The Essence thoughts on Kendrick Lamar's signing to Aftermath?

RuffDraft
RuffDraft Members, Writer Posts: 4,753 ✭✭✭✭
edited March 2012 in The Essence
This is huge news really, The Essence has followed Kendrick Lamar's career since before the Dr. Dre co-signing and the onslaught of his greatest EPs.

That said, the man who has put out the best EPs of the past three years has signed to Dr. Dre's label imprint aftermath under the Interscope records umbrella.

Considering the handling of artists previously by Aftermath/Interscope, do you think Kendrick Lamar will amount to all his worth in the coming years?

Here's my post from The Reason thread:
RuffDraft wrote:
So the knowledgeable heads thinking 'Kendrick sold out… he just ruined his career…' and the mainstream fans are thinking 'Great move Son! Can't wait for you to collaborate with X signed rapper'.

Kendrick had some of the best producers working alongside him, think he'll bring them along for the ride? I doubt it.

Kendrick Lamar was part of a movement for Independent hip hop, he released three great EPs (Kendrick Lamar EP, OD and Section 80), in less than 3 years. He'd have profited hugely on that and TDE could have been the Westcoast Rhymesayers had they decided to go that route and sign a bunch of local talented rappers that could have REALLY collaborated with TDE members. Namely The Living Legends who I feel could have really collaborated with Kendrick on another level, I'd love to hear a Eligh with Kendrick Lamar track.

3 independent EPs in three years, think we'll receive that sort of music flow now that he's signed to Aftermath? I doubt it.

I'm part of the naysayers on this one, this is a bad move for Lamar. He could have broke into the charts as Aloe Blacc did with Stones Throw Records. He could have had a lengthy career similarly as to how Atmosphere have had over the past 10+ years.

He didn't need this…

He needs to stay 'hot' in the charts now or he's going to get shelved.

He needs to do 'this and that' according to Dr. Dre when he was already bringing better than they have ever brought in the past decade.

Worst news I've heard in a long while…

We can hope, as we always do, that he doesn't become a part of the Rakim pack.

Thoughts?

Comments

  • traestar
    traestar Members Posts: 6,030 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Once upon a time, Joel Ortiz signed to Aftermath and a few years later, he was dropped. But came back with Slaughterhouse and signed to Shady Records.

    Once upon a time, Murs signed to Warner Bros to release Murs for President. I believe he's still there but he really hasn't released anything significant since that. http://thewellversed.com/2010/11/16/2dbz-x-twv-exclusive-murs-talks-signing-with-a-major-label-vs-going-independent/

    Once upon a time, Little Brother signed to Atlantic Records to release IMO one of the best breakthrough hip hop albums to get exposure in the mainstream in the "Minstrel Show". But after Getback, they departed from Atlantic and went on to continue making Independent music.


    I pulled these guys up, because each person have a huge independent following and each were unsuccessful in achieving the so called "big album sales" of their mainstream counterparts. All of the above are very talented, each are different, and they are only three different stories of a popular underground hip hop artist who tries to get mainstream attention for the intent of "balancing hip hop" and are unsuccessful. There are many others who have tried, some go on to remain mainstream, some don't and go back to independent.

    Kendrick Lamar is one of those stories and I say let him find his way, because he's one of the next generation artists who are fitting to change things. I've listened to a few tracks, I think he's talented, but to sign to Aftermath...its not the signing that I'm disappointed about, let that artist find his way...but its if he could do the music that he wants to do when he's signed to Aftermath. And this story of signing to a major label can be told by Murs up top, but it has been a story told by just about any legend in the game right now (LL Cool J, Busta Rhymes, Nas, Ludacris, etc.). But one person's story that caught my eye recently is Too Short. And if you've read his interview

    http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/news/id.18861/title.too-short-says-there-was-an-industry-wide-plot-to-shut-down-conscious-hip-hop

    You'd know that the many hip hop stories forementioned are part of what he revealed about his own experience. Check it out, but to give you a short summary, Too Short wanted to create a positive album but when he brought this to his then newly signed label, they wanted him to make the most nastiest album that he could make. So he made a deal to do it and then do the positive album and they never let him do it. One quote that I believe should not only summarize his experience but could also reflect the many other stories including Kendrick Lamar's..." Once I did what they wanted, they would never let me do what I wanted."

