live recording that captured exactly what Ropeadope has always been about: real musicians doing something that can't be manufactured. 

The current roster includes Lakecia Benjamin, Chief Xian aTunde Adjuah, the Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Ramsey Lewis, and Nate Smith, proof that 25 years in, the label is still finding and developing the most interesting voices in music. Browse the full Ropeadope catalog below.