Which record label did Bob Marley found?

Bob Marley founded the record label Tuff Gong. The label was formed in 1970 by the Wailers and took its name from Marley’s nickname, “Tuff Gong,” which echoed the Rastafari title associated with Leonard “The Gong” Howell.

Tuff Gong gave Marley and the Wailers greater control over their recordings and releases. Its first single was “Run For Cover,” and the label initially used Federal Records’ facilities in Kingston. After 1973, its headquarters operated from 56 Hope Road, Marley’s Kingston home; that location later became the Bob Marley Museum.

Tuff Gong is often confused with Island Records, the British label that helped bring Marley’s music to a worldwide audience. Island distributed important Wailers albums, including Catch a Fire and Burnin’, but it was not the label Marley founded. The Tuff Gong name continues through recording, publishing, and music businesses connected with the Marley family.