After writing and featuring for multiple high-profile artists, Vory is stepping into the spotlight with the release of his debut album, Lost Souls. The talented Houston artist has an impressive resume at just 24 years old and looks to send a message to the industry with his debut. Songwriter Vory has unleashed his debut studio […]
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As the Fulton County racketeering case against Young Thug and YSL Records continues to draw scrutiny for its use of the Atlanta rapper’s lyrics in its 88-page indictment, the movement to reform criminal law to limit this controversial practice made significant progress this week. Pitchfork reports that the New York State Senate has approved Senate Bill S7527 — aka known as the “Rap On Trial” law.
Sponsored by Senators Jamaal Bailey and Brad Hoylman and receiving support from rappers like Fat Joe, Jay-Z, Killer Mike, and Meek Mill, the Rap On Trial law would limit the use of artists’ lyrics as evidence unless prosecutors can prove that the raps are “literal, rather than figurative or fictional.” This could make it much more difficult for RICO (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations) cases to simply pull lyrics that mention suspected criminal organizations, such as the ones used against Young Thug. According to the State Senate website:
The purpose of this legislation is to protect freedom of speech and artistic expression in New York State. This bill effectuates the enhanced free speech protections provided by the New York State Constitution, ensuring that criminal defendants are tried based upon evidence of criminal conduct, not the provocative nature of their artistic works and tastes.
The bill must still pass the State Assembly to become law — love that bicameral Congress — and would require a signature from the Governor to become law, but should it do both, it would set a precedent for other states to follow to stop prosecutors from overreaching when it comes to rappers and their expression.
Meek Mill has been on a bit of a rebellious streak lately, speaking out against music industry practices he sees as outdated or unfair. After Kanye West posted several pages of record deal revisions to Twitter in 2020, Meek claimed he wanted to do the same in 2021, writing, “I’m about to make my record deal public… just to let the world see what these people on!”
ask the record label? how much have you spent on me as a artist? then you ask how much have you made off me as a artist? i’m about to make my record deal public by monday just to let the world see what these people on!!!
— MeekMill.nft (@MeekMill) October 25, 2021
While he never quite followed through on that particular threat, he has continued to air out his issues with the recording industry. Most recently, he denounced the industry’s modern emphasis on publicizing first-week album sales numbers. In Meek’s opinion, this is an unhealthy way to do business; it unfairly hurts the public perception of artists and how their labels deal with them. He also believes that labels have more control over those statistics than they let on.
“We don’t go off first week numbers,” he wrote. “Labels run that shit … and most of the numbers be fake … you can clearly see all the artist that’s killing shit! Focus on your brand and impact!!” In a follow-up tweet, he described what he believes is the detrimental effect this is having on the music business. “They crashing the rap game out,” he predicted. “That everybody drop on Friday bs …. Wtf is that … why would you want to sell your product on the same day as the competition… for a billboard look? lol what does that do for the artist?”
We don’t go off first week numbers ….Labels run that shit … and most of the numbers be fake … you can clearly see all the artist that’s killing shit! Focus on your brand and impact!!
— MeekMill.nft (@MeekMill) April 14, 2022
They crashing the rap game out …. that everybody drop on Friday bs …. Wtf is that … why would you want to sell your product on the same day as the competition… for a billboard look? lol what does that do for the artist?
— MeekMill.nft (@MeekMill) April 14, 2022
While Meek’s issues appear to be with the recording industry in general, his MMG boss Rick Ross doesn’t believe Meek has issues with MMG. Rather, Ross recently said he thinks Meek’s label complaints are focused on Atlantic Records, which currently distributes his music.
Meek Mill is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
Young Thug‘s YSL Records artist T-Shyne drops his debut album Confetti Nights in two weeks, on April 1, but first, the New York rapper has shared the tracklist for the Kevin Durant-produced project. Coming in at 15 tracks, the album might be something of a departure for YSL Records, which is made up primarily of Thugger’s fellow ATLiens, but it manages to stay relatively close to home with its impressive guest list. Features on the album include 6lack, Dougie F, Gunna, JID, Meek Mill, Nav, Swae Lee, and of course Young Thug.
Of the 15 songs, five have been previously released: “Top 5,” “Feed The Fam,” “30 For 30,” “That Go! (which he previously performed on UPROXX Sessions),” and “Sugar Water” featuring Young Thug. Naturally, as T-Shyne’s benefactor, Thugger appears on the album three times, on “Fighting Demons,” “That Go!” and “Sugar Water.”
In a recent interview with AllHipHop, T-Shyne broke down the album’s concept, saying, “It’s that championship mentality. That feeling, that Mamba mentality. The story of Confetti Nights goes from a rookie going through the seasons. At first, he might not get no playing time. Eventually, you start doing your thing and then go on to win championships. The image I originally wanted for the cover was this picture of Kobe, it’s him with his hands up and all the confetti falling down. Rest in peace, Kobe.”
Confetti Nights is due 4/1 via YSL Records and 300 Entertainment.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
