Saturday, July 25, 2009

Diablog: The Label Owner

this is a real conversation I had with a label owner. when I asked to be payed this is what happened.

person X (11:32:24 AM): Nothing, project has little to no budget
person X (11:32:31 AM): We paid ___________ 250
person X (11:32:38 AM): And he is who he is

oddisee (11:32:53 AM): he ain't nobody to me
oddisee (11:32:57 AM): please don't name drop
oddisee (11:33:11 AM): he aint been tight since his first album
oddisee (11:33:16 AM): but that doesn't matter
oddisee (11:33:37 AM): its just... I trully don't have time to work if I don't benefit from it
oddisee (11:33:58 AM): you're with distro I aint heard of and payin next to nuthin on a beat I prolly aint gonna feel
oddisee (11:34:10 AM): no disrespect I like you
oddisee (11:34:24 AM): but I make music for a living so i can live to make music
oddisee (11:34:29 AM): I manage my self
oddisee (11:34:40 AM): so I gotta look out for me
person X (11:35:51 AM): Ok we understand
person X (11:35:58 AM): Its worth asking

oddisee (11:36:07 AM): I fuck with what your doing
oddisee (11:36:12 AM): just not how you doing it
person X (11:36:28 AM): Well our distro doesn't give us advances
oddisee (11:36:39 AM): they're not suppose to
person X (11:36:41 AM): We are rubbing pennies to make a spark
oddisee (11:36:45 AM): your a label
person X (11:37:03 AM): Not a funded label
oddisee (11:37:09 AM): well....I've been there and i'm past that point and i'm tryna go further
person X (11:37:16 AM): We are musicans tryin to make something happen
person X (11:37:24 AM): I understand

oddisee (11:37:25 AM): as am I
oddisee (11:38:42 AM): dont ge me wrong, i aint all about money but again "i make music for a living so i can live to make music". how many of your artist work day jobs?
oddisee (11:38:47 AM): i aint tryna do that
person X (11:39:21 AM): We all do
person X (11:39:32 AM): We are not in a postion to just make music

oddisee (11:39:43 AM): i'm sorry to hear that
oddisee (11:39:53 AM): i ain't had a 9 to 5 since 04
oddisee (11:39:58 AM): tryna keep it that way
oddisee (11:40:02 AM): feel me?
person X (11:41:10 AM): Yes and no
person X (11:41:20 AM): I respect ur postion

oddisee (11:42:00 AM): only reason i'm even talking to you right now is cuz i care
person X (11:42:22 AM): I feel ya
oddisee (11:42:32 AM): really?
person X (11:43:06 AM): Well again yes and no
person X (11:43:20 AM): U shitted on one of my fav mcs a mins ago
person X (11:43:30 AM): Who charges 2500 a verse
person X (11:43:57 AM): And who rocked with us bc he likes our music

oddisee (11:44:51 AM): did I?
oddisee (11:44:58 AM): i dont shit on people?
person X (11:45:01 AM): The ________ comment
oddisee (11:45:08 AM): you must be talking bout honsety
oddisee (11:45:22 AM): am i wrong for what i said?
oddisee (11:45:50 AM): _________ aint hot in the streets right now cuzin
oddisee (11:46:05 AM): forgive me for being blunt
oddisee (11:46:10 AM): i'm a _________ fan to
oddisee (11:46:20 AM): that track he did with ________ was dope!
oddisee (11:46:37 AM): but i aint suprised you got him for 250
person X (11:46:59 AM): We paid 400 for the track with ________
oddisee (11:47:09 AM): beond him reaching out to you cuz he like what ya'll doin...he doin what any smart artist would do.......he tryna saty relavent
person X (11:47:15 AM): But the track with him and_______ and _______ was 250
oddisee (11:47:41 AM): you act like i'm asking for a million dollars
oddisee (11:47:50 AM): i'd do a verse for you also
oddisee (11:48:25 AM): but what i wont do is...allow you to call me a ''local up and coming artist" and expect me to do it for free
person X (11:48:29 AM): No dollars and sense who would get us more record sales if we are speaking money
person X (11:48:45 AM): I am asking to rock the track if u feelin it
person X (11:48:52 AM): Because u are from the area

oddisee (11:49:11 AM): i'm sayin if i feel the track can i get paid for the verse?
person X (11:49:11 AM): Not the up and comin thing
person X(11:52:19 AM): I dunno I will ask the dude

