With a whisper quite the opposite of the way Chief Keef exploded onto the rap scene, word came out Tuesday that the Chicago rapper (real name Keith Cozart) has been dropped from noted hip-hop label Interscope Records.
Through a series of tweets Tuesday, the rapper intimated that he had been cut from his contract because of difficulties related to the handling and release of his upcoming album, “Back to the Dead 2.” Near the end of a series of Twitter blasts, the rapper suggested that he has plans to go full-indie, as he tweeted “100% of everything goes to me now. Jimmy (Iovine) it was cool splitting it with U But u gave yo spot up!”
Keef kept up a steady stream of commentary Tuesday on his Twitter account, including the assertion that “Back from the Dead 2,” a sequel to his 2012 mix tape that preceded his Interscope debut, is still on schedule to be released Oct. 31 on his Glo Gang label.
In 2013 Keef signed a contract with Interscope that, if it reached fruition, would have paid him more than $6 million over three years. The heavily incentivized deal was linked to sales of Keef’s full-length album “Finally Rich.” That album debuted at No. 28 on the Billboard Top 200, and reports of its overall sales numbers range from fewer than 200,000 to more than 350,000. The three-album contract also included a controlling interest in his own record label, which was to be called Glory Boyz Entertainment.
A series of legal troubles including drug offenses landed the rapper in and out of courtrooms and a stint in rehab, which many say contributed to the move by Interscope.
To many who have been following the career of Chief Keef, being dropped by Interscope came as no surprise. Andrew Barber, owner and creator of the Chicago-based rap music website Fakeshoredrive.com, noted in his report on the rumored Interscope move: “I can’t say I didn’t see this coming, however. I think staying indie is the best option for Keef at this point. Then he can be free to make the type of music he wants, clear of restrictions and major label appeasement.”
“He already has a huge fan base,” Barber told the Tribune Tuesday. “He can still drop music via Twitter and YouTube and rack up 500,000 to 1 million hits. He still is very pppular. His getting dropped is more of a sign of what the major label looks like nowadays. On the same day he was dropped, it was announced that Mac Miller signed a $10 million deal with Warner Bros.
“Shows you where the music business is heading now, which is away from street rap.”
As recently as August, Interscope was still busy promoting Keef and a Los Angeles club concert that was streamed online. It was part of a concerted effort by the rapper and his team to reboot his career after a series of setbacks, including the legal turmoil and canceled shows. At the time, Keef announced that his second album for Interscope, “Bang 3,” would be released in September after numerous delays. But a label spokesman said the album was still not on the release schedule.
Since “Finally Rich” came out in 2012, Keef has been sued by a Cleveland promoter over a $15,000 advance deposit for a June 2013 concert at which Keef failed to appear. He was arrested in March in suburban Highland Park, where he was living at the time, on charges of driving with a suspended license and driving under the influence of marijuana.
The website AllHipHop.com, in an article Tuesday, said that the troubles between the rapper and Interscope have been brewing for almost a year, and they intensified when Keef relocated to Los Angeles. Whether the artist has in fact been dropped by Interscope was unconfirmed on Tuesday. The label did not return calls for comment.
“I think Keef’s gonna be fine,” said Barber. “I don’t think it’s like a lot of these other artists that get dropped. He has a unique relationship with his fans. His next move is to go indie, unless somebody like Kanye (West) comes in (and signs him).”
Twitter: @gregkot, @tribunekevin
