NHL Player Anson Carter Launches Big Up Entertainment

National Hockey League player Anson Carter has launched Big Up Entertainment, a new record label which the hockey pro aims to turn into the next big Hip-Hop franchise. Carter spent the majority of his career with the New York Rangers. With the NHL on strike for almost a year now, Carter is using the time […]

National Hockey League

player Anson Carter has launched Big Up Entertainment, a new record label which

the hockey pro aims to turn into the next big Hip-Hop franchise.

Carter spent the

majority of his career with the New York Rangers. With the NHL on strike for

almost a year now, Carter is using the time to build Big Up Entertainment.

“As

of right now, we are building the ground level to be a multi-faceted entertainment

company," Carter told AllHipHop.com. "We want to put out movies. We

have a hockey movie called ‘Blades’ currently in development that

we’ve been talking to a few different distributors about, distributing

our movie next February. But at the same time we are willing to start off with

putting out some good music. Main and Merc being our first artists are going

to lead the way.”

Carter, of West

Indian descent, grew up in Ontario, Canada and is one of the only black hockey

players in the NHL. He entered the league in 1992, and soon became one of the

NHL’s top power forwards.

“Hip-Hop’s

a lot bigger in hockey than people think,” Carter continued. “I

was in charge of music in the dressing room and you had your few guys who requested

country music and you have to please everyone, but for the most part everyone

listened to hip-hop before and after the games.”

The first release

from the independent label will be Richmond, Virginia natives Main & Merc.

“The thing

that drives them is to be the best," Carter said of the fledgling group.

"I see it all the time, whether in business or sports, when people are

in it just to make money, they may make a few dollars, but they won’t

reach their potential. It’s ok to want to make money, but their drive

impressed me. That was important to me, because I am looking for artists that

have that passion to be the best.”

While the group

is preparing their untitled debut album, Carter said he was making plans to

turn Big Up Entertainment into a full media company, spanning sports, music

and fashion.

”All

of the major labels are controlling things and no one wants to do the heavy

lifting,” Carter said. “We are willing to grind on the street level,

mixtapes or work the internet. I look at these labels like the Bad Boys, the

Rocafellas and New No Limits, and we want to be a powerhouse like that as an

independent. If a point in time comes when major wants to come and talk, we

will listen, but at the same time we want to be the best we can be as an independent

label. We want to empower as many people as possible who are willing to work

and be hungry.”

For more information,

visit http://www.bigupentertainment.com.