S. Samuel
Nearly a year after admitting Jay-Z's Roc Nation offer could not seal the deal, Brooklyn rapper Joey Bada$$ has revealed how it will cost to sign him.
Joey said despite things not panning out with Roc Nation, there is not bad blood between himself and Jay.
You’re the indie rapper who famously refused to sign with Jay-Z’s Roc Nation. That’s pretty cool to be the one guy who turned down Jay-Z. It wasn’t really a “turn down,” it was more of a mutual understanding. People and the media are going to change things to what they want to hear. It’s more, he seen my vision and he got what I was trying to do. That’s what it was. He was like, “I see you little homie.” Are you and Jay-Z still friends? Can you just text him whenever you want? I wish, man. A lot of relationships you think that rappers have with each other are not true. It’s fiction. (Village Voice)
Bada$$ also did not sugarcoat how many millions a major label needs to offer him.
Is there anything that a major label could offer to get you to sign now? Three million. Off the top. If I gave you $3 million right now, you’d sign to my record label? Hell yeah. Get my Mom out the hood. You feel me? (Village Voice)
Earlier this year, the New York rapper said media outlets jumped the gun on a Roc Nation deal which, he said, never existed.
“They actually announced it on the radio that I signed with them — that was dumb as f*ck,” Joey said in an interview. “Won’t sign to no major, for no wager, less than a 3 million offer of the top, I be in a box when my coffin drops, why settle for an office spot? That type of thing, you know. Not really, major labels is just not where my head is at right now, you know? [Independent?] Yeah, that’s more of where my head is at, ’cause that’s what I’m tryna to do, I’m tryna go more independent.” (The Source)
Rumors of Joey possibly linking up with Roc Nation emerged in earlier January.
LISTEN: Hip-Hop is doing just fine. Even though it may not be exactly what we want, it really hasn’t been that since the very beginning. Now, Jay-Z is the don of dons to this day in Hip-Hop. Really like what dude is doing, even though he has his fair share of critics. With the rumors that he’s moving on, I am hearing Jigga man has signed the boy Joey Bada$$ to THE ROC! Man, the kid Joey is only 17 but he’s got bars of fury! Furthermore, Joey is from Brooklyn! Wow. He’s got that 90?s rawness! Jay is smart for this one, should it be totally true. I gotta give it up. This is smart, because this young man is hungry. Rumor has it, Jay has given up on Jay Electronica. (AHH Rumors)
Recently, renowned booking agent Peter Schwartz spoke to SOHH about booking shows for Bada$$ off the strength of his online presence.
“But nowadays, the Internet’s so strong that an artist can put out a mixtape on the web and be worth tickets in Europe right away. For example, we work with Joey Bada$$ and he hasn’t really put out an album yet. He’s got music on the web but he just went over to Europe and did his first tour there selling out five hundred and six hundred cap clubs his first time there.” (SOHH Guest Star)
