Rap stars weigh their options as record deals end

Written by Yahoo News

Saturday, 21 June 2008

NEW YORK (Billboard) - As a string of high-profile hip-hop artists near the end of their record contracts, a question looming over their pending free agency isn't which major label they'll sign with but whether they should sign with a major.

One prominent rap artist has already jumped ship: Jay-Z signed a long-term recording, publishing and management deal earlier this year with Live Nation. A Def Jam spokeswoman says Jay-Z has one album left on his contract with the label, but Def Jam head Shakir Stewart said recently that "we're still working it out."

While few rappers can match the pull and marketability of the former Def Jam president, big names like 50 Cent, LL Cool J and OutKast will soon be on the market as well. Although they may ultimately re-sign with major labels, their camps have indicated that they are at least contemplating the possibility of a future without a major-label deal.

LL Cool J will complete his three-album deal with Def Jam with the August 5 release of "Exit 13." By the end of the year, 50 Cent is expected to put out "Before I Self Destruct," the fourth and final album on his Interscope deal. OutKast owes LaFace/Zomba three more albums under the duo's four-album contract, with all three releases expected out later this year and next year. Representatives for Def Jam, Interscope and LaFace/Zomba declined to comment on the contracts.

DIY APPROACH

Tiphanie Watson, co-manager for OutKast's Big Boi, says the duo hasn't decided yet whether to seek another deal with a major, but adds, "It's much more beneficial to do it on your own. For an artist with an established fan base, there's more than one way to come up with strategic branding."

Notwithstanding Lil Wayne's first-week platinum sales for "Tha Carter III," a contemporary rap album is lucky to sell an average of 35,000 copies in its first week. As of June 8, year-to-date U.S. sales of rap albums were down 25 percent from the same period of 2007, compared with an 11.4 percent drop in overall album sales, according to Nielsen SoundScan. Meanwhile, unauthorized mixtapes, which recently have been among the most buzzworthy releases in hip-hop, have been reaching audiences through independent channels.

While hip-hop's roots are steeped in a DIY aesthetic, could that spirit represent the future of the genre's big stars? Certainly some of the music's leading players have long exhibited a strong entrepreneurial streak, personified by the diversified business interests of Sean "Diddy" Combs, Jay-Z and 50 Cent, and newer stars like Young Jeezy.

50 Cent's holdings, which already include an apparel line, video games and his Interscope-distributed G-Unit record label, expanded earlier this year with the launch of a branded online social network and content platform, ThisIs50.com.

LL Cool J, who keeps busy with TV and movie projects, tells Billboard that he has more on his mind these days than securing a new record deal. He, too, recently launched a digital distribution platform, Boomdizzle.com. While the site will be aimed mainly at helping aspiring artists get exposure, the veteran rapper says that "it's definitely going to play a big part in my musical future."

What role Boomdizzle will play isn't clear. "I'm not looking for another deal, but I wouldn't be uninterested either," he says.

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