Aaron Hall Starts Fresh With New Label

[bigted]

http://www.blackenterprise.com/exclusivese....asp?id=821&p=1

"Aaron Hall Starts Fresh With New Label

Music veteran to release new solo album; urges up-and-coming artists to learn the do's and don'ts of the music biz

By Tiffani M. Cunningham

Platinum recording artist Aaron Hall, remembered by his fans as the lead singer of the R&B trio Guy, is making a comeback-and he's doing it on his own terms. Inspired by what he describes as a bad experience with MCA Records, Hall decided to start anew with his own record label, along with entrepreneur and former basketball player Dwayne Corbitt.

After discussing a partnership over the course of eight months, the team decided they were a perfect match-one being a well-known R&B crooner, the other a businessman. "I said I'd finance it, and he'll sing," Corbitt recalls.

Corbitt is investing over $1 million in the label, dubbed Artists Only International Records, along with his management and marketing expertise. Hall is focusing on acquiring talent and artist development.

Through AOI, Hall looks to prevent the negative experience he endured as a solo artist which led to the breaking of ties with his former label. "When you are with a [major record label] you do what they want you to do, you [release an album] when they want you to. He urges newcomers to research the amount of money they will earn prior to striking any deals, as well a how much their label is spending on their project.

Feeling he was shafted in his deal with MCA, Hall is confident that partnering with Corbitt will provide him with an opportunity to have more control over the way in which his upcoming album, Adults Only, expected to hit stores in August, is marketed. His previous solo albums The Truth and Inside of You sold 966,000 and 192,000 respectively.

But that's only half the battle. Distribution is what makes an album successful, says Billboard magazine's R&B Editor Gail Mitchell. "The main thing is getting it on the market, both radio and satellite radio air-time is very important to reaching listeners."

And while starting independent labels may be becoming a trend within the industry, Hall says "if you don't have the finances these days it is pretty difficult. Hopefully we'll be able to pull it off."

[JumpinJack AJ]

Aaron Hall is amazing. I have his 1st 2 albums (and all of Guy's studio albums). I thought his 1st 2 albums were brilliant, so 4 him 2 come off saying MCA had alot of imput makes me wonder what the new one will be like.

Thanx 4 posting this!!

[bigted]

Aaron Hall is one of the best soul singers in the last 15 years, I'm looking forward to this album since he's gonna have more creative freedom on it!

[bigted]

Hey I noticed that his album's out now 'cause they're sellin' it over at amazon.com!:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detai...=music&n=507846

The thing that sucks about independent releases is that even if you're a fan of the artist, it's hard to tell when the album's coming out, I don't think he has a legit fansite, and speaking of r&b, Babyface has a new album out now too called "Grown And Sexy", and Keith Sweat is gonna have an album out on Sept. 27th called "The Velvet Room", I'm gonna put these on my Christmas wish list, lol.

Edited July 27, 2005 by bigted

[Fresh-Ta-Def]

^^^ it says the album came out july 26th 2005 and im going to definatly check that baby face

[bigted]

I was reading over on the okayplayer board and they were talkin' about Aaron Hall and Babyface havin' albums out, and I was like wtf? :hmm: It's about time that some good r&b drops, we need more soul singers out besides R. Kelly.