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Q-Tip famously rapped the iconic line, “Industry rule number four-thousand-and-eighty/Record company people are shady” and De La Soul has learned that lesson firsthand this week. Taking to social media, the Plugs let fans know that while their back catalog will be coming to streaming services, the royalty splits will be quite imbalanced in favor of the label.
On Monday (Feb. 25), the De La Soul Instagram page had news for hopeful fans that seemed to signal that their older albums will be available to all DSPs soon.
“Dear fans…just got off the phone with Tommy Boy Records…negotiations (or lack there of) to release our catalog on all streaming platforms..uh oh,” read the post.
It was followed today (Feb. 26) with a post of both good and bad news depending on where one stands.
“Dear Fans…The music WILL be released digitally,” the post opens. It continued with, “After 30 long years of good music and paying their debt to Hip Hop, De La Soul unfortunately, will not taste the fruit of their labor. Your purchases will roughly go 90% Tommy Boy, 10% De La. Thank you. Sincerely Yours, #thephantom2milliondollardebt.”
While the release of the music is a music lover’s dream, the fact that the split is unfair has some fans reacting on Twitter and we have those reactions below.
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Photo: Getty