Rap trio De La Soul have cut ties with their record label after 30 years following a spat over the band’s back catalogue.
The feud between Posdnuos, Trugoy, and Maseo and executives at Tommy Boy Records erupted in January over plans to bring De La Soul’s classic albums 3 Feet High and Rising, De La Soul Is Dead and Buhloone Mindstate to streaming services.
The trio refused to sign off on the release and urged streaming sites not to offer up its back catalogue due to what the bandmates deemed to be an unfair split of profits, and now the dispute has reached an impasse, with De La Soul opting to terminate their partnership with the label.
“After 30 years of profiting from our music and hard work… and after 7 long months of stalled negotiations, we are sad to say that we’ve been unable to reach an agreement and earn Tommy Boy’s respect for our music/legacy,” a band statement reads.
“Tommy Boy says they are ‘not in the business of giving artists back their Masters’. We realize, there is a process in reclaiming ownership but we do not trust Tommy Boy in this process after so many years of disappointment. Therefore, our catalog will not see the light of day by way of our involvement or consent.
“This means, if you see De La Soul music/albums available for streaming or purchase anywhere, BE AWARE, all parties involved WILL profit but De La Soul WILL NOT benefit or earn deservedly/fairly. We really tried.”
At press time, De La Soul’s Tommy Boy-era albums were still unavailable on the major streaming services.
“We wish Tommy Boy no ills but we do call for a boycott of anything bearing the name,” De La Soul wrote on Sunday. “Karma will do the rest… that old enslaved record label contract dinosaur is long dead and gone, but unfortunately still stinks.”
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