Killer Mike Says Hip Hop's "Black Executives" Have Been Wiped Out By Record Labels

BY Erika Marie 7.7K Views
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The rapper says if he did another documentary, it would be about this.

If you haven't checked out Killer Mike's Netflix documentary series, Trigger Warning, then you may not be familiar with some of the rapper's radical ideas when it comes to restructuring political, religious, and educational systems. Mike, who's one-half of the group Run The Jewels, has never been quiet about his revolutionary concepts and has lent his voice to a number of causes including speaking out against 21 Savage's arrest and partnering with Meek Mill and more to help get a young rapper released from prison.

Mike's Trigger Warning explored his solutions for a variety of topics, but when Complex caught up with him, they spoke specifically about what the documentary series would have looked like had he focused on the music industry. The rapper's answer was interesting, as he suggested that "black middle level management" may have been "wiped out" for labels to further take advantage of rising artists.

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"Whether it was Luther Campbell, Master P, Little Jay, Puff, Suge—when they were the filtration system that the artists had to go through to deal with the bigger companies it felt as though the bigger companies were more in check," Mike said. "But as soon as the bigger companies figured out how to circumvent and get directly to the artists, the rise of the 360 deal happened."

Mike went on to say that instead of bigger labels hiring black executives that were familiar with hip hop culture, music, and what the community wanted, they went around it. "You don’t see the Jason Geters, the Shaka Zulus, the Jermaine Dupris, the Michael 'Blue' Williamses—the people who should be visibly the face of hip-hop music and executives. So, you’ve got to ask yourself why. I would do a Trigger Warning on that. Where is the vanishing black middle management or the black executives? Period."

The 360 deal is a highly controversial contract that is signed instead of a record deal. The contract is between the artist and a label or company, and the latter agrees to give the artist financial support, including cash advances and money for marketing, touring, and studio time. In turn, the artist agrees to give the label a percentage of their sales, live performance feels, publishing deals, merchandise sales, and more.


About The Author
Since 2019, Erika Marie has worked as a journalist for HotNewHipHop, covering music, film, television, art, fashion, politics, and all things regarding entertainment. With 20 years in the industry under her belt, Erika Marie moved from a writer on the graveyard shift at HNHH to becoming a Features Editor, highlighting long-form content and interviews with some of Hip Hop’s biggest stars. She has had the pleasure of sitting down with artists and personalities like DJ Jazzy Jeff, Salt ’N Pepa, Nick Cannon, Rah Digga, Rakim, Rapsody, Ari Lennox, Jacquees, Roxanne Shante, Yo-Yo, Sean Paul, Raven Symoné, Queen Naija, Ryan Destiny, DreamDoll, DaniLeigh, Sean Kingston, Reginae Carter, Jason Lee, Kamaiyah, Rome Flynn, Zonnique, Fantasia, and Just Blaze—just to name a few. In addition to one-on-one chats with influential public figures, Erika Marie also covers content connected to the culture. She’s attended and covered the BET Awards as well as private listening parties, the Rolling Loud festival, and other events that emphasize established and rising talents. Detroit-born and Long Beach (CA)-raised, Erika Marie has eclectic music taste that often helps direct the interests she focuses on here at HNHH. She finds it necessary to report on cultural conversations with respect and honor those on the mic and the hardworking teams that help get them there. Moreover, as an advocate for women, Erika Marie pays particular attention to the impact of femcees. She sits down with rising rappers for HNHH—like Big Jade, Kali, Rubi Rose, Armani Caesar, Amy Luciani, and Omerettà—to gain their perspectives on a fast-paced industry.