    So Kendrick Lamar congrats, but understand the game that they play in the mainstream as well. Personally Aftermath is what I call a "dead label" anyway, Shady Records is getting shine right now because of Slaughterhouse, and really the only labels that are getting attention in the radiowaves is Young Money and Maybach Music, lol.
  • RuffDraft
    RuffDraft Members, Writer Posts: 4,753 ✭✭✭✭
    traestar wrote: »
    Once upon a time, Joel Ortiz signed to Aftermath and a few years later, he was dropped. But came back with Slaughterhouse and signed to Shady Records.

    Once upon a time, Murs signed to Warner Bros to release Murs for President. I believe he's still there but he really hasn't released anything significant since that. http://thewellversed.com/2010/11/16/2dbz-x-twv-exclusive-murs-talks-signing-with-a-major-label-vs-going-independent/

    Once upon a time, Little Brother signed to Atlantic Records to release IMO one of the best breakthrough hip hop albums to get exposure in the mainstream in the "Minstrel Show". But after Getback, they departed from Atlantic and went on to continue making Independent music.


    I pulled these guys up, because each person have a huge independent following and each were unsuccessful in achieving the so called "big album sales" of their mainstream counterparts. All of the above are very talented, each are different, and they are only three different stories of a popular underground hip hop artist who tries to get mainstream attention for the intent of "balancing hip hop" and are unsuccessful. There are many others who have tried, some go on to remain mainstream, some don't and go back to independent.

    Kendrick Lamar is one of those stories and I say let him find his way, because he's one of the next generation artists who are fitting to change things. I've listened to a few tracks, I think he's talented, but to sign to Aftermath...its not the signing that I'm disappointed about, let that artist find his way...but its if he could do the music that he wants to do when he's signed to Aftermath. And this story of signing to a major label can be told by Murs up top, but it has been a story told by just about any legend in the game right now (LL Cool J, Busta Rhymes, Nas, Ludacris, etc.). But one person's story that caught my eye recently is Too Short. And if you've read his interview

    http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/news/id.18861/title.too-short-says-there-was-an-industry-wide-plot-to-shut-down-conscious-hip-hop

    You'd know that the many hip hop stories forementioned are part of what he revealed about his own experience. Check it out, but to give you a short summary, Too Short wanted to create a positive album but when he brought this to his then newly signed label, they wanted him to make the most nastiest album that he could make. So he made a deal to do it and then do the positive album and they never let him do it. One quote that I believe should not only summarize his experience but could also reflect the many other stories including Kendrick Lamar's..." Once I did what they wanted, they would never let me do what I wanted."

    So Kendrick Lamar congrats, but understand the game that they play in the mainstream as well. Personally Aftermath is what I call a "dead label" anyway, Shady Records is getting shine right now because of Slaughterhouse, and really the only labels that are getting attention in the radiowaves is Young Money and Maybach Music, lol.

    Lol. co-sign this entire post. The problem I DO have with the signing is that I don't believe Kendrick will have complete control to reach his own vision of what he is supposed to come… Aftermath/Interscope are capable of releasing an album but… they have to let Kendrick do it his own way AND release his music as quickly has he has been doing already…

    I see an album every two years, I'm disappointed at that fact.
  • traestar
    traestar Members Posts: 6,030 ✭✭✭✭✭
    RuffDraft wrote: »
    traestar wrote: »
    Once upon a time, Joel Ortiz signed to Aftermath and a few years later, he was dropped. But came back with Slaughterhouse and signed to Shady Records.

    Once upon a time, Murs signed to Warner Bros to release Murs for President. I believe he's still there but he really hasn't released anything significant since that. http://thewellversed.com/2010/11/16/2dbz-x-twv-exclusive-murs-talks-signing-with-a-major-label-vs-going-independent/

    Once upon a time, Little Brother signed to Atlantic Records to release IMO one of the best breakthrough hip hop albums to get exposure in the mainstream in the "Minstrel Show". But after Getback, they departed from Atlantic and went on to continue making Independent music.


    I pulled these guys up, because each person have a huge independent following and each were unsuccessful in achieving the so called "big album sales" of their mainstream counterparts. All of the above are very talented, each are different, and they are only three different stories of a popular underground hip hop artist who tries to get mainstream attention for the intent of "balancing hip hop" and are unsuccessful. There are many others who have tried, some go on to remain mainstream, some don't and go back to independent.

