The latest news regarding Tommy Boy Records’ plans to finally put De La Soul’s catalog on streaming platforms may be disappointing to longtime fans, as the bad issued a statement today revealing that contract negotiations with the label have ended unsuccessfully. De La Soul says that they have been unable to reach an agreement with Tommy Boy regarding their publishing splits.
Well friends, 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.
With some helpful consulting and long careful consideration, we’ve decided we will not do our 30+ years the disservice of settling on Tom Silverman’s terms.
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. More details to come.
The group is asking fans not to stream any of their back catalog should Tommy Boy make them available, since De La’s members do not feel they are receiving a reasonable share of the profits due to their original deal. Their view has been supported in the past by both Jay-Z’s Tidal platform and by peers like Questlove of The Roots. The group is instead focused on touring and festivals and crafting new projects like their 2016 album, … And The Anonymous Nobody, from which they receive a more equitable share of the profits. See the full post below.
