The weekend may be over, but the Juneteenth celebrations continue. Millions of Americans celebrated enslaved Black people in Texas learning of their freedom years after the Emancipation Proclamation was set in place, and it is a time that many families reflect on their histories and ancestors’ sacrifices. Several brands and networks joined in on the federal holiday, including ABC News which hosted a Sound of Freedom – A Juneteenth Celebration with several celebrities.
Ciara was one of the handfuls of tastemakers who made an appearance, and during the discussion, she spoke about acquiring her masters. Years ago, the news circulated that her husband, Russell Wilson, purchased them for her as a gift, but Ciara is sharing what really happened.
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During the segment, Ciara spoke about how owning her masters has given her a sense of freedom in being able to move and create as she sees fit.
“I had this song called ‘Level Up,’ I had the video for the song as well. I had a whole vision for my project,” said Ciara of her viral hit that shot up the charts thanks to an online dance craze. “I sat down and I talked to the CEO at that time. It was like, he made up his mind before I came into the room. He wasn’t checking for it.”
It was during that meeting that she decided she wanted to ask for her masters and move her career forward independently under her own label.
“Amazingly enough, they gave me my masters,” she added. “They gave them to me for free! So, it lets you know they didn’t believe at all... It was that easy and I was ready.”
She counts herself as lucky because there are some artists battle it out for masters ownership for years.