    Kendrick Lamar is one of those stories and I say let him find his way, because he's one of the next generation artists who are fitting to change things. I've listened to a few tracks, I think he's talented, but to sign to Aftermath...its not the signing that I'm disappointed about, let that artist find his way...but its if he could do the music that he wants to do when he's signed to Aftermath. And this story of signing to a major label can be told by Murs up top, but it has been a story told by just about any legend in the game right now (LL Cool J, Busta Rhymes, Nas, Ludacris, etc.). But one person's story that caught my eye recently is Too Short. And if you've read his interview

    http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/news/id.18861/title.too-short-says-there-was-an-industry-wide-plot-to-shut-down-conscious-hip-hop

    You'd know that the many hip hop stories forementioned are part of what he revealed about his own experience. Check it out, but to give you a short summary, Too Short wanted to create a positive album but when he brought this to his then newly signed label, they wanted him to make the most nastiest album that he could make. So he made a deal to do it and then do the positive album and they never let him do it. One quote that I believe should not only summarize his experience but could also reflect the many other stories including Kendrick Lamar's..." Once I did what they wanted, they would never let me do what I wanted."

    So Kendrick Lamar congrats, but understand the game that they play in the mainstream as well. Personally Aftermath is what I call a "dead label" anyway, Shady Records is getting shine right now because of Slaughterhouse, and really the only labels that are getting attention in the radiowaves is Young Money and Maybach Music, lol.

    Lol. co-sign this entire post. The problem I DO have with the signing is that I don't believe Kendrick will have complete control to reach his own vision of what he is supposed to come… Aftermath/Interscope are capable of releasing an album but… they have to let Kendrick do it his own way AND release his music as quickly has he has been doing already…

    I see an album every two years, I'm disappointed at that fact.

    Yea I understand your point completely now, and for him to be a new artist he has to put in work and get his name out there, that two year gap WILL HURT HIS CAREER! I mean there are mixtapes, but he has to go harder than that once he's signed.
  • RuffDraft
    RuffDraft Members, Writer Posts: 4,753 ✭✭✭✭
    traestar wrote: »
    RuffDraft wrote: »
    traestar wrote: »
    Once upon a time, Joel Ortiz signed to Aftermath and a few years later, he was dropped. But came back with Slaughterhouse and signed to Shady Records.

    Once upon a time, Murs signed to Warner Bros to release Murs for President. I believe he's still there but he really hasn't released anything significant since that. http://thewellversed.com/2010/11/16/2dbz-x-twv-exclusive-murs-talks-signing-with-a-major-label-vs-going-independent/

    Once upon a time, Little Brother signed to Atlantic Records to release IMO one of the best breakthrough hip hop albums to get exposure in the mainstream in the "Minstrel Show". But after Getback, they departed from Atlantic and went on to continue making Independent music.


    I pulled these guys up, because each person have a huge independent following and each were unsuccessful in achieving the so called "big album sales" of their mainstream counterparts. All of the above are very talented, each are different, and they are only three different stories of a popular underground hip hop artist who tries to get mainstream attention for the intent of "balancing hip hop" and are unsuccessful. There are many others who have tried, some go on to remain mainstream, some don't and go back to independent.

    Kendrick Lamar is one of those stories and I say let him find his way, because he's one of the next generation artists who are fitting to change things. I've listened to a few tracks, I think he's talented, but to sign to Aftermath...its not the signing that I'm disappointed about, let that artist find his way...but its if he could do the music that he wants to do when he's signed to Aftermath. And this story of signing to a major label can be told by Murs up top, but it has been a story told by just about any legend in the game right now (LL Cool J, Busta Rhymes, Nas, Ludacris, etc.). But one person's story that caught my eye recently is Too Short. And if you've read his interview

    http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/news/id.18861/title.too-short-says-there-was-an-industry-wide-plot-to-shut-down-conscious-hip-hop

    You'd know that the many hip hop stories forementioned are part of what he revealed about his own experience. Check it out, but to give you a short summary, Too Short wanted to create a positive album but when he brought this to his then newly signed label, they wanted him to make the most nastiest album that he could make. So he made a deal to do it and then do the positive album and they never let him do it. One quote that I believe should not only summarize his experience but could also reflect the many other stories including Kendrick Lamar's..." Once I did what they wanted, they would never let me do what I wanted."

    So Kendrick Lamar congrats, but understand the game that they play in the mainstream as well. Personally Aftermath is what I call a "dead label" anyway, Shady Records is getting shine right now because of Slaughterhouse, and really the only labels that are getting attention in the radiowaves is Young Money and Maybach Music, lol.

