Bob Lefsetz posted this email from Nas that he sent to his record label Def Jam. If you are in a band, ever had a record contract or just have a issue with labels READ THIS!<\/p>\n
From: Nas
\nTo: LA Reid, Steve Bartels, Steve Gawley, Michael Seltzer, Joseph Borrino, Chris Hicks
\nSubject: PUT MY SHIT OUT!Peace to all,<\/p>\nWith all do respect to you all, Nas is NOBODY\u2019s slave. This is not the 1800\u2019s, respect me and I will respect you.<\/p>\n
I won\u2019t even tap dance around in an email, I will get right into it. People connect to the Artist @ the end of the day, they don\u2019t connect with the executives. Honestly, nobody even cares what label puts out a great record, they care about who recorded it. Yet time and time again its the executives who always stand in the way of a creative artist\u2019s dream and aspirations. You don\u2019t help draw the truth from my deepest and most inner soul, you don\u2019t even do a great job @ selling it. The #1 problem with DEF JAM is pretty simple and obvious, the executives think they are the stars. You aren\u2019t\u2026. not even close. As a matter of fact, you wish you were, but it didn\u2019t work out so you took a desk job. To the consumer, I COME FIRST. Stop trying to deprive them! I have a fan base that dies for my music and a RAP label that doesn\u2019t understand RAP. Pretty fucked up situation<\/p>\n
This isn\u2019t the 90\u2019s though. Beefing with record labels is so 15 years ago. @ this point I just need you all to be very clear where I stand and how I feel about “my label.” I could go on twitter or hot 97 tomorrow and get 100,000 protesters @ your building but I choose to walk my own path my own way because since day one I have been my own man. I did business with Tommy Mottola and Donnie Einer, two of the most psycho dudes this business ever created. I worked well with them for one major reason\u2026\u2026. they believed in me. The didn\u2019t give a fuck about what any radio station or magazine said\u2026.those dudes had me.<\/p>\n
Lost Tapes is a movement and a very important set up piece for my career as it stands. I started this over 5 years ago @ Columbia and nobody knew what it was or what it did but the label put it out as an LP and the fans went crazy for it and I single handlely built a new brand of rap albums. It\u2019s smart and after 5 years it\u2019s still a head of the game. This feels great and you not feeling what I\u2019m feeling is disturbing. Don\u2019t get in the way of my creativity. We are aligned with the stars here, this is a movement. There is a thing called KARMA that comes to haunt you when you tamper with the aligning stars. WE ARE GIVING THE PEOPLE EXACTLY WHAT THEY WANT. Stop throwing dog shit on a MAGICAL moment.<\/p>\n
You don\u2019t get another Nas recording that doesn\u2019t count against my deal\u2026.PERIOD! Keep your bullshit $200,000.00 fund. Open the REAL budget. This is a New York pioneers ALBUM, there ain\u2019t many of us. I am ready to drop in the 4th quarter. You don\u2019t even have shit coming out! Stop being your own worst enemy. Let\u2019s get money!<\/p>\n
-N.Jones<\/p>\n