Hey Everyone!
Sorry for the delay in posts but mentally I haven’t been in the mood to write these last few weeks but I’m back and better now. Buckle up because we have a lot to catch up on these upcoming weeks!
In a world where anything seems possible in the music world, I’ve noticed a downward trend in the quality of rappers nowadays. It seems like everyone wants to be “Lil This” and “Lil That” and have the same type of flow/sound and rap on the same type of beats. It’s harder for me to get into new artists now due to artists are looking for that quick check and possibly a label deal. For most, this seems like the best way to go. Once you sign it seems like you have the world in the Then it got me wondering; are both of those options really worth it?
Time and time again we see so-called one hit wonders, release an amazing song, get big, sign to a label, then we never hear from them again. For most, signing to a label seems like the best way to go. Once you sign it seems like you have the world in your hands and you can conquer anything but there’s always something odd about labels.
There are countless examples of artists being exploited by their label which honestly infuriates me. I sometimes feel like artists are limited in their talent whenever they sign to a label since they’re kept in a box and aren’t able to grow as an artist. Examples such as Glassnote Records not wanting Gambino to drop an album in December, DJ Drama not wanting Lil Uzi to release ‘Eternal Atake’, Frank Ocean and Megan the Stallion getting their royalties withheld; the list is endless (no Frank pun intended). I love listening to new artists but I don’t want them to sell their soul to a label just for a check.
My biggest issue with a label deal is, you make one really great song and then boom, they own your life for the next few years until your contract is done or you somehow find the money to buy yourself out. I feel like labels should have more of a partnership with their clients instead of the way it usually is/depicted. If you want an artist to be a productive member of your company then you should allow them to express their creativity in any means necessary. This would allow for both the artist and the company to get recognition in pretty much every aspect.
There aren’t too many labels I can look at now and say “wow, what a great job promoting and supporting each artist”. There are a few such as TDE, Dreamville, and honorable mention GOOD Music (even though Kanye didn’t support all of his artists). In both TDE and Dreamville, each artist is able to express their talents without fear of the label screwing them over which is nice to see in such a corrupt industry. These two labels have dominated the charts for the last few years and made it well known that their artists aren’t a one trick pony. Could it be that their management knows what’s best for the artist? Could it be that they’ve seen what happens to others and they don’t want to lose essential artists? Who knows, but I do know they’re doing a great job at keeping their artists happy so they can release great music.
For any aspiring artists, it’s not necessarily the worst thing to sign to a label. If it’s something that you can eventually achieve and make it big, then by all means go for it, chase your dreams! Just make sure that your label won’t screw you over with the fine print and then own your soul for eternity. At the end of day there are countless ways to get your music recognized but it’s up to you to decide the best way to get out out there. Avoid those labels who let you grow as an artist or that promise you all this money in exchange for your creativity.
Anyways, sorry about the rant but it had to be said. Do you agree? Disagree? Let me know how you feel about record labels down in the comments!
Comments