The artists first released on the label included Simon Mastrantone and NeatPeople. Rekabet gained accolade off the back of the media buzz resonating around their demos; XFM's John Kennedy was a fan, particularly of NeatPeople, making them Artists in Residence, as well as Simon Mastrantone, respectively. The label was also given favourable reviews six months prior to its first physical release by magazines such as Dazed & Confused. NeatPeople, in the run-up to the release of 7" single, "Baby I'm Bored", supported The Bluetones on their UK tour. The upbeat single was a resoundingly successful first official outing for the label, with both Steve Lamacq and Zane Lowe showing their support with radio rotation. Simon Mastrantone's debut mini-album spawned an unexpectedhit; the promotional video of lead track, "Sing a Song of Petulance" gaining airplay on MTV Two's show 120 Minutes.
Progression
NeatPeople further excelled in their fortunes by time of the release of their second single, "Carry You Upward". The increasing attention around the group gained them coverage by NME, and their promotional video made the MTV playlist. At the time of signing to Rekabet, NeatPeople were initially contracted to former Blur manager and owner of Food Records, Andy Ross' management company, Bossmusic. They have since parted company with Ross, shortly before their indefinite hiatus, announced in May 2007; this shock hiatus came after the group were in the process of agreeing a publishing deal with RAK Records, a license with a Japanese record label, and singer and songwriter of the group, Gary Cansell, was being sought to write the United Kingdom's upcoming Eurovision entry. A few members of NeatPeople eventually resurfaced in the roster of The Amberblacks, whom were scheduled to release material with Rekabet themselves, but ultimately nothing surfaced.
Present day
Rekabet has since moved on from being a solely indie rock-oriented label, to fit in genres such as hip hop & drum and bass, notably taking on the rap group's A.M.M.O; a favourite of Ras Kwame, and Rhyme Asylum, considered the ones-to-watch by many respected moguls within hip hop worldwide. Operations are also expanding to Turkey, where a connection has been formed between Rekabet and Mor ve Ötesi's label, Rakun, on a licensing basis for the UK.
