5 Rappers Not Even a Major Label Could Stop From Succeeding Posted by Nathan S. on 04/21/12 | Filed under Top Stories, Opinion, Wiz Khalifa, Yelawolf, Freddie Gibbs, Tech N9ne, Royce da 5 9

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Rapper signs to a major label. Rapper is far from your usual rapper, major label has no idea what to do with him, deal falls apart. Rapper decides to go back to making music independently and builds a loyal fanbase who love his original style. Rapper then re-signs with a major label on his terms and becomes an established star, or starts his own hugely successful record label.

You’d think that’d be a rare story, but from Wiz Khalifa to Yelawolf, it’s the path that an incredible amount of “new” rappers have taken to reach the top. And yes, this is intended to be both a “hey, look at this rapper before he was famous” article and a “hey young rapper desperate to sign a deal with a major label, it’s not the guaranteed success you think it is” article. 

As always, if I missed any major examples let me know and I’ll update.

Wiz Khalifa - “Say Yeah”
Yelawolf - “Kickin”
Freddie Gibbs - “Murda on My Mind”
Tech N9ne - “I Can Get Grim”
Royce da 5’ 9” - You Can’t Touch Me”

Index:       1. Wiz Khalifa - Say Yeah       2. Yelawolf - Kickin       3. Freddie Gibbs - Murda On My Mind       4. Tech N9ne - I Can Get Grim       5. Royce da 5'9" - You Can't Touch Me      

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