“Greed Changed Everything”: Roscoe Dash Breaks His Silence | Funky Friday
Quick Read
Summary
Takeaways
- ❖Roscoe Dash signed away his admin and publishing rights at 18, leading to 16 years of financial exploitation and career stagnation.
- ❖His manager 'Boom Man' deceptively acquired his rights under the guise of standard management paperwork.
- ❖He never received publishing checks for diamond-certified records, despite his significant contributions.
- ❖Dash was uncredited for writing on major songs like Wale's 'Lotus Flower Bomb' and Kanye West's 'To the World,' requiring him to fight for recognition.
- ❖Interscope Records eventually released him from his contract after recognizing the furnishing company's predatory practices.
- ❖He released a 72-song project in 2018 as a 'ploy' to regain social media relevance and combat industry blackballing.
- ❖Dash advises artists to stay independent, build a team of educated experts, and prioritize business acumen over personal loyalty.
- ❖He emphasizes that uncredited work means no payment and no resume stamp, directly impacting an artist's livelihood and future opportunities.
- ❖Authenticity and consistent creative output are his strategies to overcome industry obstacles and maintain his career.
Insights
1Loss of Admin and Publishing Rights at 18
Roscoe Dash signed paperwork at 18 that, unbeknownst to him, transferred his administrative and publishing rights to his manager, 'Boom Man.' This initial 'management' deal was far from standard, trapping him in a long-term contract that prevented him from receiving publishing checks for his work, including diamond-certified records, and from securing new deals independently.
Dash states he was '18 barely' when he signed paperwork that 'ended up acquiring my admin rights and my publishing rights in that same deal.' He confirms, 'I ain't never got a publishing check or none of that stuff.' He is now 35 and still trying to get these rights back. (, , )
2Uncredited Work for Major Artists
Dash contributed significantly to songs by prominent artists like Wale ('Lotus Flower Bomb') and Kanye West ('To the World') but was initially denied proper credit and compensation. These instances highlight a pattern of major figures benefiting from the unacknowledged labor of other creatives, forcing artists like Dash to publicly call out the discrepancies to secure their rightful recognition and earnings.
He details writing the hook for Wale's 'Lotus Flower Bomb' ('I'm living in a fantasy...') and discovering his lack of credit via radio. He also worked on Kanye West's 'To the World' for the 'Cruel Summer' album without credit. He states, 'If it's not credited, it didn't happen. You're not getting paid.' (, )
3The 'Double-Dipping' and Career Stagnation
The contractual issues created a 'double-dipping' scenario where his original management and a subsequent 'furnishing company' profited from his work without his fair share. This effectively 'muzzled' his mainstream reach and 'blackballed' him, preventing him from leveraging his success into new opportunities and consistent releases, despite his continued creative output.
Dash describes the situation as 'always been a double dip situation' and that the industry 'make sure you don't get' global reach. He explains how an EP was counted as 'half a credit' to keep him in his deal and 'milk my publishing for all these new records.' (, , )
4Strategic Independent Releases to Combat Blackballing
To counteract being 'blackballed' and regain visibility, Dash strategically released a massive 72-song project in 2018. This unconventional move was a deliberate 'ploy' to generate headlines and social media attention, bypassing traditional label support and proving his continued relevance and prolificacy.
He dropped a '72 song project back in 2018' to have 'the largest project in urban music history,' aiming to get 'Complex, Double XXL whoever has to pick that up.' He framed it as a 'positive ploy for me to be able to get my foot back in music from a social stature.' (, )
Lessons
- Prioritize legal counsel: Always have an independent, trusted legal expert review all contracts, especially for young artists entering the industry, to prevent predatory deals that strip away rights.
- Build a 'tribe' of educated, trustworthy professionals: Surround yourself with people who are not only loyal but also possess the necessary business acumen and education to manage different aspects of your career (e.g., finance, marketing, legal).
- Understand your rights and intellectual property: Be fully aware of what 'admin rights' and 'publishing rights' entail and never sign them away without full comprehension and independent legal advice. These are critical for long-term financial stability.
- Document all contributions: Maintain meticulous records of all creative contributions (writing, production, features) to ensure proper credit and compensation, even for collaborations with established artists.
- Develop an exit strategy for all ventures: Whether it's a side hustle or an OnlyFans account, have a clear plan for how to transition out or leverage it into long-term, sustainable goals, demonstrating foresight and self-value.
Quotes
"I ain't never got a publishing check or none of that stuff. And I gotta basically sell my soul to be free to be able to put out this type of music that the world loves."
"Nobody's going to talk to me about a deal or none of that stuff unless we sign some paperwork or whatever the case may be. And that paperwork, which is supposed to be just some simple management, 20% standard, whatever. He ended up acquiring my ad my admin rights and my publishing rights in that same deal."
"If it's not credited, it didn't happen. You're not getting paid. I got three daughters, so like I need to see something, you know what I'm saying?"
"You don't really get appreciated until it's until you're no longer till they have to miss what you gave."
"My biggest fear is my child going out somewhere else to find something else wherever else and I'm not there to be able to do anything about it."
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