Damon, Damon, Damon. Koch? You went to Koch? The graveyard where rappers go to kill their careers? (I guess you missed the 50 cent article when he was on the cover of Vibe, breaking down Koch). You ran one of the most successful labels in the 90s. You built the King of New York. Your steering sailed one of the most profitable rap vessels in urban music history. To end up at Koch?
When you watched RZA sell 100,000 CDs at the same time Killer Bees went Gold on Priority with the beats RZA didn't keep for himself, wasn't that a clue? When you saw Koch giving deals to every rapper past his prime, that didn't clue you in? When BG came off of selling 2 million CDs with Cash Money, to selling 150,000 CDs at Koch, weren't you the slightest bit curious as to why? When both Suge and Master P signed there because they couldn't get deals anyplace else, you didn't consider that was a "last stop?"
Maybe it's the "it can't happen to me" syndrome that I've heard so often from my girlfriends in abusive relationships. Or maybe Jay flexed his muscles and Koch truly was a last haven for you. But damn. They have not sold above 300,000 CDs on any artist, have they? Even BG back with Mannie Fresh tanked.
Koch has a special business model. Their goal isn't to drive anything Platinum. They are a business model like Asylum and Fontana where the goal is to sell an amount of CDs that is in equal proportion to their reduced budgets. On a happy note, you get 60% or 70% of this reduced income. They spend less, and they make less, but they rarely lose money. THEY rarely lose money. Ask BG--he's suing them to get his share. As is Lil Keke and Kash Kola--or so I hear. Maybe I'm spreading gossip...I don't mean to. The folks over at Koch seem to be good people. I like many of the employees. I wished they worked at other labels. Labels with platinum artists.
It's not so much that I don't like the idea of Koch (after all, I am the Queen of Do It Indie), I just don't like that they sell themselves as one thing and then the artists find out they are something completely different as they go down that road. That 3 year long road. Long enough to destroy the industry perception of you and your label.
I have a pain in my chest. I feel like the world stopped today. It would have hurt less to see you driving a Hyundai and shopping for clothes at Wal-Mart. At least then I'd have rationalized that you were a shrewd business man, not wasting your money on things that bring you no return on investment.
I hope I am wrong about your label going to Koch, Damon. I adore you!!! I know you know what you are doing, and I want only the best for you. Maybe they are strictly distribution for you and you plan to implement your own staff. I really, truly hope you are the one label at Koch that succeeds. I will do a victory dance for you. Til then, I'm scared. And sad. Very sad.
When you watched RZA sell 100,000 CDs at the same time Killer Bees went Gold on Priority with the beats RZA didn't keep for himself, wasn't that a clue? When you saw Koch giving deals to every rapper past his prime, that didn't clue you in? When BG came off of selling 2 million CDs with Cash Money, to selling 150,000 CDs at Koch, weren't you the slightest bit curious as to why? When both Suge and Master P signed there because they couldn't get deals anyplace else, you didn't consider that was a "last stop?"
Maybe it's the "it can't happen to me" syndrome that I've heard so often from my girlfriends in abusive relationships. Or maybe Jay flexed his muscles and Koch truly was a last haven for you. But damn. They have not sold above 300,000 CDs on any artist, have they? Even BG back with Mannie Fresh tanked.
Koch has a special business model. Their goal isn't to drive anything Platinum. They are a business model like Asylum and Fontana where the goal is to sell an amount of CDs that is in equal proportion to their reduced budgets. On a happy note, you get 60% or 70% of this reduced income. They spend less, and they make less, but they rarely lose money. THEY rarely lose money. Ask BG--he's suing them to get his share. As is Lil Keke and Kash Kola--or so I hear. Maybe I'm spreading gossip...I don't mean to. The folks over at Koch seem to be good people. I like many of the employees. I wished they worked at other labels. Labels with platinum artists.
It's not so much that I don't like the idea of Koch (after all, I am the Queen of Do It Indie), I just don't like that they sell themselves as one thing and then the artists find out they are something completely different as they go down that road. That 3 year long road. Long enough to destroy the industry perception of you and your label.
I have a pain in my chest. I feel like the world stopped today. It would have hurt less to see you driving a Hyundai and shopping for clothes at Wal-Mart. At least then I'd have rationalized that you were a shrewd business man, not wasting your money on things that bring you no return on investment.
I hope I am wrong about your label going to Koch, Damon. I adore you!!! I know you know what you are doing, and I want only the best for you. Maybe they are strictly distribution for you and you plan to implement your own staff. I really, truly hope you are the one label at Koch that succeeds. I will do a victory dance for you. Til then, I'm scared. And sad. Very sad.
posted by Ricky Ross | 4:55 PM
1 Comments:
Damon told a friend of mine last week that he was through the music business and did not care very much about it anymore. He built the hottest thing in music, and now it was time to move on... Perhaps this can explain his decision to do a deal with Koch. I wish him the best. He is one of my industry heroes.
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