The New Label

[Hero1]

i think if will and jeff did a jazzy jeff and fresh prince record that could definitely be released on an indie label..

think about it jeff was on an indie label and they released 5 singles

will was on a major label like sony and they only released one single..

i just want the album out really whatever way will does it..

[bigted]

True, true, it's too late for Will to be an underground rapper but he doesn't have to sign with a pop label and put out garbage music. 2Pac also sold a lot of albums when he was alive because of his artistic expression and people respected him for that and he did films too. 2Pac wasn't selfish and conceited either and Will's the same in that sense! Nobody said that 2Pac sold out, so why should we say that about Will? If Will doesn't stay true to his art then I won't be his fan anymore simple as that! I lost respect for Jay-Z 'cause he became too concerned over being hot and announced retired from rap when he claimed he couldn't make any more hits. No rapper's bigger than the game, every rapper deserves a chance to shine. No rapper can last in the spotlight as long as Will has been 'cause they lose their soul to money. If Will becomes selfish in that sense, I don't want to hear another album from him like I don't want to hear Jay-Z. I know that Will's not that way, so I still support him! How would Jazzy Jeff feel if his potna was acting tainted like that?

[Silver Tiger]

I don't care what label he chooses as long as he makes good music that isn't the same crap I pass on MTV.

What I would like to see is Will do more albums than one every few years. I'd also like a video of his where it's straight out rapping. You know what I mean? No hook, no dancers, no expensive clothes. Just straight spitting. A good example of someone going against the tide in mainstream hip hop is Royce Da 5' 9'.

God Blessa!

[TopDawg14]

AJ,

I think you missed my point. What I was trying to say is that Will should forget about signing with some label that's concerned all about album sales and TRL appearances. That's what rap is about today - straight commercialism. It's all about "hot" beats and hooks. There is nothing that moves me in rap today. I remember how I felt the first time I heard Heavy D. & The Boyz "We Got Our Own Thang". I remember how I felt the very first time I heard Slick Rick's "Children's Story" or Kool Moe Dee's "I Go To Work". I can't remember the last time I felt like that.


Will has said he wants an old-school vibe with his next album. I doubt that labels are looking for retro-vibes in rap. They want what's "hot". They want CDs that are going to move units and be on TRL everyday.

If Will wants to release the album independently or through the internet then that's all good with me. I just want Will to continue to make music that he wants - and not what these labels want. I want Will to control his music and his image and not these stupid labels who don't know a thing about hip-hop.

[bigted]

[quote=TopDawg14,Apr 17 2004, 12:57 AM]AJ,

I think you missed my point. What I was trying to say is that Will should forget about signing with some label that's concerned all about album sales and TRL appearances. That's what rap is about today - straight commercialism. It's all about "hot" beats and hooks. There is nothing that moves me in rap today. I remember how I felt the first time I heard Heavy D. & The Boyz "We Got Our Own Thang". I remember how I felt the very first time I heard Slick Rick's "Children's Story" or Kool Moe Dee's "I Go To Work". I can't remember the last time I felt like that.


Will has said he wants an old-school vibe with his next album. I doubt that labels are looking for retro-vibes in rap. They want what's "hot". They want CDs that are going to move units and be on TRL everyday.

If Will wants to release the album independently or through the internet then that's all good with me. I just want Will to continue to make music that he wants - and not what these labels want. I want Will to control his music and his image and not these stupid labels who don't know a thing about hip-hop.[/quote]
I like to hear hip-hop that has a message too it and is also fun at the same time. The realest hip-hop now is on the underground scene where a lot of us are not looking and the mainstream labels just wanna get rich off of music that we won't listen to 10-15 yrs. from now like we listen to albums like "He's the Dj, I'm The Rapper", "Code Red", "The Adventures Of Slick Rick", and "Illmatic" after all these years.

[Angel_girl]

I happen to like Chingy and Jessica Simpson, but I do have to admit, they're not all that. Hey whatcha doin', nutin chillin at the holiday inn. who you with?....

[JumpinJack AJ]

[quote=TopDawg14,Apr 17 2004, 06:57 AM]AJ,

I think you missed my point. What I was trying to say is that Will should forget about signing with some label that's concerned all about album sales and TRL appearances. That's what rap is about today - straight commercialism. It's all about "hot" beats and hooks. There is nothing that moves me in rap today. I remember how I felt the first time I heard Heavy D. & The Boyz "We Got Our Own Thang". I remember how I felt the very first time I heard Slick Rick's "Children's Story" or Kool Moe Dee's "I Go To Work". I can't remember the last time I felt like that.


