Independence: 10 Rappers Who Campaigned For Freedom From Record Labels [Photos]
Written by
Trent Clark
Published on
July 4, 2014
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Major record labels have seen their approval rating bounce back since their late 00s down slide, but one should never underestimate the gall of a rapper.
Given the rebellious ethos Hip-Hop music largely adheres to, there will always be down for a mutiny.
Record contracts are almost always massive, binding agreements that place a ceiling on an artist’s creativity, mobility or in a lot of instances, both.
To celebrate this Independence Day 2014, we’re looking at 10 rappers who campaigned for freedom from their record labels. Best believe they let it ring.
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Photo: WENN
Photo: Facebook/Freddie Gibbs
Freddie Gibbs
Label: CTE
Gangsta Gibbs signed to Jeezy’s imprint in 2012 but after a couple of mixtapes and no albums, the Gary, Ind. native washed his hands with the situation and started sending shots at the Snowman.
Photo: Instagram/Nas
Nas
Label: Columbia/Sony
In 2002, Nas rapped how he was a “Columbia Records slave” and followed up with a double disc album (which many artists use to count as two for their album release obligations, thus expediting the end of their contract).
A couple of years later, he was mysteriously signed to Def Jam while DMX started recording for Columbia.
Photo: WENN
50 Cent
Label: Interscope
The tension between the label Jimmy Iovine built and 50 began once he stopped becoming the focal point on their operations around the time his third album dropped. He then flatly refused to drop anymore albums until he was conditionally released. He got his wish earlier this year.
Photo: WENN
Snoop Dogg
Label: Death Row
Following his murder trial and a prison camp environment at Suge Knight’s fortress, Snoop went down south to Master P’s No Limit Records to distance himself from drama. He even named his 1999 album Tha Last Meal, meant to imply the last time Suge “would eat” off his rap career.
Angel Haze was reigning XXL Freshman when she agreed to take her talents to Island/Republic. After she her career was stalled, she did want any sensible individual would do (not really.) She leaked her own album and demanded to be free from the label. Of course she flopped harder than LeBron when they agreed to release it later that month.
Photo: WENN
Azealia Banks
Label: Universal
Taking a page from her frenemy Angel Haze, Ms. Banks decided to campaign herself off her label via her already violatile Twitter account. It didn’t work and she still doesn’t have an album out.
Photo: WENN
Left Eye
Label: Laface
The late, great Lisa Lopes was the first TLC member to actively take a stand and rebel again their historically terrible label deal.
After his N.W.A clique became a little too white-washed for his liking, Cube went solo and used his popularity to turn the world against the Compton clique. Maybe all that will be detailed in full in the upcoming Straight Outta Compton. Or maybe not.
The Lox
Label: Bad Boy
If President Obama ever reveals that he borrowed techniques for his “Change” campaign from the Jadakiss, Styles P and Sheek Louch’s “Let The Lox Go” campaign, don’t be too surprised.
The street movement may have taken more than a decade to work but it got the job done.
