Rick Ross throws Def Jam in the bushes, signs deal with Epic Records

[The Devil's Advocate]

Most indies arent eating like that and neither are a lot of indy artists. There are some legit indies out there that are basically what doing it out of your basement would be like but business wise. Then there are indies which are really regular record companies and smaller divisions that give shyttier contracts and less hands on. Kind of like minor league baseball, Triple A farm team type shyt. You're a distant cousin to the Philadelphia Phillies, The Minnesota Whitefish or someshyt, but if you start to pop off any day you could get that 'call' and it's not because your special or you achieved your dream...it's because youve been signed all along and have been working in the business. Thus industry plants. A lot of people think artists are still being discovered in back rooms and in recording studios on happenstance, and just getting plucked off youtube because 'they are so talented' and 'so dope' when really they have agents and like plants have been around doing shyt one way or another for years.

nikkas arent coming off of their couches and out of their bedrooms and getting deals, ending up on mtv2 and being featured and shyt. And your damn sure not touching anyone who is signed, I dont care if your cousin Pookie used to sip 40's with snoop dogg in Long Beach. Them nikkas is on teams and are signing contracts.

i never disagreed with any of this breh

that's what i been trying to say... that being indy does not mean you sitting in the crib pressing up your own cd's

another fact... 99% of indy's have DISTRIBUTION through a major... i'm going to break that down real quick for those that don't know



indy label has 500k in the bank... they find awesome rapper and give him 50k up front and another 50k for recording and another 100k for advertising... rapper has 200k, label has 300k..

indy label then steps to universal... hey i got an artist who is dope... we want you guys to press up 200k cd's and use your connects, printers, mailing people, store front space, to put his shyt out for us... cause we can't afford to do that.. and we don't have your connects... in exchange.. we will give you the money back, plus 20% of profits

rapper doesn't have to sell 1 million copies cause he only needs to make back HIS 200k... then because the label didn't give him much, he gets to his profits a lot sooner... and because the label never paid for videos, tours, flights, per diem, etc.... they don't need to take 90% of your cd sales... but they only pressing up 200k copies, unless you sell like hot cakes



major might see you sell like hot cakes and BUY you from the indy guy... you just got called up to the league




so yea... if you're about to do 17k on some young thug shyt... yea you fukked yourself on that indy.. cause you couldn't even do those numbers... but if you doing 200k on an indy.... you made out 10 times better than doing 200k on a major that's all in your pockets

 

[Wildin]

i never disagreed with any of this breh

that's what i been trying to say... that being indy does not mean you sitting in the crib pressing up your own cd's

another fact... 99% of indy's have DISTRIBUTION through a major... i'm going to break that down real quick for those that don't know



indy label has 500k in the bank... they find awesome rapper and give him 50k up front and another 50k for recording and another 100k for advertising... rapper has 200k, label has 300k..

indy label then steps to universal... hey i got an artist who is dope... we want you guys to press up 200k cd's and use your connects, printers, mailing people, store front space, to put his shyt out for us... cause we can't afford to do that.. and we don't have your connects... in exchange.. we will give you the money back, plus 20% of profits

rapper doesn't have to sell 1 million copies cause he only needs to make back HIS 200k... then because the label didn't give him much, he gets to his profits a lot sooner... and because the label never paid for videos, tours, flights, per diem, etc.... they don't need to take 90% of your cd sales... but they only pressing up 200k copies, unless you sell like hot cakes



major might see you sell like hot cakes and BUY you from the indy guy... you just got called up to the league




so yea... if you're about to do 17k on some young thug shyt... yea you fukked yourself on that indy.. cause you couldn't even do those numbers... but if you doing 200k on an indy.... you made out 10 times better than doing 200k on a major that's all in your pockets

You get it. A lot of people think indies are "doing it on your own" and fukk the majors when it's not that at all. When people are seeing an indy get all the features and being featured, getting crazy internet promotion and suddenly being the it guy--- thats the label. Read the fine print. He may not be signed directly to interscope but he is on "ABCD records" or "ABCD publishing" which is a subsidiary of Universal Music Group or some shyt....

 

[Cryptocurrency Scarface]

Def jam is trash now anyway

 

[Redwing80]

They listed some of the coldest artists outside of Future and OutKast group collectively haven't released a full-length collaborative project since Stankonia. I don't count SB/TLB or Idlewild. Epic is looking like LaFace and Arista in the 90s and early 2000s.

Now compare that with Def Jam, who got Justin Beiber and Kanye West

 

[MarloStanTrill]

whats going on over at def jam? are they whitening up or something?

started when jayz was president and forced out LL COOL J, DMX, AND METHOD MAN AND REDMAN

 

[Ninjaz In Paris]

Through all of music or Hip Hop? I know some genres make bank via album sales but I'mma need some receipts if you're implying Hip Hop is making bank off these signing deals.

