Artists Speaking Out Against Labels

[UNORTHODOX]

"From: Nas
To: LA Reid, Steve Bartels, Steve Gawley, Michael Seltzer, Joseph Borrino, Chris Hicks
Subject: PUT MY SHIT OUT!
Peace to all,
With all do respect to you all, Nas is NOBODY’s slave. This is not the 1800?s, respect me and I will respect you.
I won’t even tap dance around in an email, I will get right into it. People connect to the Artist @ the end of the day, they don’t connect with the executives. Honestly, nobody even cares what label puts out a great record, they care about who recorded it. Yet time and time again its the executives who always stand in the way of a creative artist’s dream and aspirations. You don’t help draw the truth from my deepest and most inner soul, you don’t even do a great job @ selling it. The #1 problem with DEF JAM is pretty simple and obvious, the executives think they are the stars. You aren’t…. not even close. As a matter of fact, you wish you were, but it didn’t work out so you took a desk job. To the consumer, I COME FIRST. Stop trying to deprive them! I have a fan base that dies for my music and a RAP label that doesn’t understand RAP. Pretty fucked up situation
This isn’t the 90?s though. Beefing with record labels is so 15 years ago. @ this point I just need you all to be very clear where I stand and how I feel about “my label.” I could go on twitter or hot 97 tomorrow and get 100,000 protesters @ your building but I choose to walk my own path my own way because since day one I have been my own man. I did business with Tommy Mottola and Donnie Einer, two of the most psycho dudes this business ever created. I worked well with them for one major reason……. they believed in me. The didn’t give a fuck about what any radio station or magazine said….those dudes had me.
Lost Tapes is a movement and a very important set up piece for my career as it stands. I started this over 5 years ago @ Columbia and nobody knew what it was or what it did but the label put it out as an LP and the fans went crazy for it and I single handlely built a new brand of rap albums. It’s smart and after 5 years it’s still a head of the game. This feels great and you not feeling what I’m feeling is disturbing. Don’t get in the way of my creativity. We are aligned with the stars here, this is a movement. There is a thing called KARMA that comes to haunt you when you tamper with the aligning stars. WE ARE GIVING THE PEOPLE EXACTLY WHAT THEY WANT. Stop throwing dog shit on a MAGICAL moment.
You don’t get another Nas recording that doesn’t count against my deal….PERIOD! Keep your bullshit $200,000.00 fund. Open the REAL budget. This is a New York pioneers ALBUM, there ain’t many of us. I am ready to drop in the 4th quarter. You don’t even have shit coming out! Stop being your own worst enemy. Let’s get money!
-N.Jones"


I love that these are popping up. But where do you think this will lead? A influx of anti label sentiments? More promo for labels? thoughts?

 

[Shonsteez]

The futures already happening man...mad people are going indie more and more these days because of these exact reasons...

 

[dacalion]

Thats deep! It's no surprise to me that labels dictate an artist career. I have mixed emotions on that topic. I think labels should set their goals and allow the artist room to achieve them. If the artist does not meet the requirements then by all means do whats deemed necessary, if the artist does achieve their goals, stay out of the way! Once again, its a matter of who is in charge, the consumer or the label? I say let the consumer say what is hot rather than the labels say what is hot.

I think this is a good thing, I like the fact that these cats are speaking out and I hope it leads to better products, more sells and restoring our genre.

 

[Ozmosis]

All the whats wrong with hip hop topics here on Ill, NaS and Lupe closed about 200 threads here LOL.. So the next post that says "whats up with hip hop", "rap vs hip hop", etc... just add this link to the thread. There are no more real people like Russell Simmons and Ric Rubin callin the shots. Its I signed you, you work for me and you do the songs I want. Damn thats f@#ked up.

 

[slik da relic]

at 2:10 min... he explains very simply WHY its still who u know in this game, and why u must stay HUMBLE on ur way to the top... imagine if he was an asshole throughout the industry... even that part of the game wouldve been "null n void" for him... good post fam!

da relic

 

[Kontents]

Take a music business class if possible or hit the books.

[ame="http://www.amazon.com/Musicians-Business-Legal-Guide-4th/dp/0132281279"]Amazon.com: Musician's Business & Legal Guide (4th Edition) (9780132281270): Mark Halloran: Books[/ame]

Talks about all the different types of deals one should look at and stay clear of in music.

