It still looks very much to be the season of Top Dawg Entertainment, this after flagship artist Kendrick Lamar and TDE boss Anthony “Top Dawg” Tiffith grace the cover of the latest issue of Billboard. The magazine chose the pair for its 2017 Hip-Hop Power Players issue for obvious reasons.
Inside the cover story, K-Dot breaks down his deep allegiance to TDE, explaining he’s been with the label since 16 years of age. But for Lamar, it’s not about money or fame as working with the label has forged a bond beyond record sales and fame.
From Billboard:
“The thing with TDE,” says Lamar, “is it was all ours — an independent deal from the jump. I came in at 16 years old, so it’s all I know.” TDE patiently grooms all of its artists, building their careers until they have their pick of major labels to help take them to the next level. Lamar released five mixtapes and one independent album, 2011’s Section.80, before cutting a deal with Aftermath/Interscope, and SZA put out two mixtapes and an EP before TDE partnered with RCA for CTRL. “It’s a family type of environment,” says Lamar. “It’s not just all about making money every day.”
The normally reclusive Top Dawg drops some gems and jewels as well, explaining the operation that TDE has become since its fledlging days. Read the full cover story by following this link.
This is big news for the Billboard squad, this after the respected publication has released the 2017 Hip-Hop Power Players list for the first time. Get into it by following this link as well.
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Photo: Billboard
