After announcing his departure from Columbia Records earlier this year, Raury is now planning out a means of releasing music on his own terms. Along with the release of his new track "Odyssey," the Stone Mountain, Georgia songwriter has shared some additional thoughts on his experience in the industry, and his desire to find an alternate path as an artist.
"I don't know how all my idols got turned into something else but I can't give in and play "the game" I would much rather rip myself from this labyrinth of ego, manipulation and greed," he wrote. "Trust my fans and know that for the music I give them I can survive. I just want to jam with my friends in the woods, be liberated of the matrix, and leave the keys behind."
He assured fans that his pivot away from the industry does not mean he's leaving songwriting behind. "Until then i promise you I never quit music, it just Takes one hell of a plan to move ice across the desert," he said. "I will protect my vision, I will deliver these messages, I will not be stopped."
Following his level-headed comments, Raury then shared some more unfiltered thoughts on those who have done him wrong in his musical journey, or as he put it, "on a less mature tip..."
"fuck this game fuck all you people shrivieling [sic] up the true power of artistry for the sheer sake of profit," he wrote. "Fuck you parasitic ass shapeshifting vampires that manipulated teenage Raury, those that served themselves at my dinner table with no consideration for me looking to misguide me for your own profit. You have no heart, and can never tell me who i am, or who i should be... I know who i am and i am all heart, i am a Freezeflaming meteor of truth rawness and passion, I am the embodiment of free will, I AM THE ARTIST I DO NOT CARE ABOUT YOUR WALLS IN WHATEVER WAY SHAPE OR FORM THEY MAY COME. I WILL FIND A WAY OUT!!!"
As far as how you'll hear Raury's music in the future, he urged his followers to "come to the woods."
"Will be playing in the woods, selling t's giving music for free and leading a career that actually helps people," he said. "No longer with LVRN no longer with Columbia. I now embark on a Journey aligned with my artistic purpose."
A subsequent tweet from Raury showed him in Atlanta's Freedom park: "just me and my guitar," which seemed to play into the symbolism of his comments.
This is not the first time Raury has spoken about his experience with labels. He spoke to DJ Booth about how he felt restrained by his contract in January. "It was like they were trying to put me in a position of fear and weakness so I could run out of money and they could control me," he said. "I would rather die than be controlled."
Listen to Raury's new track, "Odyssey," here.