We're debating it on Twitter right now. Someone started with a typically Twitter-like Tweet saying "Black male in the industry in 1995 was a label CEO, a 25 year old Black male in the music industry in 2016 is a Xanax Junkie."

I responded calling out the foolishness of it...but everyone basically said rappers sign worse deals today than in the 90's due to 360 Deals. As bad as 360 Deals are, I feel like rappers were signing even worse deals back in the day, they just didn't have a defined title such as a "360." What would you say? I'm sure Double 0 can drop some knowledge on this.

Poll result (5 votes) They were worse in the 90's (2 votes) Vote They're worse now (2 votes) Vote They're exactly the same bad (1 votes) Vote

The difference is then they were signing shitty deals AND just not making that much money from deals.

To counter that I would say that artist now have more leverage when signing deals because they have the ability to create a brand before signing way more now then they did then.

I just think it depends. Chief Keef signed an 7 album deal just like Brand nubians did.

But there were Puffy's then and there are Puffy's now.



>We're debating it on Twitter right now. Someone started with
>a typically Twitter-like Tweet saying "Black male in the
>industry in 1995 was a label CEO, a 25 year old Black male in
>the music industry in 2016 is a Xanax Junkie."
>
>I responded calling out the foolishness of it...but everyone
>basically said rappers sign worse deals today than in the 90's
>due to 360 Deals. As bad as 360 Deals are, I feel like rappers
>were signing even worse deals back in the day, they just
>didn't have a defined title such as a "360." What would you
>say? I'm sure Double 0 can drop some knowledge on this.


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"Everyone has a plan until you punch them in the face. Then they don't have a plan anymore." (c) Mike Tyson

"what's a leader if he isn't reluctant"

that's when cats were getting gaffled for sure off the 360's.

i mean, knowing how bad they can be i'd have to say artists have it better now. seems like more people are having their imprint signed by the major and partnering up for distribution and whatnot, with the artist keeping a much bigger chunk of the cash and having less expenses to pay back to the label. since you don't REALLY need a major these days with digital marketing and distribution, the cheap cost of making a quality video, etc...seems like labels are just trying to hitch themselves to a train they hope will make a profit and get their cut.

but, that's just how it SEEMS. i'm willing to accept being wrong.

so does that make signing a bad deal now even worse?

buy more/easier options i mean things like the lower cost of quality tools and equipment, as well as the influence of the internet as a medium for marketing and distribution mean you need a label less for those things now than before

i think *your* question is different (I wouldn't know how to quantify *worse* because I don't have a broad enough insight into the comparison of contract terms then to now), but your question did spark that as a thought

If he offered Wayne that JCole must've got raped on his


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Dallas Cavericks LETS GO!!

it seems to me like they made up for it off touring & merchandise.

now with the 360 deal, the record companies are raping ALL the money from all revenue streams.

that's how it seems. keep in mind i don't know shit about the industry besides rule #4,080 and Tribe's "show business" song...


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I ain't lyin. This shit i'm making up is true...

but I feel its basically the same regardless of time frame. just has a diff label now than before. you'd think the internet would level things more, but its just still easier to break an artist on a major than on his/her own.

Y'all buy those labels, I was born supreme

my boy always said the smartest thing you could do is sign a 3 album deal and then go the indie route once you get your name out there.

prolly easier said than done but once he broke down the numbers on how much you had to sell to make the same as a major it was insane.

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TBH the fact that you're even a mod here fits squarely within Jag's narrative of OK-sanctioned aggression, bullying, and toxicity. *shrug*

In the 90's at least you had true independent labels you could sign with and get famous on without ever having to go with a major. Going with an indie usually meant more points per unit and you could still get good exposure out of it.

360 deals are royally fucking artists out of their money. Labels NEVER got a cut of the tour money in the past, nowadays their hand is in that as well.