    Lol. co-sign this entire post. The problem I DO have with the signing is that I don't believe Kendrick will have complete control to reach his own vision of what he is supposed to come… Aftermath/Interscope are capable of releasing an album but… they have to let Kendrick do it his own way AND release his music as quickly has he has been doing already…

    I see an album every two years, I'm disappointed at that fact.

    Yea I understand your point completely now, and for him to be a new artist he has to put in work and get his name out there, that two year gap WILL HURT HIS CAREER! I mean there are mixtapes, but he has to go harder than that once he's signed.

    Yeah exactly and when you look at Eminem (white rapper with a crazy original edge), 50 Cent (shot 9 times) and The Game (shot however many times, gang affiliated with a single from 50 Cent and ? . by Dr. Dre - 'How We Do'), does Kendrick have that edge??? Gimmick to take him worldwide???

    Even if he does J. Cole numbers… it won't be enough.
  • satyrone
    satyrone Members Posts: 4,696 ✭✭✭✭✭
    the main problem i have with his signing is we probaly wont see and album out on aftermath. ? look what happen to Joel,bishop,rakim etc. people may think this is a good look,i think that it wont work at all. i guess it depends on dre.
  • RuffDraft
    RuffDraft Members, Writer Posts: 4,753 ✭✭✭✭
    satyrone wrote: »
    the main problem i have with his signing is we probaly wont see and album out on aftermath. ? look what happen to Joel,bishop,rakim etc. people may think this is a good look,i think that it wont work at all. i guess it depends on dre.

    Yeah, exactly and he made a big deal with Rakim being on the label too. He's just a slouch, IMO. I bet all those artists that he benched had decent material, but because they weren't life changing in his opinion, he probably lost focus.

    50 Cent after GRODT said Dr. Dre just took him to a box and said 'Here are the hits Fifty, select any that you want'. Dr. Dre is no longer a good producer, IMO. He's had a very slow slew of decent hits in the past decade, IMO.

    I don't want to say that Kendrick signed to the devil, but you can bet the rest of Black Hippy have. They didn't want Black Hippy according to The Reason head who is telling everyone he's the biggest fan. If that's the case, that screams benched and I continue with the fact that TDE could have done MUCH BETTER with a deal or just copied Stones Throw Records because they made Aloe Blacc blow up to be a worldwide artist - on their own.
  • stupot0607
    stupot0607 Members Posts: 1,914 ✭✭✭
    I dont think this is a good move, Dre is a thing of the past in Hip Hop, lets face it!! Kendrick needed a lane to himself, leave dre behind and let the West move on. i could have lived with a dre callabo or beat. But i dont support this, just look at the other "aftermath" artists, Joell was dragged along, Rakim did ? all, Eve ... well i dont care about her, Busta had one album release then fell off, Unless your Name is Eminem your not gonna get the right shine on Aftermath... Dre hasnt been the same since Mel Man left the label, im starting to think he played a bigger part in 2001 than people know... its a ? conspiracy.

    Anyways Kendrick this is a bad move. Hopefully he can prove me wrong.
  • Ishi
    Ishi Members Posts: 4,649 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Disappointing... just disappointing.
  • Lou Cypher
    Lou Cypher Members Posts: 52,521 ✭✭✭✭✭
    I sensed Kendrick signing with a major back when i heard Section 80. I knew dre was working with him but i didnt think hed sign TDE as a whole. Theres Pro's and cons to him with aftermath imo. If dre doesnt try molding him to a major artist and just let him build kind of like he did with em and let kendrick be his own self, i think itll be great. Dre's production hasnt been like it was in past years, but its still better than boi 1nda or whoever the ? is hot. Kendricks buzz is hot right now, and i dont think dre will be releasing anything from them anytime soon tbh. If he re did Detox, put TDE on it and went back to his old Dre formulas, the album would sell huge and get a new batch of people to listen to Black Hippy, then dre could use that buzz to get Kendrick and them out. But i dont see Kendrick coming out anytime soon.
  • justforkicks
    justforkicks Members Posts: 23
    First off, the 3 albums some of you called EP is actually LP's.

