Rap superstar Kanye West is leading a revolt against Universal Music Group that has led to music stars lashing out at record labels over the level of control they exert over their artists. The typical music contract, the Grammy-winner says, is lucrative for record labels but leave musicians with little recourse to own their masters.
“When you sign a music deal you sign away your rights,” Kanye West wrote in a series of tweets. “Without the masters you can’t do anything with your own music. Someone else controls where it’s played and when it’s played. Artists have nothing except the fame, touring and merch.”
“We’ve gotten comfortable with not having what we deserve … they allow us to have a little money from touring get some gold chains some alcohol some girls and fake numbers that feed our egos … but we don’t own our masters.”
