I swear if I was given a dollar for every time this got typed on the siccness...
I'd have about tree-fiddy.
Why the fuck would I lie about that?
Record companies rip you off.....
You think being given or offered a contract means anything? you know the truth? 90% of artists who get contracts end up owing the labels money after they've been dropped... And most "artists" are signed to developmental deals anyway - which pretty much means "if we like your album" we will give it a test on the radio but if it doesn't pan out you're dropped...
A few record companies wanted me bad but had problems with MY TERMS... They insisted on an advance because they wanted me in THEIR studio's of choice working with THEIR producers, which I wasn't down for so I straight up refused their cash advance (meaning the artist has to pay for their own album to be produced and their own videos made) and I insisted instead of an advance I wanted royalties and they weren't buying those demands, because if I was successful that would have made me one of the richest artists in the business that doesn't own a label...... Oh I also wanted to record my album in my own studio with my own group and have complete creative control over my music - these jerkoff executives didn't like that idea either - hell they actually wanted to bring people in to write my raps - they said they loved my voice and delivery but said (and I remember this) my lyrics were too "dirty, hysterical and violent" - I only remember that part of the conversation because I thought using the word "hysterical" to describe my lyrics or presence was bizarre...
At any rate I did sign a deal with Suave House because they agreed to give me royalties and I would be working with Psychodrama, Crime Boss, MJG, Eightball, Mr. Mike numerous others that were on the same level that I was on at the time and I had no problem going to Memphis - hell they even offered to record the album in Chicago... But a few months later Suave House went bankrupt/sold off right before I was scheduled to start doing my vocals...
I don't need a fucking record label and the only reason why I chose to sign with Suave was because I would be working with some serious talent, producers and engineers on my level and they gave me a nice contract.
Oh and if it matters Suave contacted me..... That whole story is great too. I gave my dad's co-worker a copy of my demo tape (or one of the tapes I did) and a couple years goes by and he calls me out of the blue and asks if I'm still rapping and making beats and I'm like yeah.... Dude asked me if I wanted to come out to Atlanta and drop a few licks on his cousins cd, I said I couldn't because I had a job and shit and was broke at the time... Then a couple months later Eightball calls me, telling me how he got my tape from one of his friends in Atlanta he just signed and wanted to know if I was interested in rapping and maybe going out to Memphis, and he was telling me how much he loved the Chicago style and he just signed Psychodrama and he wanted to meet up... So I met up with Ball and from there shit just took off..
It was really weird how that happened.