 

[Relic]

excellent this is why I dont wanna be "signed" any more

Midas/Nomics
Raw Nature

real shit.

 

[UNORTHODOX]

at 2:10 min... he explains very simply WHY its still who u know in this game, and why u must stay HUMBLE on ur way to the top... imagine if he was an asshole throughout the industry... even that part of the game wouldve been "null n void" for him... good post fam!

da relic

I've personally been struggling with this myself. I want to air out all the BS I see but I know, somewhere, somehow, it just may backfire. I hate not speaking up, and spotlighting wrongs, but I may hurt myself and the potential good i can do in the future.

 

[Relic]

Keep using an alias..
Hope u get on but for over a decade cats that have BEEN "On" have been screaming from hell "OH MY GOD HELP US WE CANT BE CREATIVE ANYMORE THEY MAKE US SAY AND DO THINGS THAT WASNT WHAT WE WERE WHEN THEY SIGNED US BUT THATS WHAT MADE US HYPE"

Kinda long but Im sure they been screamin this..
We can do it ourselves , just for lesser loot.

 

[UNORTHODOX]

And I'm fine with that Rel. I'm really concerned about the future and burnin bridges. But idk w/e.

Theres more. Apparently lupe and atlantic had a sit down. finally. lol
http://www.sohh.com/2010/10/lupe_fiasco_atlantic_records_executive_m.html

 

[Relic]

You wont burn any bridges Dox..
Ya too smaht fa that.

 

[slik da relic]

yo.. Immortal Technique has been doin it for years... ive opened up for him a few times with others, and he's pretty much told us about all the times he's turned down Majors, simply bcuz he's not gonna change what he says on wax... his money aint as large as a Jay, or Kanye or whoever, but he's smart enuff to buy land and real estate and flip his money that way... thats basically what has to be done... big deal if u dont have a mil... if u an get 50-100 thousand ur ahead of the game! u just need to have the smarts after that to flip that sum... im sure some of us watched each one of these artists start from nowhere, and watch them bcome larger than life! remember when Oprah was not even on the Forbes top millionares list? it takes time.

as far as the bein humble part, i remember when i 1st got back into this in 2001, i was goin to the End Of the Weak open mic in NYC, and i told my friends that no matter how wack someone is one stage, im gonna be the 1st to shake their hand when they got off stage, and tell them they did good... after all, i got mofo's in my hood that are "better than Jordan" yet they are too lazy to get their asses up, leave the hood, and go to the open mics...i couldnt even tell u, how many friends i made that have connections to other shit, music AND non music related that i was interested in, just bcuz i gave em props... it aint how nice u are, its ur hustle and determination to get on.

da relic

 

[dacalion]

slik thats whats up, its a very rare thing to find someone encouraging others instead of taking every chance they get to shoot them down. props bro!

 

[StressWon]

This is exactly why I'm not followin the norm as an artist to get "exposure". It's a 360 deal or indie. Thats it. With today's technology, a few bucks in a budget and it will do things.

 

[slik da relic]

slik thats whats up, its a very rare thing to find someone encouraging others instead of taking every chance they get to shoot them down. props bro!

trust me... i didnt start out that way...lol.. but i started realizing that EVERYONE can do what we do now... but WHO has the drive to better and get put on... also, u gotta find ur "niche" in the market.. Kid Rock started out as a rapper... what would u call him now? not many view him that way today.

This is exactly why I'm not followin the norm as an artist to get "exposure". It's a 360 deal or indie. Thats it. With today's technology, a few bucks in a budget and it will do things.

Stress ur right... we see and hear the artists that ARE on already, tell the ones that are NOT on, to have a side hustle... do not make rappin ur only career... they say it all the time... and computers have made it accessible to everyone... the combination of itunes, pmp worldwide, youtube and other sites are makin alot of people richer.

da relic

 

[UNORTHODOX]

slik thats whats up, its a very rare thing to find someone encouraging others instead of taking every chance they get to shoot them down. props bro!

Agreed, Hip Hop *used* to look down on wack, Its in most of our natures to do this also. This is actually a pretty good way to move today, changed my perspective.