Chapter 1: What is discussed at the start of this section?
This is an iHeart Podcast. Guaranteed human. Hey, it's Nora Jones, and my podcast, Playing Along, is back with more of my favorite musicians. Check out my newest episode with Josh Groban. You related to the Phantom at that point.
Yeah, I was definitely the Phantom in that.
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Chapter 2: What are the benefits of being an independent artist?
But being indie is the freedom to choose the what, when, where, and how. And Jermaine Dupri responded to Crooked Eye and said, so you're saying freedom is the perk. So I think JD is wondering what's the perk of being independent. But I feel like that's such a... Easy question to answer. Even if that is what he's asking. It's like, I mean, the answer is pretty obvious. Even like Ransom Reply 2.
Own their masters, own their name and likeness, own their creative direction, own their freedom. We don't have to wait for someone to tell us when we can release a song, album, mixtape, tour, interview. We do what we want when we want. Yeah. And to me, I mean, yeah, that's pretty obvious. Yeah. I think J.D.
is probably saying like it's like you're chasing when he says they're chasing the things that major artists have or get. I'm assuming they mean like Grammys or things like that. But it's like, yeah, it's going to be harder for me to get these things. But. I'll keep more of my money in the long run. Yeah.
And I mean, obviously we know JD still hip hop legend, but a lot of JD's biggest stuff is been pop and R&B, which is not typically ever an independent world at all. Like JD is very much used to that system because to create superstars, you do need a major label to some degree. So that's probably, I'm just sure JD has seen
Chapter 3: How do record labels influence an artist's success?
the benefits of what a major can actually do and provide for you because he's so, so deaf with Universal and Sony, rather, has helped a lot of his artists to become superstars. So maybe he just doesn't see the value in the indie thing because his goals are more on the superstar side, I guess. Yeah. I don't know. See, I know what happened. They was in the studio.
One of them conversations came about. JD's good for this at least once a month. He does stir up the timeline with shit. No, but I like it though because obviously we talking about, you know, one of the most legendary producers that we have in our culture. So I like the fact that, you know, this is, to me, this is what social media is about.
Like, you know, somebody like Jermaine Dupri who has accomplished all that he has in the music industry and entertainment industry. You know, just having, you know, those conversations in the studio that I've been or that we've been privy enough to be around in real time and just go to social media with it and just pose the question where it reaches a bunch of different people.
Because it's like, OK, if it's five of us in here having this conversation and we're all arguing and yelling, it's like, you know what? Let me tweet this. Other artists that, you know, someone who are independent will see this. They'll chime in and they'll, you know, respond to it, which is what Ransom and Crook and obviously LaRussell and others have done. So I like this. I like this type of...
question posing from an artist or, you know, a producer such as Jermaine Dupri.
I can't think of an example right off the top of my head right now, but have you ever had like a combo with your friends or even like when we're off mic in the studio, having a great debate or make a great point and be like, I should tweet this thinking like you really smoked something because in the room at that time, it felt like you were winning. And then the timeline seems to think otherwise.
You don't know how many times I've had that situation and somebody said, yo, Maul, you got the most, tweet it right now and ask. And I'm like, hell no. Because I know, I know what reading it versus having somebody ask you. Yeah. Like this question that Jermaine tweeted, I know if he actually, you actually could hear him asking the question. The context is totally different. Yeah.
And give more points and. More context to what you said. Because you only have so many. Well, now you can tweet as much as you want, right? There's not a character limit on tweets anymore? No. I just see porn, so I'm guessing there's no limit.
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Chapter 4: What makes an artist a superstar in today's music industry?
No, there's character limits if you don't pay for Twitter. Oh, okay. Okay. I deliver right to Elon's pockets. Yeah. You can put it right in there. You hand it to him. When I saw that they changed it to 280 and then to unlimited, I thought I was going to be happy about that. I don't really go above 140 anyway. That was a good number.
That's why I just never paid for it because I'm like, I don't tweet that much. Roy, do you ever regret being independent? No, not at all. Because you are fully independent, right? Completely. I will say because compilation albums are very tough because everything is feature-based and getting features is tough and you're waiting on other people's time. It would be way easier if I was on a major.
