f'ac'ts'

that's a good question

Kendrick signed to Top Dawg and Aftermath -> Interscope -> Universal -> Vivendi

I know masters have always been valuable and that's why great artists have always fought so hard to get them back, but I wonder if the rise of streaming has increased the value of them. Now that your back catalogue iisn't solely dependent on people purchasing old albums. All they have to do is keep streaming them. Plus you're then in charge of licensing your masters to the streaming services and get paid off that as well.

It's not always the large advances that get artists to sign either. Being independent is a lot of f***ing work. It's a daily 24 hour grind. Labels will sell you a shortcut to success. All you have to worry about at that point is the music.

what is this supposed to be

forbes.com/sites/laurenalvarez/2019/04/30/kendrick-lamar-inks-long-term-deal-with-bmi/#45004e0e6554

im reading this article from last year about dot's music

4/30/2019

BMI took to Instagram on Monday, April 29 to announce the exciting news. The performing rights organization will now represent his catalog of music, featuring many iconic projects over the years including his unapologetic 2017 record DAMN and his 2015 jazz-infused, funky avant-garde set To Pimp A Butterfly.

Owning your masters is not some easy feat lmao. A major label is not gonna let you own them if you sign to them as a new artist, they will make basically no exception.

The only way new/upcoming artists can own their masters right off the bat is ala Chance who is independent or starting your own label and singing a deal to have a major label invest in it and distribute the music. The average artist has no idea how to maintain an entire career independently or better yet own a label themselves.

Singing to a major label is the ideal thing for 98% of upcoming artists. You also have a bigger chance of getting rich & successful as a musician by signing to a label without owning your masters rather than being independent and owning your masters. Look at the charts... you'll see 50 rappers signed to major labels go #1 with an album before you see a Chance/Russ go #1 with an album.

I think BMI and other performance rights orgs just represent the artists music and license it to other companies that want to use it

Yeah, this was just the closest recent info about his music i could find, other than the existence of pgLang

That was 2015 tho.

For example with after hours the label and executives urged him to not drop the album with the pandemic going on but he still did it anyway

True he probably has way more say now since he proved himself multiple times

This is such a white person stance

Dam Russ getting to the bag lmao

And he still signed to QC. He most likely don’t

People clown Russ to fit in but they should listen when he speak. He be dropping gems.

If y’all think these rappers got it bad, female pop stars for decades have had to get sexually harassed/assualted just to get that same s***ty deal where they don’t own s***

What is this

with no hits and less money then takeoff 💀💀

What if labels know how valuable masters are too and arent simply going to let you keep your master if you’re gonna do business with them

He still checking bags tho. Sound like a W to me. Stop being corny.

im sorry i came at ya fav and hurt ur feelings

You go have a successful career in the music industry while owning your masters then talk