there were a lot of good points made in this thread from both sides. especially the ones that recognize that most rappers dont have cake like that...they just out here frontin. also, Jay aint the only a$$hole or snake in the industry. Baby, Puff, J Prince, etc...they are a$$holes too when it comes to business, but thats how you have to be to succeed as they have done. me personally, that aint my style. I am a loyal nikka. there is no loyalty in the industry. I guess this contract situation hits home for me because I had fam that owned a record label that was home to some of the biggest R&B stars of the 80's and 90's. I talked to several labels but gave them first right of refusal cuz they was fam. shyt, they was tryna fukk me all kinda wayz.
you name it, from b.s. advances to trying to steal production credit. me being the nikka I am, I passed on the opportunities. I felt I was smarter than that then to get raped over a record deal and sign over part of my life so I passed.
the major difference with that situation and the Roc though....this label had only done R&B and had never had a hip hop artist. so looking back years later, I wouldve been fukked anyway. just a slave to a contract and probably would have fukked me up with school and everything. they ended up signing a group with a well known platinum selling hip hop artist in it and even though this artist had better success before and AFTER the deal.....while they were with this label, they sold absolutely nothing.
again, 150k is nothing. thats what Jaz said on the vid unless he is lying. labels were giving producers who didnt even rap throwaway deals for $500k back in the early-mid 90's and writing the shyt off on taxes. some times nikkas albums never even made it to mastering. I am a grown ass man and I may have wished I had smashed a chick or two that I didnt back in the day or not blew racks on stupid ass shyt. I still consider myself a poor man, but funny thing is....I PERSONALLY know some rappers that sold millions of records and their house value is the same as mine and we pushin the same shyt....yet I got more kids then them nikkas. They aint broke, but they are very conservative with that paper because they dont have anything else to fall back on like myself, who is a skilled professional who collects excellent benefits. I cant speak for Jaz but one thing I never regretted in my life, was turning down that contract.
shyt is crucial out here...take it from me. one of my peoples had 2 record deals on MAJOR record labels, one of which was the hottest Hip Hop label at the time....and he had videos on BET. Well, he sellin bootleg cds/dvds on the street now to make ends meet. shyt aint sweet.