Prince compares record contracts to slavery, defends TIDAL

[DiscoHeaven23 35,007]

How old are you?

Prince has been having battles with record companies for ages.

Same as George Michael.

Same as Michael Jackson. And many others.

It's exaggeration but some of these artists were signed young and were unable to get out of it.

 

"In 1993, during negotiations regarding the release of The Gold Experience, a legal battle ensued between Warner Bros. and Prince over the artistic and financial control of his musical output. During the lawsuit, he appeared in public with the word "slave" written on his cheek. Prince explained his name change as follows:

 

The first step I have taken toward the ultimate goal of emancipation from the chains that bind me to Warner Bros. was to change my name from Prince to the Love Symbol. Prince is the name that my mother gave me at birth. Warner Bros. took the name, trademarked it, and used it as the main marketing tool to promote all of the music that I wrote. The company owns the name Prince and all related music marketed under Prince. I became merely a pawn used to produce more money for Warner Bros...

 

I was born Prince and did not want to adopt another conventional name. The only acceptable replacement for my name, and my identity, was the Love Symbol, a symbol with no pronunciation, that is a representation of me and what my music is about. This symbol is present in my work over the years; it is a concept that has evolved from my frustration; it is who I am. It is my name.[144]

 

Prince has used pseudonyms to separate himself from the music (either his own or that of others) for which he has had input; "I was just getting tired of seeing my name," he said, "If you give away an idea, you still own that idea. In fact, giving it away strengthens it. Why do people feel they have to take credit for everything they do? Ego, that's the only reason."[145] These pseudonyms include: Jamie Starr and The Starr Company (for the songs he wrote for the Time and many other artists from 1981–1984),[146][147] Joey Coco (for many unreleased Prince songs in the late 1980s, as well as songs written for Sheena Easton & Kenny Rogers),[148] Paisley Park (occasionally used in the early 1990s for his production credits on songs, including those written for Martika and Kid Creole),[149] Alexander Nevermind (for writing the 1984 song "Sugar Walls" by Sheena Easton),[150] and Christopher (used for his song writing credit of "Manic Monday" for the Bangles)."

 

1993? Hmmmm isn't that right after his commercial career fell apart. What a coincidence 

and btw I'm 23, but apparently that's not old enough to have an opinion, according to you.

and why are you bring Michael Jackson into this? He's not involved.

[lego 44,165]

1993? Hmmmm isn't that right after his commercial career fell apart. What a coincidence 

and btw I'm 23, but apparently that's not old enough to have an opinion, according to you.

and why are you bring Michael Jackson into this? He's not involved.

Because you seem to be too young to remember.

MJ fought record companies as well, they all had issues with their contracts, it had nothing to do with commercial decline. 

[Brooke Candy 3,970]

How old are you?

Prince has been having battles with record companies for ages.

Same as George Michael.

Same as Michael Jackson. And many others.

It's exaggeration but some of these artists were signed young and were unable to get out of it.

 

"In 1993, during negotiations regarding the release of The Gold Experience, a legal battle ensued between Warner Bros. and Prince over the artistic and financial control of his musical output. During the lawsuit, he appeared in public with the word "slave" written on his cheek. Prince explained his name change as follows:

 

The first step I have taken toward the ultimate goal of emancipation from the chains that bind me to Warner Bros. was to change my name from Prince to the Love Symbol. Prince is the name that my mother gave me at birth. Warner Bros. took the name, trademarked it, and used it as the main marketing tool to promote all of the music that I wrote. The company owns the name Prince and all related music marketed under Prince. I became merely a pawn used to produce more money for Warner Bros...

 

I was born Prince and did not want to adopt another conventional name. The only acceptable replacement for my name, and my identity, was the Love Symbol, a symbol with no pronunciation, that is a representation of me and what my music is about. This symbol is present in my work over the years; it is a concept that has evolved from my frustration; it is who I am. It is my name.[144]

 

Prince has used pseudonyms to separate himself from the music (either his own or that of others) for which he has had input; "I was just getting tired of seeing my name," he said, "If you give away an idea, you still own that idea. In fact, giving it away strengthens it. Why do people feel they have to take credit for everything they do? Ego, that's the only reason."[145] These pseudonyms include: Jamie Starr and The Starr Company (for the songs he wrote for the Time and many other artists from 1981–1984),[146][147] Joey Coco (for many unreleased Prince songs in the late 1980s, as well as songs written for Sheena Easton & Kenny Rogers),[148] Paisley Park (occasionally used in the early 1990s for his production credits on songs, including those written for Martika and Kid Creole),[149] Alexander Nevermind (for writing the 1984 song "Sugar Walls" by Sheena Easton),[150] and Christopher (used for his song writing credit of "Manic Monday" for the Bangles)."

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince_(musician)

 

http://www.nytimes.com/1994/06/22/arts/george-michael-loses-lawsuit-against-sony.html

 

 

http://cdn2-b.examiner.com/sites/default/files/styles/image_content_width/hash/6b/e7/6be73d0e355908563173c00e00d8f1c2.JPG?itok=RcRe9pDD

 

 

 

 

I know, but i wouldn't compare all of that to 'Slavery'

[lego 44,165]

I know, but i wouldn't compare all of that to 'Slavery'

I agree, but many artists are too dramatic.  

[Noah X 5,250]

you'd be lucky if you get signed a record contract ... how is that like slavery???

[craig 680]

The thing that really irks me when Prince talks out like this  ( he also said something about commercialism of music, forget what exactly) on his moral high horse, is that he was apart of all of this in the 80's and early 90's. Like he was SUPER COMMERCIAL. Funny how he has an issue with it all now that he's not a commercially successful artist. Hypocrisy is alive. 

His issues began back when he was on top, and are a big reason  he stopped being successful. He changed his named to a symbol to spite his record company, he pushed out tons of 2nd rate work to fulfill a contract, and his battles with Youtube are a big reason the younger generation don't know him as well as MJ and Madonna.

[Phlop 4,773]

This irks me because there's hundreds of artists looking to be picked up by a label and have their music heard. I never understood why artists go against their labels when they'd be performing on the streets had they not been given a chance.

[lego 44,165]

This irks me because there's hundreds of artists looking to be picked up by a label and have their music heard. I never understood why artists go against their labels when they'd be performing on the streets had they not been given a chance.

Because they are often pushed to work with extremely tight schedule, if they write and compose their own music, they're not given space and artistic freedom to create what they want. Once they make a hit song/album, they're treated like cash cows.

And it's not only "old stars" complaining about this, Gaga was saying same things during the ARTPOP era.

 

[Stephen 30,432]

reminds me of madonna comparing her album leaking to rape and terrorism

 

[BlondeQueenOfGGD 25,454]

How much did Flopdal pay him to say this?

[CannaeDrive 3,412]

This is kind of insulting for those millions of people victim of slavery. A contract with bad conditions is just some kind of commercial exploitation, there can be no possible confusion with slavery.