January 4, 2002 — For the first time in its 28-year history, High Times magazine has made a leap into the world of music with its newest entity, High Times Records. In keeping with its grass roots approach, High Times Records has teamed up with indie distributor Caroline Distribution to offer an eclectic mix of releases.

Mike Esterson (Papaya Records, 420 Tours), producer of the High Times Cannabis Cup in Amsterdam, has been named president of High Times Records. To round out the team, he's called upon High Times magazine staffer Devin Horwitz to handle A&R and Dru-Ha of Duck Down Records as a marketing/label consultant.

"We at Caroline couldn't be happier than to be joining forces with a bastion of the counterculture as enduring and widely-read as High Times. We've always been impressed by their consistent support for music from outside the mainstream. Their affinity for many of the musical genres that Caroline has enjoyed success with, along with their access to a broad and very loyal following of readers and artists, make them a great candidate to run their own label, and a perfect partner for us," explains Michael Bull, VP of Label Relations, Caroline Distribution.

High Times Records plans to cater to music and marijuana lovers alike. The first release, THC (The Hip-Hop Collection) Vol.1 (to be released April 16), is a 14-song hip-hop compilation. Artists who contributed to the album include RZA (Wu-Tang Clan), B-Real (Cypress Hill), The Pharcyde, The Beatnuts, The High and Mighty, and Black Moon. As a follow-up summer release, reggae fans can expect the ultimate in dub battles, a live recording of Mad Professor squaring off against the Scientist at the Cannabis Cup.

With over 500,000 readers, High Times Magazine is a newsstand mainstay. President Mike Esterson says, "The High Times brand name has proven itself to be an awesome marketing weapon and will continue to do so with this endeavor."

Caroline Distribution has been a force in independent national distribution for the past 18 years, specializing in underground and outsider music from punk and indie rock to metal, electronic dance music and hip hop. Caroline has been instrumental in developing the pre-major label careers of artists such as Nirvana, Smashing Pumpkins, Mos Def, The Chemical Brothers, Fatboy Slim, Primus, Soundgarden, Faith No More, Green Day, The Offspring, Blink 182, Jurassic 5 and countless others.