Most of my friends are strictly Hip Hop/R&B Producers/Writers...

The only ones not eating are the same ones who wouldn't be smart enough to survive in Corporate America either. For example, I have 3 friends specifically who have degrees in business & 1 has one in Sociology. They're all eating VERY well in the Music Industry because they weren't DESPERATE to sign a contract because they had already established themselves before NEEDING money if that makes sense? But my friends who are your typical "I slept couch to couch to chase my dreams..." are all broke from signing stupid contracts/mishandling their money.

The Music Business is still a business, still a career... it's great if you treat it as such but those looking at it like a Get Rich Quick Scheme are the ones complaining there's no money in it because they don't have any. I worked in Healthcare for years before signing & moved around no different then anyone else. Had a job, a car, a crib & was living ok financially BEFORE any contracts were signed. Labels can smell desperation 3 states away which is why they sign dudes left & right who have NOTHING & give them NOTHING-CONTRACTS if that makes sense?

The only ones screaming no money were the cats with none to begin with who blew their advances on stupid ish. In a real world sense you'd be amazed how DUMB some of these dudes really are when it comes to just life in general & it reflects in their choice of career... Music just happens to be one they attempt to choose but they'd be dumb anywhere, feel me?

 

[L. Deezy]

*checks billboard*

He went to Epic for what? Nobody is selling...

What is Epic gonna do different? Main thing is, these top rappers like Ross need to stop giving away their best material for free... granted it can be downloaded for free, but dont drop a hot mixtape and then drop an ok album right behind it...

Im sure he wanted to fulfill his contract.. but.. we'll see

 

[Ninjaz In Paris]

Can somebody please tell me how a label like epic makes money from ross? Ross doesn't sell records or do big tours

This isn't really a "Record Deal" per say. What a lot of Labels are doing now is basically signing artists who still have a "presence" & making money off their Publishing & Catalogs both past & future while providing them with open book resources but Epic won't do the groundwork, MMG will. That's all this is. Nothing changes really between his deal at Def Jam & Epic, same shyt, different toilet. Epic wins in this more then Ross because they will capitalize off of his Tour Money as well without needing to do extra work. Ross has the benefit of Epic's resources & the title of being a "Signed Artist" which in his case (being an already Gold artist) means nothing similar to Pusha T being named the President of G.O.O.D. Music... it's all perception.

For instance, Timbaland was shopping Tink from Chicago but the only offers he had were the "We'll sign your Artist if you give us some of your Publishing/Back Catalog." Epic, Def Jam & RCA are now doing this HEAVILY. It's why artists like Lil' Durk (Def Jam) are known but have no REAL success (Top 40's, REAL tours, not these hole in the wall shows) & King Louie (Epic Records but has no real success). They hand you a phone book basically & tell you get to work, they're not doing the actual hustling, Timbaland & Tink's team would be but they have access to whatever resources the Label is able to provide.

Sadly, this is MOST deals nowadays. Labels have gotten EXTREMELY lazy.

 

[TOP SZNing]

Thank you to Rozay for inspiring this Great thread. Been a long time since we got to see the entire Fake Coli A&R army get together to flex their bullshyt muscles again

So many smart dumb bruhs in here rambling, I can't stop

 

[The God Poster]

what da fukk y'all getting excited for?


he just signed a deal with the USUAL SUSPECTS:

LA REID

and


SYLVIA RHONE

these are two of DOUG MORRIS's prized "indentured servents"....

when he says JUMP they MOVE!!

both of them were under the Universal umbrella fukking up DEF JAM and MOTOWN....

when MORRIS made the move to SONY...he brought his "domesticated pets" over to EPIC to "breed" more mules and field bucks like that boy from Brooklyn that they had DANCING on tables

had to quote as people gone try & ignore this

 

[Ineedmoney504]

you sir... are an idiot

nas you are right... now he stuck on def jam and they won't even let him release his last album to get off... smooth move

jay - rocnation is not a major... and jay is in a 360 deal with them... sorry - regardless what u talking bout he still deals wit a label and a distributed by a major

fab - not sure he ever left def jam in the first place to complete his first deal... nope - fab came to def jam when jay became president

jada - known dummy who was told by styles and sheek to stop fukking with majors and did it anyway... ended up crying on the radio months later cause he had no money - was on interscope

rick ross - there's 2

j cole - on rocnation, not a major, still his first contract... are you not understanding the question? - is now signed through interscope

i think you trying to say LL - left def jam after complaining when jay was made president... named his last album with them exit 13 to say fukk you.... is currently on an indy labelV - I'm pretty his first contract through def jam wasn't a 10 album contract, I'm sure he had to sign another one after 20 years

scarface - rap a lot is a fukking indy label you dikk... you are really bad about this... his last album came out on another indy after he left rap a lot... so you loss twice