The resources of, one, money. Because, you know, a lot of what I do in my project is based off personal relationships of people that are doing it to make the song. They're not looking for, like, a verse fee or anything like that. I could probably get some bigger features if I was like, yo, I have a butt. Do you need 50K? Yeah. And not, you know...
I don't believe the rumor that major labels can just hit a button and make your song go crazy, but they definitely... You don't believe that? I think it's way more complicated and way more factors than just going, this is a hit and you're a superstar because I'm universal. I think that's exactly how easy it is. Then why wouldn't they do it all the time? Because it would be obvious.
Why is a superstar rare then? It would be way too... Is a superstar rare? Yes. I don't know. Why can't they just... I still don't understand the Playboi Carti thing. Still. But to me, that's not major label shit. That's him building a cult and core fan base that like that type of shit.
Playboi Carti show them niggas is mobbing and screaming and... He built a crazy community and I don't think it was a major going... What was the song? You're asking the wrong person.
But that's what I'm saying.
I don't even know what the song... But that proves the point to me. This is no knock to Cardi, but I'm just saying when you have... Because he's a superstar as far as I'm concerned. I can't attach it to a... What was the record? What was the moment? What was the... I just can't see it.
And I mean, I think that kind of proves the point then, because we don't know what that major label button moment was. It was over time he built that community. And if major labels could do that, why when Rihanna has clearly retired, they didn't go, new Rihanna? Because Rihanna doesn't want to put out music.
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Chapter 5: What new music should listeners look out for this week?
I was there for that. I remember those moments. I'm just saying, it got to a point now with Tyler, smash with her water record. Okay. Smash, right? But I could see them kind of putting her through the same type of, you know, that's kind of like, she's obviously a beautiful woman. I could see her at some point in time getting into the beauty space. Okay.
The music, the same type of, you know, Caribbean, Afrocentric, that type of vibe. I could see her then now them pushing her more into like real R&B lane at some point. Okay. I could see them sitting her with certain writers, R&B writers, producers, getting her real R&B sound, getting her away from the African, just Afro beats type of vibe. And I could see that for Tyler.
I could see the music industry absolutely pushing her through the same type of gauntlet that they did Rihanna at one point. And shout out to Tyler because she's obviously talented and she's dope. But you can see it like, okay, I've seen this play before. I mean... How that mean when she makes anti or rated? Yeah, but you talk about how long, how long into Rihanna's career did that happen?
Oh, later on. Exactly. So it's the same point I'm making to you. Give it time. Let's watch it roll out. But I can see it early. Like, OK, they're going to sit Tyler with a real R&B producer, get her a real R&B album project. And it's going to now she's into the R&B lane. I wouldn't say R&B because R&B singers are not really successful these days. Like R&B is not the successful genre at all.
Rihanna wasn't even R&B. Rihanna is a pop artist. Yeah, but I mean, yeah, but R&B, pop pop is just popular. Like we know R&B is pop music. I'm actually shocked this take is coming from you because you are typically the person that has so much respect for actual like legends that you hate when we even compare.
Like the person that hates Jello when we say it's a good record to even compare to other legitimate artists, you rightfully so get upset. So that's why I think it's kind of nuts that you would put Tyler even in a sentence off a hypothetical. No, but you're making it too much of a comparison. Yeah, I feel like you're dragging it a little bit, Rory. You're making it too much of a comparison thing.
I'm not saying Tyler. I'm saying the same thing that they did for Rihanna. They started out with her roots, her sound, her culture. It was that heavy. It was Caribbean heavy with Rihanna at first. It then transitions into sit her with Ne-Yo. Let's get these records. Get her with the dream. Get the umbrella and all of that. Let Jay put a verse on that. You know what I'm saying?
I could see them doing the same thing with Tyler. No, they're definitely invested in going to make sure she continues to be a very popular artist, but I just don't think it's just a label thing at that point. Like, Water was successful, yes, because the majors did get behind it and you could not fucking escape that song. But Water's also an incredible fucking song. Absolutely.
I'm not saying it's not. Yes. Major labels know how to push the button on incredible records to get them in front of more eyes and ears. Like, let's not just say they hit a button on anything. It takes two to get to that superstar level. They'll put some bullshit out that'll just play on radio. You've worked in the industry.
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