Image via Complex Original
Indie is winning.
From the massive commercial success of artists like Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, to the successful touring circuit of Tech N9ne to the envy-inducing upstart movements of artists like Chance The Rapper, independent rappers are breaking down barriers and building careers. In addition to being independent, one thing all the above artists have in common: they want to remain independent. It’s a point they seem to take pride in, and one they’ve leveraged to make inroads in areas often reserved for major label stars.
Up-and-coming rappers still dream of being discovered and signed to a major—but in a different form than they have in years past. Now, kids are eager to build their own situation, forcing the labels to make them their suitors.
There are also are plenty of artists currently signed to majors that would definitely benefit from the indie route, if properly executed. From issues with labels to the direct connections they've already built with fans, there are a number of reasons an artist might want to make the shift. Here are nine that we think could pull it off...
Written by Adam Fleischer (@adamfleischer)
Lupe Fiasco
Current label: Atlantic Records
Age: 31
Last album: Food and Liquor II: The Great American Rap Album, Pt. 1 (2012)
Recent label drama: Lupe Fiasco says he hates his album, blames Atlantic
After Lupe Fiasco dropped his celebrated albums Lupe Fiasco’s Food & Liquor and Lupe Fiaco’s The Cool back-to-abck, it took another four years for his next album to drop. This wasn’t because Lupe wasn’t working; it wasn’t because the music wasn’t ready. It also wasn’t because fans weren’t ready. It was because his label, Atlantic, kept delaying the release of Lasers. The back and forth became more newsworthy than most artist/label spats, as the Chicago MC’s fans started a petition and picketed the label’s office.
His tumultuous relationship with the label over the years—he's complained of being forced to record radio-ready records and not feeling supported—could be reason enough for Lupe to want a change. Add to that the fact that his fans have shown such passion for his music, and his right to create it the way he sees fit, and suddenly an indie move makes sense.
MGK
Current label: Interscope/Bad Boy
Age: 23
Last album: Lace Up (2012)
Recent label drama: N/A
Machine Gun Kelly’s debut album, Lace Up, didn’t do quite as well commercially or critically as MGK and his label probably hoped. It does, at least, fit in with his narrative so far: a kid coming from nothing, who will beat the odds one day, even if many people don't believe in him.
The issue, though, is that, while it may be genuine, MGK’s "Me and My Fans Against The World" punk rock posturing doesn’t fit well when he’s signed to the behemoth machine that is Interscope/Bad Boy. Sprinkle in a historical tendency for Diddy’s artists to not get the shine that many thought they would, and a move back to an indie route could be the right one.
Nas
Current label: Def Jam
Age: 40
Last album: Life is Good (2012)
Recent label drama: Nas releases open letter blasting Def Jam executives
Back in October, DJ Premier confirmed that he and Nas have plans to drop an album—just not while the rapper is signed to Def Jam. “It’s coming,” Preemo said. “He has another project to drop on Def Jam, then he's a free agent. Let him get that out. It'll give me time to get my artists ripped and ready.”
Twenty years after Nas and Premier first linked on wax, we still need that. And it’s reason enough for calls for Nas to leave his major. Beyond that though, back in 2010, Nas’ issues with Def Jam became public when an email was leaked. Though they may have been patched up with the release of his celebrated 2012 album, Life Is Good, a legend like Nas could pull a Beyonce with an overnight release and no promo and hip-hop would lose its collective shit.
Fabolous
Current label: Def Jam
Age: 36
Last album: Loso's Way (2009)
Recent label drama: N/A
It’s been almost five years since the release of Loso’s Way, a No. 1 album on Billboard that included hit singles like “Throw It In The Bag” and “My Time.” Yet Fabolous’s Loso’s Way 2: Rise to Power is still nowhere to be found. During that span, Fab has released five mixtapes—all well-received—and even a few singles that popped (“You Be Killin’ Em,” “Ready”).
At this point, the delay seems never-ending. The Brooklyn rapper has a resume that merges commercial success with beloved mixtapes for the streets. His name, network and skills are all at a point where he’d be able to float on his own on the indie tip.
Game
Current label: N/A
Age: 34
Last album: Jesus Piece (2012)
Recent label drama: N/A
As he clarified in December, Game is now a free agent. He has fulfilled his contractual obligations to Interscope, and is not yet signed to Cash Money Records, despite rumors. It may make sense to remain that way.
CM’s roster is already overcrowded, and even though Game is within the upper echelon of artists whose albums actually do come out (Lil Wayne, Drake, Nicki Minaj, Tyga, and the occasional Birdman), throwing another hat in that race seems messy. The Compton native gets love coast to coast, and can surely grab whomever he’d like for a feature or a beat, even without the help of a major.
Big K.R.I.T.
Current label: Def Jam
Age: 27
Last album: Live From the Underground (2012)
Recent label drama: N/A
Big K.R.I.T. has stated that he was given full creative control on his Def Jam debut, Live from the Underground, and it would be difficult to claim the contrary—he produced all sixteen cuts on album, after all. But there was still something that gave that project a bit of a different feel than his previous, widely-acclaimed mixtapes.
K.R.I.T. isn’t the kind of artist whose music should be withheld from his fans until a label hears a single that it's willing to get behind. He has plenty of bangin’ songs, but he thrives on the cohesion of entire projects. With a move back to his indie roots, K.R.I.T. could deliver his music without worrying about a filter.
Jeezy
Current label: Def Jam
Age: 36
Last album: TM103: Hustlerz Ambition (2011)
Recent label drama: Jeezy accuses Def Jam of "playing games"
For his first three albums, Jeezy kept the motivation coming—dropping three discs in just over three years. For 2011’s TM103: Hustlerz Ambition, though, release dates came and went for two years. When it finally hit stores, it was worth the wait, but the wait didn’t need to happen.
The Atlanta native has proven dedicated to his grind, and there’s no doubt that leaving a major would only up the ante. Plus, it would give him a chance to focus on and build his CTE label up into a new Southern indie powerhouse.
Jadakiss
Current label: Def Jam
Age: 38
Last album: The Last Kiss
Recent label drama: Jadakiss calls out Def Jam on Twitter
This past summer, Jadakiss was not shy about his discontent with the actions—or inactions—of Def Jam. “Invest in yourself FUCK A LABEL! @defjam!!! Big boy dialogue,” he tweeted back in July. He also opened up in a recent interview with Hot 97, saying, “Def Jam is different right now…They got this new thing where it's like you're auditioning."
Everyone can agree that Kiss has been in the game long enough that he doesn’t need to be auditioning for anything. With an already crowded roster—including artists who make more commercially appealing records than Kiss, yet also remain stuck on the shelf, the future’s probably not looking bright over there. But Jadakiss has earned his stripes and shown enough savvy that there’s no reason to think he couldn’t step out on his own.
50 Cent
Current label: Interscope/Shady/Aftermath
Age: 38
Last album: Before I Self Destruct (2009)
Recent label drama: "50 Cent Outraged at Interscope Over Single Cover Leak"
During the time that his fifth album, Street King Immortal, has been hovering in major label purgatory, 50 Cent hasn’t been shy about his displeasure with his label. It’s been over four years since Fif’s last album, Before I Self Destruct, and in that time, the Queens rapper has lashed out at Interscope to express his frustration. Only one example: when the single “I’m On It” leaked online in 2011 before it was supposed to.
A decade ago, the idea that 50 Cent couldn't get an album on shelves would have seemed implausible. But that’s the current situation—though it's not one that can’t be rectified. 50 has proven time and again his prowess as a businessman and a marketing mind; a move to the indie route wouldn't seem unprecedented.