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Artists' difficulties with Interscope


Amir

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Knew about Trent and 50's problems, but didn't realise it was so extensive. From Wikipedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interscope_Records#Criticism

Nine Inch Nails frontman Trent Reznor criticized Universal Music Group for its pricing and distribution plans of Year Zero in Australia. When he asked why it was so much, they replied, "You've got a core audience that's gonna buy whatever we put out, so we can charge more for that [...] True fans will pay whatever."[6] After the release of Year Zero Remixed, two Nine Inch Nails albums, Ghosts I-IV and The Slip, were distributed by Reznor's independent record label The Null Corporation. Nine Inch Nails is currently signed with Columbia Records and no longer associates with Interscope.

About his album The Captain & the Kid (2006), Elton John explains to Cameron Crowe: "I was so furious with Interscope Records because they put it out and they dropped it. I had meetings in the South of France, and I said, "I know this isn't a commercial album, I just want you to do your best," and they dropped it like a fucking turd. It's probably why I didn't make another solo record. It was pure heartbreak".[7]

Interscope is heavily known for delaying albums in months and even years.[8] In late 2011, rapper 50 Cent engaged in a feud with Interscope stating that "not everyone is not committed to releasing my new album", referencing his yet-to-be-released, fifth studio album. This album, titled Street King Immortal, was meant to be released in the second quarter of 2013.

In 2012, rapper Eve blamed Interscope for delaying her much-anticipated fourth album, Lip Lock. The album was delayed in approximately 6 years, being announced in 2007 but released only in 2013.[9][10]

In 2012, rapper and singer M.I.A. announced her fourth album, Matangi, for a December 2012 release with Interscope.[11] The album was pushed back when Interscope shelved the original project claiming it was "too positive".[12] M.I.A. wrote new songs and produced new beats, but the album was again subject to numerous delays.[13] In September 2013, M.I.A. threatened to leak the album on the internet; Interscope responded by announcing the release date as November 5, 2013.[14]

Also in 2012, rapper Azealia Banks announced her debut album, Broke With Expensive Taste, for a September 2012 release with Interscope and Polydor. However, the album was subject to multiple delays and remains unreleased.[15] The first single, "Yung Rapunxel", was also delayed in 2 months.[16] She has stated on her tumblr: "So sick of having my plans changed. 'Miss Amor' and 'Miss Camaraderie' should've been out. Secretly missing the days of being unsigned, when all the power was mine. Nowadays I just feel like a bad actress." [17] In January 2014, Azealia slammed Interscope on her twitter, stating: "I REALLY should have signed with Sony. Can someone at Sony buy me off of Universal? I'm really in hell here. I'm literally begging to be dropped from Universal."

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Unless it's Eminem or some other Dr. Dre project (Kendrick Lanar), interscope couldn't give a fuck.

As far as 50 goes, love him but he burned every damn bridge there ever was to walk across. Otherwise all the complaints seem legit.

Edited by TeeJay410
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Unless it's Eminem or some other Dr. Dre project (Kendrick Lanar), interscope couldn't give a fuck.

As far as 50 goes, love him but he burned every damn bridge there ever was to walk across. Otherwise all the complaints seem legit.

50 managed to escape pretty much unscathed out of Interscope in the end, though, thanks to his personal relationships with Dre and Eminem (and the fact the label he moved to is still owned by UMG):

http://www.forbes.com/sites/zackomalleygreenburg/2014/02/21/50-cent-explains-how-he-left-interscope-debuts-funeral-video/

I doubt he'll have much success with his new record, though. The videos for Animal Ambition look really low-budget and there are no good beats.

If M.I.A. had leaked her album, couldn't Interscope have pressed charges?

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Guest Len B'stard

Thing is you get the amount of support that is due your potential and there aint so much potential in your 50 Cents and Eves no more. You dont hear Em complaining about this shit.

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Anything to do with Azealia Banks is all her fault, if she had burned industry bridges by being a vile creature on Twitter, then her album may already have been out by now. She attacked practically everyone in the industry, and that's just a stupid thing to do. Especially when it was clear that it was mostly her fault for any problems when it came to professional relationships.

Also, most of the others are complaining because their products didn't get released when the label know what they're doing. Why would they want to fund something that will surely flop? They try to delay albums etc. so interest can be built up (if there isn't any there) and they can gain a profit, instead of losing money. You can rant about the art and stuff like that all you want, it won't be much use if a label can't run due to financial loss.

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Anything to do with Azealia Banks is all her fault, if she had burned industry bridges by being a vile creature on Twitter, then her album may already have been out by now. She attacked practically everyone in the industry, and that's just a stupid thing to do. Especially when it was clear that it was mostly her fault for any problems when it came to professional relationships.

Also, most of the others are complaining because their products didn't get released when the label know what they're doing. Why would they want to fund something that will surely flop? They try to delay albums etc. so interest can be built up (if there isn't any there) and they can gain a profit, instead of losing money. You can rant about the art and stuff like that all you want, it won't be much use if a label can't run due to financial loss.

Interscope had way more complaints about delaying releases than any other label. Chris Cornell listened to the label and made "Scream" with Timba. It just seemed like across the board dissatisfaction for people under Iovine that have this common thread, and artists from Axl, Elton, Trent, and Fiddy (and the Pussycat Dolls chick, and I'm sure Lady Gaga's inevitable) seem to be painted as "difficult".

We never really got much of an "in the trenches from Interscope" when it came to the Chinese Democracy story, and that's a missing piece of the story, which no doubt ties into the other names mentioned.

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"I really have no personal issue with Chris [Cornell] at all. The thing I said on Twitter… it goes deeper than what have may appeared on the surface. We were on [interscope]. And I have had Jimmy Iovine, the president of that label, come up to me on every record from With Teeth onwards saying I should do some sort of urban thing — it was Timbaland for a while, then it was Pharrell for a while — because 'that's how you sell records.' The idea seemed so preposterous and insulting. I'm not talking about 'let's go make a record with Dr. Dre,' because that would be kind of cool. What he's talking about is making your record sound like what's on the radio, whether it's appropriate or not. And that's what Chris did. I think that when somebody who is respected like he is goes that route, it sends the message that it's OK to give up any kind of core values you had to be the fashion of the moment. I don't think that's OK. I think it's harmful. If I have one major fight in the world of the music business, it's trying to keep art first and commerce second."

Throwback 2009 April Fools Day

http://pitchfork.com/news/34977-trent-reznor-owns-april-fools-day/

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