How Did Master P Do it?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Visionz
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Visionz

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Hey Guys,

I've been trying to do my research lately of artist who have gone the independent route and become huge success. I think the best example is Master P. A man of limited talent, but yet one of the highest paid performers in the game.

How did he do it? Step by step, how did he build his empire with no airplay or advertising? Are there any other artist out there that have had the same success with out the "Major Label" record deal?

Visionz
 
I hear that Lil' Flip has made a considerable amount of money independently
 
YoungHove said:
I hear that Lil' Flip has made a considerable amount of money independently
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yeah,he sold 150,000 independently,that right there is enough money to last by itself!
 
this is what u need to do.
1. open a record/cd store
2. have your cd in there 2
3. when ppl come to buy Jay-Z, Bounty Killa, whoever, sell it to them, but scan your own ****
4. Your soundscan numbers hit the roof, after that the distribution dealers come knocking and it's on after that
 
modizel said:
this is what u need to do.
1. open a record/cd store
2. have your cd in there 2
3. when ppl come to buy Jay-Z, Bounty Killa, whoever, sell it to them, but scan your own ****
4. Your soundscan numbers hit the roof, after that the distribution dealers come knocking and it's on after that
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lol....full proof plan right there!
 
P had a vision. He saw the potential for rappers from the South. He likes to say he inherited 10'g's from his grandfather. That's sounds better than saying I flipped drug money. He started out here in Richmond California. He took the drug money and opened a record shop. (He's still a phenomenal business man.He just used drug money as his start up because he couldnt go to a bank. To be able to build the empire he did is phenomenal.)He sold drugs and cd's out the record shop. That's why he referred to himself as the Ice Cream Man in his old videos. Ice Cream is Cocaine. But here's where the brilliance starts to come in.He invested the money into his music career. Most fools would have spent the money. He'd take a million dollars and finance his own projects. He was the first person I saw that manipulated Sound Scan numbers to attract a distribution deal from major labels. He'd buy his own cd's and he'd pay mom and pop stores to scan his cd repeatedly to make it seem like he was selling more than he was. Now the majors were interested and he negotaited unheard of deals like a 76/24 where he got 76% of all royalties. He'd take all of his artists publishing which made him filthy rich. He was also the first rapper to have his own movie production company and the first rapper to make straight to videos movies. He noticed he could make a nice sum of change of straight to videos movies while Hollywood ignored it. They thought it wasnt profitable enough. Now there are tons of Hollywood companies who specialize in straight to video movies.

Dont forget about P-Diddy or the Roc Empire also.
 
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How did Lil Flip do it? You here all these stories about so and so selling 150,000 thousand records independently, but never here the breakdown of how it was done.

Visionz
 
Visionz said:
How did Lil Flip do it? You here all these stories about so and so selling 150,000 thousand records independently, but never here the breakdown of how it was done.

Visionz
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He has to have great promotion!
 
Visionz said:
How did Lil Flip do it? You here all these stories about so and so selling 150,000 thousand records independently, but never here the breakdown of how it was done.

Visionz
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I heard that flip never really got a 22 million dollar deal, it was more like $300,000. Some cat named ESG who used to be down but is not friends anymore said this. I know he just left his manager Hump to start his own label because he said he did not trust Hump.150,000 units is realistic for flip independently but I cant see a label giving 22 million for a measley 150,000 units. With that math, you'd have to give outkast 200 million for their own label.
 
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i think its possible for flip to get 22mil. think about his first cd sold 150,000 his second went plat. he's probally getting raped for his publishing an other stuff, but it's possible he got that deal.
 
CASTLE HILL said:
He started out here in Richmond California. He took the drug money and opened a record shop.
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I was under the impression he actually parked his car in front of that record shop that is still there on that main strip in Richmond and would just holler at people on their way in.
 
Plenty of people take the independent route. In all honesty record deals TODAY have been reduced to hot singles and radio play, and in some cases if an album is complete and your with a independent distributor ie. (SMD, Red Distribution or SOH) soundscan numbers.

There is no break down.. Some people press up 5 to 10,000 cds and sell them out of the trunk. Some people take complete albums with small to large budgets to independent distributors (ie Lil Jon) and sell records. Some people make one song send it to the radio or give it to club DJs and hope it will catch. Some people sell albums on consignment with record shops.

Master P had two advantages at the time, one he owned a store that had a studio. So he was practically making records at the back of the shop and selling them at the front. An 2 there was really no competition for him out the south. When Master P was getting big the Westcoast reign was at it's peak going into a "recession".
 
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P made money b/c up to that point the standard negiotiation was a flat rate with **** royalty payments....he said "screw your flat rate, just give me a godly royalty rate"....and so the label laughed at him and said "okaayyy", not thinking his **** would sell....so he took over the south for like 5 years, made assloads of royalties, screwed the label and never again will a label give that deal to a rapper. it was an industry lesson....he found a chink in the armor and went after it like a mf'er
 
kids...

the moral of this story is "even if you're a sub par to mediocre rapper, you too can become a star by selling crack" :cheers:
 
DS said:
kids...

the moral of this story is "even if you're a sub par to mediocre rapper, you too can become a star by selling crack" :cheers:
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No crack is so cheap these days its hard to get rich. You can become a star if you have cash and a little game. Just ask Baby from Cash Money.
 
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