WHAT'S A GOOD RECORD DEAL?
RollingStone India|June 2021
Superstars like Kanye West and Taylor Swift have bashed lopsided label deals — and a new generation of artists is vying to recalibrate music’s balance of power
JON BLISTEIN
WHAT'S A GOOD RECORD DEAL?

WHEN DORIS MUÑOZ MET CUCO, one of the first things she told him was that his art was pure and should never be exploited. “I said, ‘I want to advocate for you because I don’t want you to get Ritchie Valens’d,’ ” she recalls, referring to the Chicano rock & roller whose label owner, Bob Keane, kept Valens’ recording rights in perpetuity. Valens’ mother had to wait until 1987, 28 years after her son’s death in a plane crash, to take back his publishing.

Muñoz began managing Cuco in 2017, when labels were pulling out all the stops to sign the 18-year-old artist, whose bedroom productions were burning up SoundCloud and Bandcamp. The pair were flown out to New York and dazzled in meetings with label chairmen. “And we’re just these little Chicano kids, the kids of undocumented immigrants, that never thought these opportunities would present themselves in our lifetime,” Muñoz says.

So many record-industry horror stories start this way. But Muñoz and Cuco had done their research: They’d heard that labels regularly presented young artists of color with lopsided contracts that tilted ownership in their favor, put low royalty rates in fine print, or hid other exploitative clauses behind legalese and sky-high advances. These practices — default in the industry — could snuff out a career before it got a chance to take off, or constrain an artist if they got bigger later on.

Muñoz and Cuco turned down all his contract offers in 2017 and inked a distribution deal with AWAL instead. He spent the next year building momentum with his EP, Chiquito, and playing festival sets. In 2019, he finally signed a label contract, with Interscope, but made sure the deal let him own all of his original recordings.

Denne historien er fra June 2021-utgaven av RollingStone India.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

Denne historien er fra June 2021-utgaven av RollingStone India.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

FLERE HISTORIER FRA ROLLINGSTONE INDIASe alt
SPICE WORLD
RollingStone India

SPICE WORLD

Ice Spice ignored the haters, commanded our attention, and became a new kind of star. Next up: a great debut album

time-read
10+ mins  |
October 2024
Pritam: THE HIT MAKER
RollingStone India

Pritam: THE HIT MAKER

INSIDE THE MIND OF HINDI FILM MUSIC DIRECTOR PRITAM CHAKRABORTY, WHO RECENTLY WON HIS FIRST NATIONAL AWARD FOR BRAHMASTRA: PART ONE - SHIVA, ON HOW HE CREATES SCORES THAT ENDURE AND SONGS THAT CLOCK MILLIONS OF STREAMS

time-read
10 mins  |
October 2024
K-Drama Flashback: 'My Name'
RollingStone India

K-Drama Flashback: 'My Name'

'My Name,' starring Han So-hee in the titular role, deftly subverts gender norms in society via a story of relentless fight for revenge

time-read
3 mins  |
October 2024
LAST NIGHT I DREAMT I WENT TO SILENT HILL AGAIN
RollingStone India

LAST NIGHT I DREAMT I WENT TO SILENT HILL AGAIN

The 'Silent Hill 2' Remake has you returning to that restless dream from 23 years ago

time-read
8 mins  |
October 2024
FIFTY FIFTY: 'WE'LL CONTINUE TO SHOW OUR BEST SELVES'
RollingStone India

FIFTY FIFTY: 'WE'LL CONTINUE TO SHOW OUR BEST SELVES'

Fifty Fifty's single 'Cupid' was a viral hit. The K-pop girl group is back with renewed vigor, releasing its new album, 'Love Tune.' The following interview covers details, insights, and anecdotes

time-read
2 mins  |
October 2024
EXCISE DEPT: 'IT WAS IMPORTANT TO CREATE STRONG, BOLD CONTRASTS'
RollingStone India

EXCISE DEPT: 'IT WAS IMPORTANT TO CREATE STRONG, BOLD CONTRASTS'

From An Armory Of Instruments To Personal Stories Told With An Uncharacteristic Straightforwardness, The Delhi/Goa Band Are Taking Over The World With Their Latest Full-Length

time-read
6 mins  |
October 2024
Mali is Heading to SXSW Sydney in October
RollingStone India

Mali is Heading to SXSW Sydney in October

For the longest time I have known that my music has a significant market outside the country,' says the Chennai/Mumbai pop artist

time-read
2 mins  |
October 2024
Ji Chang-wook, Lee Jun-ho, and Cha Eun-woo to Star in Superhero K-Dramas
RollingStone India

Ji Chang-wook, Lee Jun-ho, and Cha Eun-woo to Star in Superhero K-Dramas

Features the upcoming 'Twelve,' 'Cashero,' and 'The Wonder Fools' with the Korean stars in exciting new roles

time-read
2 mins  |
October 2024
Yoon Seobin Makes a Stylish Comeback with 'Rizz'
RollingStone India

Yoon Seobin Makes a Stylish Comeback with 'Rizz'

The Korean actor and singer well-known for starring in the K-drama Kissable Lips' returns to the music scene after a 10 months hiatus

time-read
2 mins  |
October 2024
Markio Tanaldo Pours Out Emotions in 'Mera Koi Na'
RollingStone India

Markio Tanaldo Pours Out Emotions in 'Mera Koi Na'

The Arunachal Pradesh singer-songwriter's second release is a poignant Hindi song that pays tribute to his late father

time-read
2 mins  |
October 2024