Wright's other albums at the end of the 1970s were less successful, and by 1981, as TK began to struggle, she moved to a bigger label, signing with Epic, where her self-titled album was released.[15] The album was notable for the minor Stevie Wonder-composed hit, "What Are You Gonna Do with It". The same year, she contributed vocals on Richard "Dimples" Fields' Dimples album, especially on the hit "She's Got Papers on Me". In 1983, she released the album Wright Back at You, which featured compositions by Marlon Jackson of the Jacksons.
Signing to Epic Records in 1981, Wright quickly grew disillusioned with the restrictions of being with a major company, and so launched her own Ms B record label in 1985. With her 1987 album Mother Wit she became the first African-American woman to achieve a gold album on her own label.