Golden State Entertainment: The First NBA Record Label
The Golden State Warriors franchise is most known for their championship pedigree winning four NBA championships in the last 10 years. Now they are taking on a new challenge, but off the court as they became the first NBA franchise to start a record label called Golden State Entertainment.
“A basketball team with a record label is unheard of until now, which is a testament to the Warriors and the Bay… This is about innovation, bringing a new idea to the table,” said P-Lo, a Filipino rapper who has produced music with Golden State Entertainment.
The label was brought to the surface in 2022 when the Warriors won their sixth NBA title for the franchise. That year David Kelly, a former rapper turned Warriors executive helped open the NBA label.
“We want to maximize the integration between music, culture, sports and film. It’s natural here [in the Bay Area] and easier than trying to do it someplace else,” says Kelly who is originally from Chicago.
In November, the team announced a partnership with P-Lo to launch For The Soil. The six-track collaborative album aims to bring attention to the Bay Area’s wealth of cultural output. They showcased that culture during the 2025 All-Star Weekend as E-40, Saweetie, and more performed some songs from the label.
Artists that are featured in For The Soil include Too Short, E-40, G-Eazy, Goapele, LaRussell and Larry June.
Warriors player Gary Payton II is excited about the album and what is to come with the team’s label. “For me, to be the first team to have a music company, or production company, it’s kinda cool. P-Lo is running, and getting it down. I know there’s a lot of talented Bay Area artists behind it, so it’s something to look forward to and be excited about,” said Payton.