Rap veteran Too Short has decided to look beyond major record labels for his new album, Still Smokin', and said he would drop the project digitally.
According to Short, the release will mark his first-ever digital album.
"My thing is I just like to work in the studio & make a ton of new music," Too $hort explained. "I work with several different producers & artists and whenever it's time for me to release another album, I always have plenty of material on hand to choose from...It's always been that way with me. I'm doing a digital only release because at this point in my career, I have to be able to make my music available to the masses without depending on a major label. The majors will not push your product if you don't have the hottest single on the radio & huge first-week sales."
Rapper 50 Cent recently spoke on capitalizing off of the Internet.
"As far as the Internet is concerned, it's so new that the younger kids can take better advantage," Fif explained in an interview. "Soulja Boy is one of the guys that is more open-minded to the Web, and he'll go there immediately...I watched and learned from people like him. From my perspective, what the mixtape circuit was is now a viral video...When I make material and I see it be viewed a million times, I know that I pleased a small demographic that watched it so often that there's a million views. Or a broad demographic of people are drawn to it. I feel good either way... As [the Internet] changes and there's new applications and new things involved with the site, I learn that right away. That makes me comfortable...The kids, the new age group, the new kids are more perceptive of computers. They don't have to have the experience of going to purchase your CD or going to see your movie."
G-Unit's Tony Yayo also said it is to his advantage not to be signed to a major record label.
"If I was still on Interscope, I would say I would probably have to wait a long process to get my mixtape on iTunes," Yayo explained to DJ Green Lantern. "And now my mixtape's on iTunes, go pick it up -- I get my bread faster instead of waiting on the label to make moves for me. Them days is dead...We're gonna drop these independent records this summer, it's more money for me anyway, so, it's a beautiful thing. It's the do it yourself [era]. Eh yo, all those Hype Williams days are over. N*ggas used to spend half a million for a video. Now -- my videos are done in five minutes."
Prior to signing with Universal Motown imprint Young Money, Drake contemplated remaining an independent artist last summer.
"I think if I did put out an album with no label, I think I could really prove a point which is the changing of a generation," he said. "I feel like if I sign to a label and go platinum the first week, they'll be like 'Oh, it was the label push,' but if I did it without, people might say this is really changing, the Internet is a powerful tool. And when you use it the right way, you can make magic happen. I really think it would be legendary, I don't know how possible it is, because there's different things you have to consider like distribution, marketing budget and what not. But we have a pretty strong team so I'ma see if we can make it happen."
Still Smokin' is slated to drop on Tuesday, April 6th.
Check out Too Short's "Blow The Whistle" down below:
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