Are we finally ready to accept that rappers today are way richer than those in the 90s

[ISO]

What new opportunities are new rappers getting offered that rappers in the 90's weren't taking advantage of? Like I said, there were rappers who didn't even have Gold albums appearing in these big Sprite campaigns. Eve was a part of that whole Five Deadly Venoms Sprite campaign before her debut dropped. Angie Martinez was in the same commercial as was Amil. None of them had albums out. Common hadn't even gone Gold yet when he was in a Sprite commercial. Nas and AZ had their own Sprite commercial. Busta Rhymes was in several Mountain Dew commercials.

U seem hell bent on arguing against reality

 

[JustCKing]

U seem hell bent on arguing against reality

I'm not the one arguing against reality. If this was simply just some downplay today's artists to romanticize the 90's, which often happens here I could see the point, but the ignorance to facts to support the claims made in this thread are just as crazy.

 

[ISO]

I'm not the one arguing against reality. If this was simply just some downplay today's artists to romanticize the 90's, which often happens here I could see the point, but the ignorance to facts to support the claims made in this thread are just as crazy.

U are saying what new opportunities are rappers getting now citing some old Nas and AZ Sprint commercial

U are saying rappers used to make more because of inflation

 

[Awesome Wells]

My fault I’m bugging it was 100K for his album release party

She’s actually his manager too

Oh, that was for the album release?

That's what I'm saying though. If she's managing him, she's supposed to be seeing like 1/5 of the money he sees.

These people ain't got no bread, lol.

 

[JustCKing]

U are saying what new opportunities are rappers getting now citing some old Nas and AZ Sprint commercial

U are saying rappers used to make more because of inflation

Isn't dude comparing the 90's to now? Didn't those old Nas and AZ Sprite commercials come out in the 90's? Does not inflation influence how much the value of the dollar differs with time? We are discussing a 22-30 year difference between time are we not?

 

[JustCKing]

I'm sitting here flipping through the February 1999 issue of The Source. It's the Power 30 issue and people in here are bringing up tour money. The No Way Out tour was grossing $400K per show. P made $10.5 million off of a film that cost $3.5 million to make.

Not only that, but I'm reading where Mase's Harlem World brought in $30 million in revenue from shipping 3 million units. You do the math. Flipped the page and see The Fugees in the Power 30 and it states where Lauryn had also generated $30 million in revenue off her solo debut. It had already shipped 3 million.

 

[Lhark]

They're getting even more screwed over today, and for way more money than back in the day. But most of them either don’t know it, or they won't say because it goes against what they've put out as their image. But in just listening to them speak, they don’t even know who owns their shyt, lol. They're just signing papers and doing whatever they're asked to do for that short bag today, not knowing what it really means in the long run. And judging from what's being said in this thread, a lot of other dudes would get caught up in that same shyt too. LOL!

I can't really deny your last point, I remember the Blueface interview where he obviously didn't know his financials.

 

[Evil Grandson]

NL = P
Completely
THEY’RE UNDER 40 – AND WORTH GAZILLIONS – COMPUTER AGE MOGULS TOP FORBES LIST

Yeah I'm not buying that at all. No way he worth that much and isn't worth a billy after 20 more years of grinding

 

[Evil Grandson]

All this is speculation. If Biggie was being robbed of millions as you guys are arguing here, it speaks volumes of him still being worth $10 million BEFORE he passed. He was only active for five years breh. He had million dollar videos, crazy samples (which often cost a grip).

Rap was not necessarily a child in the 90's. Producers were making upwards a 100K for ONE track. Hype Williams had million dollar videos. Artists were simply handed labels just because. Missy Elliott was given a record label just to drop an album. That's crazy. And she wasn't the only one.

show me 10 million from rap from biggie

 

[JustCKing]

show me 10 million from rap from biggie

Notorious B.I.G. Net Worth

^^^ Read it.

 

[CHICAGO]

NBA PLAYERS MAKE WAY MORE
THAN NBA PLAYERS IN THE 90S TOO.

WHATS YOUR POINT?

THOSE GUYS PAVED THE WAY
SO THESE GUYS CAN EAT.

​

 

[The Devil's Advocate]

Nah.

Rappers are nowhere near as paid as they were in the 90's.

The music business itself is 65-70 percent less profitable today. Which is why all the labels started shifting over to only offering 360 deals. Which actually made the current rappers broker and way more in debt. There aren't any more of the contract incentives that you used to get in the 90's or even early 00's. Today, once you sign, you're basically automatically in debt. Some labels will even give you an extra credit line or loan to fund your image and "operating costs", but all of that has to come back to them. You're fronted whatever paper you may need to get your album done, and if you're lucky, you'll be able to do that without dipping back to the label for more paper.

Sales are basically nonexistent today. They had to switch the entire system to accommodate a new streaming format, that pays pennies on the dollar for every play. Back in the 90's, labels were seeing $15M-$25M cash for every 800,000-1,000,000 units sold for a physical album (CD's, cassettes, vinyl, etc.). That would usually net an artist with a 1/2 decent deal, around $225K of that, before taxes. But they would still own their publishing and bread made from shows and merchandise. Streams do not pay what a physical product pays.

In today's market, the label is taking a majority of ALL the bread an artist makes, until the artist recoups their advance and whatever else the label has covered. So artists are literally working 90% of the time now, to get out of debt. You're afforded the appearance of looking rich, but the books are going to show that their paper is mostly going right back to the parent company. Labels today are taking most of the money from the merchandise, the shows, any appearances you do on TV or films, and most of them won't even sign you today unless you forfeit your publishing rights. The labels all lost so much money once content started going digital. They needed to come up with a way to take less losses, while also being able to push out product. That opportunity is now being covered by the artists, who make incredibly less today, for the benefit of more exposure.

Lyor Cohen, who self attributes himself with creating the 360, said the EXACT SAME THING. They didn't change the contracts for the benefit of the artists. They did it because they were sick of giving MILLIONS to rappers who never recouped, but got to enjoy the 150% profit from every single other thing they did in life.

So he said "Why am I making you a star with my money and power and only getting 90% of one thing. Either we get a piece of everything, or you can blow up on your own buddy"


And now people think that means they only taking 5% and giving out MORE? Them contracts gotta recoup FIRST, then you getting a SMALL percentage. They didn't get from getting 0% of everything to 5%.. This is the music industry.. They definitely taking 70% at least

 

[CoCKy GeNiuS]

Niggs in here devastated

 

[Pop123]

Can we finally accept that even mid popular rappers 42 Dugg and EST. Gee have alrwdy touched more paper than our favorite rappers from the 90s?

Or do we continue juelzing and ignoring the fact?

That's all you got to support what you're saying? Lol, I'm not saying you're wrong...it would only make sense that as Rap got bigger so did the money...but you gotta support something like this with facts and figures. Don't let what these guys rap/post on IG make you believe they're worth more than they are...most of these guys aint bringing in over an M or 2 a year but make that shyt look like they worth 30 million easy, lol.

 

[Evil Grandson]

Notorious B.I.G. Net Worth

^^^ Read it.

this doesn't say "from rap"