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"Where was the peace when we were getting shot? Where's the peace when we were getting laid out?
Where is the peace when we are in the back of ambulances? Where is the peace then?
They don't want to call for peace then.

i say the deals are as bad now as they were then. if not for the 360 thing then deals would be better now - b/c labels would only be getting money from music sales and acts could hold on to most of their touring and merchandise and other money.

however, there's more info out there now than there ever was and so i WISH acts were smarter about these deals and were getting better advise about how to navigate the industry so as to come out relatively unscathed.
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Bad deals then bad deals now... good lawyers do good deals.. bad lawyers get got

The 360 deal can be a good deal with the right company.... People talk shit but Roc Nation aka Live Nation can put you on the road, create merch and manage you in studio writing for others. So for a company like that with the resources it could work well. You just need to have those parts working for you. Remember you are in a 360 deal with your management anyway. They've always gotten a % of everything.

People forget you are entering into a situation where you are offered advances (your money) for everything.. recording, touring, video, mixtape/promo. Thats all money you owe out of your negotiated split.. and have to recoup

If you are smart these days you take less money for more control and do proper partnerships. But you do NEED money to compete at a certain level. Same time Drake, Nicki have become more solvent faster in this environment than their 90s counterparts. In the 90s the label would have floated the lifestyle with advances and shit and you would've never seen the light of day. And when you were dropped you were dropped w/o money. Busta owed elektra 17million dollars. He had to get bought out of debt to move labels... all because of 2m videos and shit.. so

EDIT: One big difference today.. You dont get shelved.. they just drop you.. which is way better than being stuck for years and cant do shit.

Double 0
DJ/Producer/Artist
Producer in Kidz In The Hall
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twitter: @godouble0
IG: @godouble0
www.thinklikearapper.com

You may get more money upfront but thats also more dept upfront LOL but thats not coming if you dont get your leverage up. Advances/Debt was always offered cause more money was being throw around cause they could afford it.

Today if you play your cards right and do what you gotta do while independent to walk into that meeting with a major label to take u to the next level...u are laughing.

These days its easier to get exposure, but also harder at the same time with the amount of music thats out and the amount of artists that are out. Major labels are still needed tho. People are acting like Bruno Mars or Drake coudlve started off independent and gotten this big. Nah bruh. Majors take you to that superstardom level because of the meetings and money they can walk you into with other brands and companites to get your name out there. All that working together is something nobody independently could do or without a major label to get to that status for that to even be an option.

plus the internet...the groundwork is laid...signing with a label now is downright lazy

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2019 CABG Survivor

2016 OK Survivor Champion

be about it or be without it

RIP GOATs

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id still say now bcz the internet is a HUGE advantage

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2019 CABG Survivor

2016 OK Survivor Champion

be about it or be without it

RIP GOATs

these "bad" deals the best 99% of these dudes can get on the market. so are they really bad?

<--- Big Baller World Order

off by labels since the 30s.

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"Everyone has a plan until you punch them in the face. Then they don't have a plan anymore." (c) Mike Tyson

"what's a leader if he isn't reluctant"

No. But for real, his public struggle with WB was a huge wake up call for lots of entertainers and would-be entertainers. It got the ppl talking.
_______________________

Sometimes i think people come to realizations late though.... like Prince had a pretty solid deal according to his manager.. WB let an 18 year old kid do whatever he wanted for over a decade... He always had creative control and they bankrolled every artist he put out...

Double 0
DJ/Producer/Artist
Producer in Kidz In The Hall
-------------------------------------------
twitter: @godouble0
IG: @godouble0
www.thinklikearapper.com

The idea everyone was a CEO in the 90s is also a lie.. a 50/50 joint venture is not 100% ownership

Many more artist run labels were vanity labels w/o a staff

Sidenote: Listening to Biggs on Rap Radar Podcast talk about their deal with Def Jam. In that deal was a structured time limit when Def Jam was going to buy them. So even though we think the Roc "fell apart" the Def Jam buy out was a trigger they had in there for years...

Sometimes I wish for some 90s money though.. just like 1 good year of absurd use of petty cash.. 2k a day studio lock outs and Sony Or Hit Factory and 2m dollar videos

My first job as a general assistant at Sony Studio was in 2000. My last day they sent me to deliver a CD to Rodney Jerkins studio... TWO FUCKIN HOURS AWAY (Near A.C). But it was in a town car and all that...

just wasting money man

Double 0
DJ/Producer/Artist
Producer in Kidz In The Hall
-------------------------------------------
twitter: @godouble0
IG: @godouble0
www.thinklikearapper.com