Common - started on an indy, relativity.. then went to a major... then to good music... but hey lets call that 3 for you

BG - cash money is an indy label.... i think you are confusing being distributed by a major, as being signed to a major - after his contract was up, where did he go? Atlantic faq

wanye, juvi - same fukking thing... cash money is an indy label with major distribution... like i been saying.. indy does NOT mean you do it yourself in your basement - all these Indy labels u claiming are being support fully by majors clown, I guess roc a fella was a Indy label also huh

kanye - still on his first deal.... when they split the roc, nikkas contracts stayed with def jam... he did not reup with them... he's still on their label - so u saying Kanye deal 8-9 albums long wit def jam?





so out of all those names... i'm giving you 3


you sir do not know shyt about the music industry and i can see that clearly... i'm not going to bother with this anymore when you don't even know the difference between major, indy and boutique... nor direct signing and distribution

All these people are being supplied by majors, so stop wit these dumb ass lil rules clown

 

[thernbroom]

This isn't really a "Record Deal" per say. What a lot of Labels are doing now is basically signing artists who still have a "presence" & making money off their Publishing & Catalogs both past & future while providing them with open book resources but Epic won't do the groundwork, MMG will. That's all this is. Nothing changes really between his deal at Def Jam & Epic, same shyt, different toilet. Epic wins in this more then Ross because they will capitalize off of his Tour Money as well without needing to do extra work. Ross has the benefit of Epic's resources & the title of being a "Signed Artist" which in his case (being an already Gold artist) means nothing similar to Pusha T being named the President of G.O.O.D. Music... it's all perception.

For instance, Timbaland was shopping Tink from Chicago but the only offers he had were the "We'll sign your Artist if you give us some of your Publishing/Back Catalog." Epic, Def Jam & RCA are now doing this HEAVILY. It's why artists like Lil' Durk (Def Jam) are known but have no REAL success (Top 40's, REAL tours, not these hole in the wall shows) & King Louie (Epic Records but has no real success). They hand you a phone book basically & tell you get to work, they're not doing the actual hustling, Timbaland & Tink's team would be but they have access to whatever resources the Label is able to provide.

Sadly, this is MOST deals nowadays. Labels have gotten EXTREMELY lazy.

I would have thought the old catalog and publishing belonged to def jam and again Ross doesn't go on big tours at all, Ross does more media tours then actually music tours it seems

 

[mson]

you sir... are an idiot

nas you are right... now he stuck on def jam and they won't even let him release his last album to get off... smooth move




you sir do not know shyt about the music industry and i can see that clearly... i'm not going to bother with this anymore when you don't even know the difference between major, indy and boutique... nor direct signing and distribution

That's not his fault. It was a good deal. They advanced him money for a certain amount of albums. Nas held up his end.

 

[Diondon]

What does Curly think about this?
Anyway I hope he falls back for a bit, till like 2017 to build up anticipation
Push DC and other MMG artists

 

[Black Gatsby]

you sir... are an idiot

nas you are right... now he stuck on def jam and they won't even let him release his last album to get off... smooth move

jay - rocnation is not a major... and jay is in a 360 deal with them... sorry

fab - not sure he ever left def jam in the first place to complete his first deal... nope

jada - known dummy who was told by styles and sheek to stop fukking with majors and did it anyway... ended up crying on the radio months later cause he had no money

rick ross - there's 2

j cole - on rocnation, not a major, still his first contract... are you not understanding the question?

i think you trying to say LL - left def jam after complaining when jay was made president... named his last album with them exit 13 to say fukk you.... is currently on an indy label

scarface - rap a lot is a fukking indy label you dikk... you are really bad about this... his last album came out on another indy after he left rap a lot... so you loss twice

Common - started on an indy, relativity.. then went to a major... then to good music... but hey lets call that 3 for you

BG - cash money is an indy label.... i think you are confusing being distributed by a major, as being signed to a major

wanye, juvi - same fukking thing... cash money is an indy label with major distribution... like i been saying.. indy does NOT mean you do it yourself in your basement

kanye - still on his first deal.... when they split the roc, nikkas contracts stayed with def jam... he did not reup with them... he's still on their label






so out of all those names... i'm giving you 3


you sir do not know shyt about the music industry and i can see that clearly... i'm not going to bother with this anymore when you don't even know the difference between major, indy and boutique... nor direct signing and distribution

Did he get a muffin basket with the keys to his new apartment in the bushes