Styles P Explains Why Young Rappers Continue To Sign Bad Deals

BYAron A.4.1K Views
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LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 04: Styles P attends WE tv Celebrates The Premiere of Marriage Boot Camp: Hip Hop Edition at Liaison Restaurant + Lounge on February 04, 2020 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jemal Countess/Getty Images for WE tv)
Styles P breaks down the logic behind why rappers continue to sign bad recording contracts.

A lot of rappers enter the rap game with minimal understanding of the business side of things. Oftentimes, this leads to complications down the line. Some of our favorite rappers of all time have been stuck in bad contracts (i.e. Lil Wayne & Kanye). There are far more resources now than ever before. Still, there are many artists who find themselves trapped in terrible contracts. According to Styles P, this is an unfortunate cycle that’s bound to repeat in the future with younger generations of artists.

During a recent interview with I Never Knew TV, Styles P explained that artists often face few other options. When asked about why he thinks young artists continue to ink these types of deals, he responded, “What are they going to do? Not sign a deal?” In his opinion, there are two avenues for a rapper to go. “It’s really simple, you’re going to sign a deal or you’re not going to sign a deal. You’re going to take your shot or not take your shot,” he explained. Though he acknowledged the number of changes in the industry, such as the value of going independent, he related the issues with signing contracts to the early days of The LOX.

Styles P Details Bad Contracts

Ghost said that The LOX would’ve been “idiots” had they not signed a deal at the beginning of their career. “The time we came up, we would’ve been f*cking idiots to not sign a deal. You take the deal, you do what you gotta do and you move on. You know, you make the best of it,” he explained. He compared signing a contract with a label to landing a new job. “Everyone doesn’t start at a high level,” he explained.

Regardless, Styles P said that taking the risk can be worth it down the line. He explained that The LOX already had better money coming in from their advance compared to the annual salary of a police officer or the average citizen. “Do you not do that and just say, ‘Nah, it’s not good enough,’ and then wait for another window of opportunity to come when you may have seen 20 windows of opportunities already? Now, that bad deal’s there but you have a chance to get in front of things. You just gotta take the bad deal,” he said. 

About The Author
Aron A. is a features editor for HotNewHipHop. Beginning his tenure at HotNewHipHop in July 2017, he has comprehensively documented the biggest stories in the culture over the past few years. Throughout his time, Aron’s helped introduce a number of buzzing up-and-coming artists to our audience, identifying regional trends and highlighting hip-hop from across the globe. As a Canadian-based music journalist, he has also made a concerted effort to put spotlights on artists hailing from North of the border as part of Rise & Grind, the weekly interview series that he created and launched in 2021. Aron also broke a number of stories through his extensive interviews with beloved figures in the culture. These include industry vets (Quality Control co-founder Kevin "Coach K" Lee, Wayno Clark), definitive producers (DJ Paul, Hit-Boy, Zaytoven), cultural disruptors (Soulja Boy), lyrical heavyweights (Pusha T, Styles P, Danny Brown), cultural pioneers (Dapper Dan, Big Daddy Kane), and the next generation of stars (Lil Durk, Latto, Fivio Foreign, Denzel Curry). Aron also penned cover stories with the likes of Rick Ross, Central Cee, Moneybagg Yo, Vince Staples, and Bobby Shmurda.
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