Rapper YG may be a businessman now. However, it came after regretfully signing with Def Jam when he was only 19 years old.
According to HipHopDX, YG became the first West Coast signee when he joined the label in 2010.
Since then, he has released six studio albums, which include “My Krazy Life,” “Stay Dangerous,” “My Life 4Hunnid,” and most recently “I Got Issues.”
The title of his latest album directly reflects YG’s sentiments toward Def Jam since his initial signing.
“I signed my deal, when I came in the game and sh-t. I signed the f-cked up deal,” YG said during REVOLT WORLD. “And I didn’t have to really sign that sh-t…The path it led me down as far as my situation with the label… like business sh-t.”
YG also describes feeling “finessed.” The rapper claims if he did not sign the deal, he would never be able to sign with the label again.
“I had the proper legal advice. I got finessed — basically into a meeting,” he explained. “I signed to Def Jam without taking the paperwork back to my people to go over the sh-t because I was told … I asked the question, ‘I’m supposed to take this to my people, like my mama supposed to be here. Like, this shit ain’t right, like, what’s going on?’ So I was asking ’em like, ‘Hey, if I don’t signing this today, then what?’ They was like, ‘Oh, well you might not ever be able to sign again.’ I’m like, 19, fresh outta jail. I’m like, ‘What?'”
This isn’t the first time YG has discussed his label.
“My record deal was f-cked up for 10 years straight,” he said on the “No Jumper” podcast. “My sh-t was all bad. I never owned none of my music I put out from … my last album back. I ain’t own nothing. So I just got out of that.”
He added, “I’m like, ‘I ain’t making no money with none of my music, I gotta do other sh-t.’ So it turned me into this little, whatever you want to call me, like business n-gga that got a brand.”
Today, YG has his own record label 4Hunnid. In addition to making music and touring, he also launched his own lifestyle brand called 4Hunnid.
The company’s website notes the brand relaunched with an “all star team” to offer a quality collection that captures the essence of Los Angeles’ street culture.
Check it out below.
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