Not even worth anything rn lol. You'll never hear a Russ song in a movie or a big commercial

Russ the type of dude to do R&D and build all the microcontrollers on his computers/speakers and instruments before he makes a beat.

S*** when I was 18 I probably would’ve signed a s***ty deal

You can still get distro and marketing deals without giving up ownership.

If you have enough buzz it's possible to get a manageable deal. Other thing may be to get a s***ty first deal but for a much shorter term.

Nah he’s been around for a second. And young thug already knew him. If your down in the south it wouldn’t be hard to believe they know each other.

itt: people who dont understand the concept of leverage

-KTT Label executives

Yall dummies really think this is only a rap related thing huh

Like rich hipster singer songwriters don't sign s***ty label deals

the weeknd had way more leverage. he was an independent artist who had songs with drake and was already selling out shows. not many artists that are getting offered deals have that much, and the position that artists like him or russ had is very unique and not easily attainable. a lot has to go right to have any sort of say

Source to abel owning his masters?

True but even in 2011, that was excellent foresight by him.

If the label is the one that manufactured your career, then that's different. Whatever gets signed is what it is.

Just look up his albums on streaming services.

He has a distro and marketing deal with Republic but the principle owner is The Weeknd XO. Same way w/ Drake now the owner is 'OVO' with licensing to Republic.

Easier said than done when negotiating with these labels

"Manufactured and marketed by Republic"

I dont think thats the same as a "licensing" deal
Could see him owning 50% of his masters and 50% universal

@safe what do u think?

In the real world, talent doesn't automatically equal success. The music industry is more than just talent. They're behind crafting your image, hooking you up artist/producer/songwriter collaborations, media promo, etc. All things that are extremely difficult to do on your own just starting out. No label is going to invest that type of money w/o wanting the benefits.

Making fun of people desperate to make it and willing to compromise on bad deals when you're s*** posting from your mom's house 🤔🤔

holy s***

i think its hilarious every time someone calls Apple Music chances secret label like its a bad thing to get promotion and funding while owning 100% of your music and brand

this is f***ing sick, what a come up, salute.

He snapped fr.

Just to be clear I'm not saying all artists should be independent. Just that the deals don't have to be one sided if you come in with some heat.

Like Youngboy could partner with a label and get more marketing rn without giving up ownership.

Yeah I’ve known that since a kid but I also understand how people end up in situations where they don’t own their s***