Both have been released from the label.
Before we sign anybody I give em several "speeches", at several different times tryna make sure what I'm explainin is sinkin in. It goes basically like this.
1. I give them a list of books they should buy. Books that give knowledge on the music business. I tell em' in the next few weeks, months i'm start talkin to you bout signing and you need to know what's best for you.
2. I tell them, "I know we homeboys, friends or whatever - but my loyalty is to Cin Sity Records and it's my job and duty to get the best deal for Cin Sity Records". It's hard doin business with friends but I let it be known up front that when it's time for paperwork and business, that i am NOT comin as a friend but as a businessman who is gonna offer them what is best for The Label and not what is best for them. I even let em know that if a mutha fukka offered me what I am offering them, that I wouldn't sign it - I would negotiate or pass.
3. I give em the rundown on publishing and royalties. What they will get what they wont get.
4. I let em know we are small. No videos on MTV, BET. No radio. Prolly a few Murder Dog ads, posters, flyers. I let em know that unless something unusual happens that they aint gonna be seen or heard anywhere that Jay Z is seen or heard. Tell em what expenses will be charged to thier account, let em know they won't see a check for a while, and then when they do it might not be about shit.
5. I let em know that they might sell only a few thousand copies and be crushed that they didn't explode the way that they alway knew they would. But I tell em Cin Sity is in it to win it, we aint quittin, eventually we will get there, so if we gotta do album after album before shit start really happening then Cin Sity is commited to do that.
6. I let em know that we expect for them to be on time and act professional. Don't miss recording sessions, in stores, meetings that we have scheduled. Dont show up so high or drunk that you can't do what you are supposed to be doing. I let em know that whatever they are into on the streets that they prolly need to curb that shit. We sell music, mostly hard street shit, but we are not in the Gangsta Businees, or the Drug Business, we are in the music business. I let em know that I aint tryna sign you because you a tru gangsta, or that yo been to the pen, or that you done had a kilo in your hand before - I'm tryna sign you because you rap tightt den a mutha fukka. I tell em if they get locked up because they out in them streets doin street thangs that there is a big chance it's gonna fuck everything up with the business we are doing with them, so dont go to jail, don't have mutha fukkas at our office doin drive by's.
7. I been in this business for a lil minute, not just the artistic end but day to day business, the grit and the grind. I understand aspects of this business they have no clue of, so I do my best to to lace them with the game that I have learned and let them know what to expect.
After all that we sign papers, laying out all the facts. Mutha fukkas start goin to jail, not showin up for sessions, mad because they didn't understand the paperwork, mad that they homies askin them where is your benz - and they aint got on, askin where is they money. Basically mad at everthing, when we do our dambdest to prepare them for everything.
Each case is different, but it basically boils down to them not being happy, and us not being happy, and so we go our seperate ways.
I started makin my bones at Black Market when we was with them on the XV album, still learnin valuable shit to this day, not enough time in life for me to learn everythin there is to learn. Moc and Ruthless (Blue Ragg) learned shit here at Cin Sity that they will take with them, good and bad.
All yall tryna rap, hope for the best, but expect the worst.
To yall readin that rap, PUT OUT YOUR OWN SHIT!!! You wont deal with half of this shit, but then you will open a whole new can of worms by tryna do it yourself. Either way at the end of the day, niggaz just wanna be satisfied with what they doin, and none of us was happy.
Before we sign anybody I give em several "speeches", at several different times tryna make sure what I'm explainin is sinkin in. It goes basically like this.
1. I give them a list of books they should buy. Books that give knowledge on the music business. I tell em' in the next few weeks, months i'm start talkin to you bout signing and you need to know what's best for you.
2. I tell them, "I know we homeboys, friends or whatever - but my loyalty is to Cin Sity Records and it's my job and duty to get the best deal for Cin Sity Records". It's hard doin business with friends but I let it be known up front that when it's time for paperwork and business, that i am NOT comin as a friend but as a businessman who is gonna offer them what is best for The Label and not what is best for them. I even let em know that if a mutha fukka offered me what I am offering them, that I wouldn't sign it - I would negotiate or pass.
3. I give em the rundown on publishing and royalties. What they will get what they wont get.
4. I let em know we are small. No videos on MTV, BET. No radio. Prolly a few Murder Dog ads, posters, flyers. I let em know that unless something unusual happens that they aint gonna be seen or heard anywhere that Jay Z is seen or heard. Tell em what expenses will be charged to thier account, let em know they won't see a check for a while, and then when they do it might not be about shit.
5. I let em know that they might sell only a few thousand copies and be crushed that they didn't explode the way that they alway knew they would. But I tell em Cin Sity is in it to win it, we aint quittin, eventually we will get there, so if we gotta do album after album before shit start really happening then Cin Sity is commited to do that.
6. I let em know that we expect for them to be on time and act professional. Don't miss recording sessions, in stores, meetings that we have scheduled. Dont show up so high or drunk that you can't do what you are supposed to be doing. I let em know that whatever they are into on the streets that they prolly need to curb that shit. We sell music, mostly hard street shit, but we are not in the Gangsta Businees, or the Drug Business, we are in the music business. I let em know that I aint tryna sign you because you a tru gangsta, or that yo been to the pen, or that you done had a kilo in your hand before - I'm tryna sign you because you rap tightt den a mutha fukka. I tell em if they get locked up because they out in them streets doin street thangs that there is a big chance it's gonna fuck everything up with the business we are doing with them, so dont go to jail, don't have mutha fukkas at our office doin drive by's.
7. I been in this business for a lil minute, not just the artistic end but day to day business, the grit and the grind. I understand aspects of this business they have no clue of, so I do my best to to lace them with the game that I have learned and let them know what to expect.
After all that we sign papers, laying out all the facts. Mutha fukkas start goin to jail, not showin up for sessions, mad because they didn't understand the paperwork, mad that they homies askin them where is your benz - and they aint got on, askin where is they money. Basically mad at everthing, when we do our dambdest to prepare them for everything.
Each case is different, but it basically boils down to them not being happy, and us not being happy, and so we go our seperate ways.
I started makin my bones at Black Market when we was with them on the XV album, still learnin valuable shit to this day, not enough time in life for me to learn everythin there is to learn. Moc and Ruthless (Blue Ragg) learned shit here at Cin Sity that they will take with them, good and bad.
All yall tryna rap, hope for the best, but expect the worst.
To yall readin that rap, PUT OUT YOUR OWN SHIT!!! You wont deal with half of this shit, but then you will open a whole new can of worms by tryna do it yourself. Either way at the end of the day, niggaz just wanna be satisfied with what they doin, and none of us was happy.