oddisee (11:53:09 AM): i say i aint work a 9 to 5 since 04 and say "i'm tryna keep it that way, feel me?" and you say "yes and no" as if i'm expected to work a shitty job and do what i love on the side, and when i do get a chance to make music, i'm supposed to do it for free? to what...."keep it real"?
oddisee (11:54:05 AM): to me it sounds as if you dont think a verse from me is worth much
oddisee (11:54:14 AM): and believe me thats a disscount
person X (11:57:41 AM): Its kinda like punching me in the nose and asking if the blood tastes good
person X (11:58:16 AM): If I had money to spend on everyones verse on this album then the album would cost around 8k
person X (11:58:46 AM): I was lookin for this track to be a local track
person X (11:58:57 AM): I heard ur tracks liked em
person X (11:59:06 AM): And then asked u
person X (11:59:23 AM): I am not tryin to be little what u are doing
person X (11:59:39 AM): And not askin for some cheesy shit on love or keepin it real

oddisee (11:59:50 AM): i hope not
person X (11:59:58 AM): If u like the track rock on it
oddisee (12:00:16 PM): but cut corners on somebody elses verses not me cuzin
person X (12:00:47 PM): That's fine and understandable
oddisee (12:01:50 PM): if your tryna make sumthin happen and be about the music...why do you name drop so much?
person X (12:04:00 PM): Not name dropiin just comparing what u asked for and what we have already paid
oddisee (12:04:19 PM): nah i'm talkin in previous convos
person X (12:04:25 PM): Plus u prob never even heard our material
person X (12:05:04 PM): Some of the people I speak with only care who u are working with
oddisee (12:05:17 PM): i understand that
oddisee (12:05:19 PM): i aint them
oddisee (12:05:26 PM): i hate name dropping
person X (12:06:11 PM): Well everyone is differnet
person X (12:07:38 PM): No one really cares about the dc metro music scene they have written it off as go go music
person X (12:07:56 PM): So sometimes u have to fight the tide

oddisee (12:07:59 PM): really???????
oddisee (12:08:07 PM): i get press and shine all the time
oddisee (12:08:19 PM): i hate to name drop but have you seen the new scratch mag?
person X (12:08:28 PM): Nope
oddisee (12:08:29 PM): i'm doin aight cuzin
person X (12:08:45 PM): U been in the game longer
oddisee (12:08:52 PM): people interview me on the d.c. hiphop scene all the time
oddisee (12:09:02 PM): i had cats come do dvd's on the d.c. metro
person X (12:09:13 PM): Plus hate to say it u are black
person X (12:09:32 PM): I run in to a lot of road blocks bc I am white

oddisee (12:10:12 PM): really??????????
oddisee (12:10:21 PM): i aint heard that b4
oddisee (12:10:38 PM): scott free from d.c and he a&r'd loud records for years
person X (12:11:09 PM): Yea well some people are ushered in
person X (12:11:27 PM): But when u start from the ground up its hard
person X (12:11:43 PM): Specially when most white people in this game are distrusated

oddisee (12:11:57 PM): i see
oddisee (12:12:09 PM): thats a side of the game i dont know about
person X (12:15:31 PM): Well its there unfortuantley
oddisee (12:16:05 PM): i always thought white people ran the game
oddisee (12:16:20 PM): and got oppurtunties faster than blacks
oddisee (12:16:43 PM): you run a label right? and you signed artist right? and you got distro right?
person X (12:17:59 PM): Well actually asian people run the game
person X (12:18:10 PM): And people from the middle east
oddisee (12:18:29 PM): word?
oddisee (12:18:35 PM): not jews?
oddisee (12:20:27 PM): yo, i gotta step. got some verses to record for some over seas mixtapes
oddisee (12:20:31 PM): nice talkin to ya
oddisee (12:20:33 PM): peace

7 comments:

K-Murdock said...

yo, this is crazy... people gotta understand, beyond the love if u do this for a living, u must respect it as so. Its one thing to do something for free when u start out, its a payin' dues affair, but when u have tenure and others who respect and happily pay to support your skills and beyond that... know your worth, to sell your self short is a travesty and shows what YOU ultimately think about your own worth...

all that said, way to rep for the indie-self-everything artist O! real talk.

Kyle

Unknown said...

a lot of thought provoked by this series. interesting. i really respect your approach - not backing down and your unapologetic candor. keep doin it and iA may Allah increase you :)

salaam,
seher

Mash Comp aka Wise Naim Allah said...

Wow...this is...just wow, bro. A load of WOW.

Porsia said...

I fucken love that you post this type of stuff. shows how real you are. a lot of artists out there could learn somethin from you

Quality said...

Thats what I'm talking about, some labels have no respect for dope artists such as yourself.

Unknown said...

ummmmmm

Nando. said...

hahahahahaha! Wow.