Will has said he wants an old-school vibe with his next album. I doubt that labels are looking for retro-vibes in rap. They want what's "hot". They want CDs that are going to move units and be on TRL everyday.

If Will wants to release the album independently or through the internet then that's all good with me. I just want Will to continue to make music that he wants - and not what these labels want. I want Will to control his music and his image and not these stupid labels who don't know a thing about hip-hop.[/quote]
No, i defintly agree with many of your points...but at the same time, Will just isn't the kind of artist 2 run his career like that. I would have no problem with an independent release, but Will has made it clear that he wants 2 be out there. It dosen't means he's all about the commercializm, but he is about being in the limelight. I could never see Will trying 2 be strictly an underground artist, that just isn't his style.

And like i said in the other post, Will likes 2 know that he is appricated by us music fans. If he isn't doing well, he'll hang up the mic. With Willennium, he said he waz gonna tour when the album hit number one (knowing that thousands of people out there wanted 2 see him). It didn't happen so the tour never happened.

[bigted]

What are sayin' man, Willenium sold 3 million copies! Will doesn't tour because he has to take his time to study scripts and get himself ready for his movies. It takes a lot of work to make a movie and it takes a lot of work to do a tour. JJFP are the hardest workers in the entertainment industry for these reasons. At the time Willenium was released Will was beginning to train for "Ali" and work on other movies at that time that were coming out. If you want to see Will go on tour he's gonna have to chill on makin' movies or else the movies and the tour will be wack because to be the champ you have to prepare yourself. It's gonna get harder for Will to keep the music fans if he doesn't stay out there wit albums 'cause 90% of fans out there ain't loyal like us. They won't even buy the albums, they'll bootleg them. I'm sure millions of people even listened to Born 2 Reign but they all downloaded the album instead of buying the real thing. When you're an artist, you take alot of pride in your work, because even me, I like to write rap songs, but I don't take the industry too serious enough to try and get a record deal, I only care what I think about them because I take a lot of energy to express my emotion, and it feels good to express yourself. The bottom line is something that Will says many times, "when I eat, I work, when I sleep I work, when I'm having sex I work, I work real hard in everything I do, that's what seperates me from alot of entertainers out there." I feel the same damn way too, who knows, maybe one day I might have my own record company.

[Jazzy Julie]

Ive not really joined in this convo so far bcoz i honestly dont know what record label would be best 4 Will, i think the majority of record labels end up screwing the artist over at some point, the best thing would b 4 Will to do his own label but i dont know how that would work and it would also take up a lot more of his time.

[JumpinJack AJ]

[quote=bigted,Apr 18 2004, 01:40 PM]Will doesn't tour because he has to take his time to study scripts and get himself ready for his movies.[/quote]
That's true most of the time, but with Willennium, Will had more control over the album after the success of Big Willie Style...hence the improvement in quality of the music. Willennium waz when Will waz very focused on music and being a musician. Since the promotion waz messed up and the album wazn't represented properly, it didn't do nearly as well as it should have (but i is FAR from a flop). Will made that statement that he would put a tour 2gether when the album hit number one. Tim may have the article on the site...but i know he can back me up that Will said this.

I hope FP is going thru' one of those times right now where he's very focused on music and ready 2 be a real artist this time rather than just doing an album when he can and only doing videos 4 it.

[bigted]

[quote=Jazzy Julie,Apr 18 2004, 08:43 AM]Ive not really joined in this convo so far bcoz i honestly dont know what record label would be best 4 Will, i think the majority of record labels end up screwing the artist over at some point, the best thing would b 4 Will to do his own label but i dont know how that would work and it would also take up a lot more of his time.[/quote]
Record companys are no different than sports team management is because look at what the Knicks did to Patrick Ewing, after 15 yrs. of dominant basketball for them, he wasn't allowed the opportunity to retire as a Knick on his own terms because they thought that he was too old and fans want to see young guys. Well look at how crappy the Knicks have been since he was released(they finally got Isiah Thomas to sign Maurbury). You can say the same thing about Karl Malone when he was released from the Jazz. People said that he sold out when he signed wit the Lakers, but the Jazz dissed him and they missed the playoffs this year. Columbia probably thinks that Will is too old and won't go platinum anymore 'cause music fans want to hear younger m.c's like Nelly and Chingy(who everyone will hate in 10 yrs.!), but Will doesn't need no record thatdoesn't care about him!