    I think this is good for the whole TDE camp just as long as everyone has creative control still. I don't know the deals of the contract but it seems like it's basically a distro deal so TDE might have full control and the same quality music will come out. If tthis is an artist deal i don't think any new ? will come out. It's great to be signed to a Major tho, ? you'll get the exposure and access to things you never had before. Even if nothing comes out and they go back to being independent I think this will help them in the long run. Just like someone said before...Look at Joell, Murs, Little Brother, etc...When/if they get release or dropped from the label they just have to keep grinding and they'll maintain that mainstream status. That's what Joell, Murs, LB, etc...did.

    overall I think this is a great move.
  • RuffDraft
    RuffDraft Members, Writer Posts: 4,753 ✭✭✭✭
    Lou Cypher wrote: »
    I sensed Kendrick signing with a major back when i heard Section 80. I knew dre was working with him but i didnt think hed sign TDE as a whole. Theres Pro's and cons to him with aftermath imo. If dre doesnt try molding him to a major artist and just let him build kind of like he did with em and let kendrick be his own self, i think itll be great. Dre's production hasnt been like it was in past years, but its still better than boi 1nda or whoever the ? is hot. Kendricks buzz is hot right now, and i dont think dre will be releasing anything from them anytime soon tbh. If he re did Detox, put TDE on it and went back to his old Dre formulas, the album would sell huge and get a new batch of people to listen to Black Hippy, then dre could use that buzz to get Kendrick and them out. But i dont see Kendrick coming out anytime soon.

    I can agree with this, I don't think Dre's going to be giving up any good beats though (to be honest, I don't think Dre has enough good beats anymore).


    First off, the 3 albums some of you called EP is actually LP's.

    I think this is good for the whole TDE camp just as long as everyone has creative control still. I don't know the deals of the contract but it seems like it's basically a distro deal so TDE might have full control and the same quality music will come out. If tthis is an artist deal i don't think any new ? will come out. It's great to be signed to a Major tho, ? you'll get the exposure and access to things you never had before. Even if nothing comes out and they go back to being independent I think this will help them in the long run. Just like someone said before...Look at Joell, Murs, Little Brother, etc...When/if they get release or dropped from the label they just have to keep grinding and they'll maintain that mainstream status. That's what Joell, Murs, LB, etc...did.

    overall I think this is a great move.

    @ bolded, how you figure? His first of those three 'LPs' is entitled 'The Kendrick Lamar EP'… :/

    It's different with Murs/LB etc. because their music was released. If you look at others on Aftermath, they didn't even get a single release - some didn't even get a single. So I disagree there.

    I agree that one will grow underneath a bigger budget and have experience with things that they might not have previously, but even with creative control, if your music isn't seeing the light of day, then it's no good for your career - especially at a young age when you're really firing on all cylinders.

    However, with it only being Kendrick on Aftermath (according to The Reason thread), I think the others in TDE will benefit if, as you say, it's just a distribution deal.

    Kendrick on the other hand… I hope he's an anomaly, like he says.
  • StillFaggyAF
    StillFaggyAF Members Posts: 40,358 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Section.80 is a independent album and OD is a mixtape


    With that said, we'll have to wait this one out to comment, because on Twitter the CEO of Top Dawg "confirmed" that artistic control was central in signing with Aftermath/Interscope, for all we know Dr. Dre will just executively produced Kendrick's album. Also the group Black Hippy signed a joint venture deal with Interscope, Jay Rock as a solo artist is still with Strange Music. Ab Soul and school boy are also on Interscope
  • RuffDraft
    RuffDraft Members, Writer Posts: 4,753 ✭✭✭✭
    $? wrote: »
    Section.80 is a independent album and OD is a mixtape

    With that said, we'll have to wait this one out to comment, because on Twitter the CEO of Top Dawg "confirmed" that artistic control was central in signing with Aftermath/Interscope, for all we know Dr. Dre will just executively produced Kendrick's album. Also the group Black Hippy signed a joint venture deal with Interscope, Jay Rock as a solo artist is still with Strange Music. Ab Soul and school boy are also on Interscope

    Taken from Kendrick's mouth: "I treat every project like it’s an album anyway. It’s not gonna be nothing leftover. I never do nothing like that. These are my leftover songs y’all can have ‘em, nah. I’m gonna put my best out. My best effort. I’m tryna look for an album in 2012".

    It might have changed because of its acclaim (Section 80), but it was released as an EP to start with and articles will still point to Good Kid in a Mad City as his debut studio album...

    I'm sure that every CEO signs papers and thinks the situation is cool. Just like the artists who pop bottles to begin with then pop shots at the labels afterwards.

    Like you say, we'll wait it out.
  • imMACKulate
    imMACKulate Members Posts: 36
    Kendrick Lamar doesnt move me at all ... ? lackluster IMO