“I shouldn’t be the only one with this preferred deal,” Williams recalls telling Stringer. “All artists should own their intellectual property — otherwise you’re just working for someone else. It’s really weird: They own the fields where you and God have laid the seeds; you do the harvesting, but they have the ownership.”
“In 2020, Black people do not need the music industry; the music industry needs Black people,” says Isaac Hayes III, son of the late soul star, who was the first Black artist to win the original song Oscar . “I understood once Pharrell mentioned the sensitivity of it, as did the rest of the group, and the changes were made immediately,” says Sylvia Rhone, chairwoman and CEO of Epic, home to Travis Scott and Camila Cabello. Sony general counsel and exec VP Julie Swidler affirms that action was taken promptly. “We never realized [the words] could be offensive, but if it bothers even one person, we’re taking it out,” she says of the directive from above concerning contracts going forward.
He’s not alone. Many Black artists don’t make the connection. Passman’s longtime client Ray Parker Jr. hadn’t until interviewed for this story. “It was said so much that I didn’t notice,” marvels Parker, who wrote and performed the 1984 No. 1 hit “Ghostbusters.” “It’s an underlying thing. It’s not only the racism above the ground. I never really thought about the master-and-the-slave thing, but that’s exactly what it’s called. It’s really dating you back a couple hundred years.
“Things have changed over the last two or three years,” says Rhone. “All the contracts are much more pro-ownership than they’ve ever been before. It’s the fair thing to do.” Instead, some suggest it further segregated music, both on the charts and in the boardroom. Jim Crow laws had been declared null and void by the Civil Rights Act of 1964, but the music industry was, in a sense, still operating according to that old tradition. A white artist could automatically get added at the all-important pop radio stations, but Black artists had to prove themselves at “Urban” radio before pop programmers would even consider giving them a spin..
Indeed, sometimes the function of being Black at a label can feel like it’s for show. As one executive relays to: “I can’t count the number of times the label [head] called me into a meeting just so there would be a Black face in the room.” Several more describe having to constantly come up with “workarounds” in order to maneuver obstacles at every turn.
Slave? Never heard that one before. But if we are gonna change anything how about we change the copyright law to be in favor of the creators of music not the payers of the studio time. Why does the label get the master tracks in nearly all deals?
Interesting because I’m sure they were good deals for them when they signed them or they wouldn’t have signed right? These whiny musicians and athletes wanting to rip up contracts when it doesn’t benefit them anymore is truly a trash move. What if it was the other way around
That’s quite rich of Pharrell after he totally fucked over Kelis when she was too young to know better
George Michael paved the way for this!! When no one else would dare to go against a record label.
What the hell does 'master recordings' have to do with slavery? Also the only time I recall 'slave' ever used was when Prince was fighting against warnerbros! ⁉️
You have SoundCloud and other streaming services, but even then you will have a very minor stake in your presence unless you can afford to host your music. 1: The money is in producing, and 2: You have to be willing to give some of your music free exposure to bypass labels
Traditionally artists looking to be discovered signed long-term contracts, if lucky, to live a lavish lifestyle and produce four or more discs [presuming the demand is there]. What planet do you think they live on that the business that puts up millions turns over the rights?
An artist must hold all the rights to their music. They should be in control, not the record companies!
Terminology? He's an advocate for the record labels then. Artists want ownership of their masters, don't care about the verbiage.
It can be done-one of the guys in my late husband's band got back the masters but Universal music put up a fight and it took years but it finally happened!
To be talking about the issue. There shouldn't be master and slave terminology. It's ridiculous. We as humans can do better. Every person regardless of their ethnicity should be seen as equal.
OMG Such a long article and no subheadlines! It's pain for the eyes. Can't read!
Ummm Taylor Swift spoke out about this .
Why doesn’t Kanye get a positive headline like that tho Kinda sus
Is there a business more exploitative than the music business? About time.
This article is a historical footprint of long overdue justice! As I began reading, my tears began to fall for those Black Artists of the trials, tribulations and thievery they experienced. I loved one even before his emergence to break the chains, 'Prince' exposed the TRUTH!
A good piece on IP- rights, inequality, awareness of the history & power of words... Now while we're at it, let's think about how often the n-word is used in music and the history & power of that word. It all comes from the same and keeps certain (karmic) cycles repeating.
I love it
Hopefully they'll also change the way the industry operates to work in tandem with the terminology.....step forward!
Check out that defensive body language.
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