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Video After The Jump

 

As an industry veteran with six albums under his belt and more than 21 million albums sold in the U.S. alone, Nelly has learned a lot about the ins and outs of the business.

 

In an era where albums sales have been steadily declining the St. Louis rapper doesn't think it's wise for a new artist that is doing well independently to sign a deal with a major record label.

 

In a new conversation with VladTV, Nelly used Interscope artist Chief Keef as an example.

 

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"Let's say we take Chief Keef for example. You take someone such as Chief Keef, young kid on fire. To me I said the worst thing Chief Keef ever did was get a record deal," Nelly said. "That's just my opinion."

 

Vlad then tells Nelly that Keef reportedly got a $6 million deal to sign.

 

"Well, if he got $6 million then it wasn't the worst thing. I'm saying as far as that $6 million going in his pocket and not being $6 million for everything in his budget and all that," Nelly continued. "My point being is that you look at someone that's got a great social media following. Dude is well over 3-4 million views on his YouTube [page] independently. And this was all under a year. You look at that and then you say to yourself in an era right now where it's so hard to sell records. Then I look at Chief Keef's following. It's more of a mixtape song type of following. I would have said 'cool on the record deal.' I'm just going to put out singles. I'm gonna strike my own deal with iTunes. Why? Because if I put out an album I might as well make it a mixtape because they're not really buying albums anyway. I can just keep putting singles out and touring. As long as my singles are selling and I'm getting radio airplay, I'm touring [and] making money. Now I done gave up this 360 deal. I done gave up part of my publishing, part of my merchandise, part of my touring [revenue] for this cut of money. Which I could have owned 100% of my merchandise. Owned 100% of my publishing and owned 100% of that. I may not have gotten all of the money that I got upfront, but I promise you in the next year or two I would have made that money and still owned everything I got."

 

Does Nelly have a valid point? Are new artists better off staying independent instead of taking a 360 with a major label?


 

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