While Kanye West’s recent Twitter binges, in which he calls for a drastic overhaul of recording contracts, commanded the music industry’s attention, there was a difference in tone for the missives posted Sept. 19-21 to the more volatile ones of a few days earlier.
West’s manager, Abu Thiam, said the rapper is preparing a manifesto in which he dictates his vision for a more artist-friendly industry, with creators owning their masters and contracts more transparent and easier to understand. He laid the foundation for his concept in a series of “new recording and publishing deal guidelines” among his Sept. 20 tweets.
“The labels are healthy today, but let’s talk about the long haul,” Thaim continues. “The artists are more awakened today than they were 30 years ago and have more resources. You could sit back and say, ‘We’re healthy; we’re good.’ But if you don’t see a storm coming, then eventually it’s going to flood over your whole city.”
Story continuesAs Epic Records chairwoman Sylvia Rhone recently told Variety: “Things have changed over the last two or three years. All the contracts are much more pro-ownership than they’ve ever been before. It’s the fair thing to do.” “You’re either part of the solution or the problem, and by virtue of working within the majors’ system, I was part of the problem,” says Anokute, who’s fully embraced the independent route, taking his TikTok sensation client Curtis Waters to Germany-based indie BMG and leaving offers from the majors on the table. “It’s a hard thing to say, ‘I don’t believe in how you do business,’” adds Anokute of his epiphany.