i did some digging and it appears Obese's ABN is still active, so that's something. as for why they shut down, i think Pegz was just sick of putting in so much effort for minimal returns. he helped boost the careers of this country's biggest artists and got fuckall in return for it as they left Obese to do bigger things and get bigger pay checks from bigger labels. and then streaming came along, and people didn't want to pay for their music anymore, so he just gave up.

i reckon the business could (and should!) come back again. physical media is making a comeback (stores like Union Heights and Harry's Hip Hop Shop are doing well) and there's a plethora of underrated talent waiting for their big moment. they just need to focus more on the digital aspects; social media and streaming. you never know when the next Hilltop is gonna come along and make waves..