“I can’t use my own music without getting your permission?”
The music industry isn’t always what it’s cracked up to be. Images may seem a lot different from afar and as people continue to look at artists and envy their luxurious lifestyles has a reality gut check to look forward to.
Too many have been blinded and confused by the flashing lights.
DMX is an artist that has seen the sky as well as the pits in his rap career. Many remember the days when X was on top with Ruff Ryders, but people continue to wonder what actually happened as he seems to be a past memory since as his exploits outweigh the music.
Also making a move towards being independent, there is clearly something going on with major record labels as artists, particularly rappers, continue to find solace in their career when they do it on their own.
While on SLF (Sounds Like Fire), the Dark Man gave some incite about the actual game and the politics that take place behind closed doors between the artist and those that help to shape his/her career in regards to exposure.
“The highest paid artists get 26 cents off a dollar. They sell your Shyte for $20. C’mon dawg, you can do a little better than that.”
Back in the day when Def Jam actually gave priority to their rap artists, the video game industry was hit by storm with the game Def Jam Vendetta which featured the Def Jam roster in a WWE style fighting game. The game’s initial success resulted in two sequels.
The rapper, who was featured as a character as well as having his music played, stated that shifty business deals in that forced him to receive the short end of the stick.
“They sell a game for 50 fu&^ing dollars. These ni**as come to me like ‘Yo, guess what X? We’re gonna do a part 2 now.’ Mind you, they use my music throughout the whole fu$#ing game and I’m the hardest character to get to. So it’s pretty much my Shyte. They say they’re going to give me a $25,000 advance signing bonus and 2 cents off of every game sold. $50 fu&%ing game and you’re giving me 2 cents?”
For young artists that think that the life of an artist is all glitz and glam, think twice before adapting this type of mentality. Nothing comes free and fame has its own prices.
