how well do popular underground rappers do financially?

[RidonKs]

guys like masta ace or doom or atmosphere or j5

income wise, are these guys pretty well off, or just doing okay?

[GOBB]

J5 and Masta Ace are well off. Still creating music and doin shows.

[Jello]

guys like masta ace or doom or atmosphere or j5

income wise, are these guys pretty well off, or just doing okay?
According to google searches, some underground artists make more than commercial artists.

[v-unit]

According to google searches, some underground artists make more than commercial artists.

Are you serious? Commercial artists get a fat check just for signing somewhere.

[L.Kizzle]

Are you serious? Commercial artists get a fat check just for signing somewhere.
No they don't. Some of these commercial artist no nothin' about the business and basically sign their lives away.

[Sanity]

If you're willing to do a lot of the backbone work yourself going independent can be better for an artist. Moving 250,000 units on an independent label can get you some good money

[RidonKs]

J5 and Masta Ace are well off. Still creating music and doin shows.
enough to continue doing their thing, sure. but is ace making seven figures? a lot of the more popular underground guys have their own labels (rhymesayers, def jux, j-live's label, etc), to which the lesser known cats are signed. i dunno, it just struck me that i had no idea how much a guy like ace made; the range in my head was like 250k to a full mil.

it would also kinda put a damper on the content in a lot of the songs, particularly ace's. although i wouldn't really care that much, most of his albums are just full length dramas anyway. lol


According to google searches, some underground artists make more than commercial artists.
links?

[Jello]

links?
http://ezinearticles.com/?Underground-Rap-Artists---Still-They-Shine&id=2088524
Most of it is anecdotal evidence from forums and such.

[rezznor]

Are you serious? Commercial artists get a fat check just for signing somewhere.
no. they get a fat advance. they have to pay that money back.

[L.Kizzle]

There are only a couple of mainstream rappers makin money. You think these cats like Dorough and JS Boyz or whatever are making big money just cause they're on the radio all the time? OF course, they're making mor money then us ...

[Nanners]

atmosphere has to be doing alright. ive been to a few of his shows and they are always completely sold out.

[playtetris]

If you're willing to do a lot of the backbone work yourself going independent can be better for an artist. Moving 250,000 units on an independent label can get you some good money

who moves 250k on an independent label in the current climate (2k10)? wu only pushed 180k for their last release (http://www.babygrande.com/scoreboard.jsp).

i'd say guys like atmosphere, masta ace do pretty well. they are constantly touring and would get (minimum) a grand per guest verse. jean grae was recently selling a collab with her for $800. if i wasn't broke at the time i would've paid for that ish immediately.

[Sanity]

who moves 250k on an independent label in the current climate (2k10)? wu only pushed 180k for their last release (http://www.babygrande.com/scoreboard.jsp).

i'd say guys like atmosphere, masta ace do pretty well. they are constantly touring and would get (minimum) a grand per guest verse. jean grae was recently selling a collab with her for $800. if i wasn't broke at the time i would've paid for that ish immediately.

A good example is the Insane Clown Posse. I know they're hacks but they have such a cult following they move pretty good units.

[playtetris]

atmosphere has to be doing alright. ive been to a few of his shows and they are always completely sold out.

in that link i posted

( http://www.babygrande.com/scoreboard.jsp ) it shows just how well atmosphere are doing. 140k for their two most recent albums? that's VERY impressive in this climate.

[playtetris]

A good example is the Insane Clown Posse. I know they're are hacks but they have such a cult following they move pretty good units.

yeah. ghostface is another decent example. 340k for fishscale (which was quite an edgy release)? very impressive.

[StroShow4]

I figure Tech N9ne must be doing well... he's sold over a million records independently, has quite a following, and does tons of shows.

[GOBB]

enough to continue doing their thing, sure. but is ace making seven figures? a lot of the more popular underground guys have their own labels (rhymesayers, def jux, j-live's label, etc), to which the lesser known cats are signed. i dunno, it just struck me that i had no idea how much a guy like ace made; the range in my head was like 250k to a full mil.

it would also kinda put a damper on the content in a lot of the songs, particularly ace's. although i wouldn't really care that much, most of his albums are just full length dramas anyway. lol

I dont know how much they actually make. But if it was 250K to me thats being well off in my book. They havent tried to change occupations or this is a 2nd job so to speak. I have nothing to go on outside of they keep creating music and doing shows/apperances (w/other artists).

Too bad they arent professional athletes or we'd know how much they made :lol

[bret tha ripper]

there prolly living like redman in his first cribs episode, he is defiantly keeping it ghetto

[OneMoreSucka]

Popular underground = jumbo shrimp.

[playtetris]

there prolly living like redman in his first cribs episode, he is defiantly keeping it ghetto

he definitely would have the money to move out of the hood, though.

guys like talib, sean price would do reasonably well. i remember reading in an article that sean p moved out of brownsville to a nice crib in flatbush which would be a big step up financially. talib moved from flatbush to somewhere in crown heights and also has a place around bay area

[RidonKs]

thanks for the info tetris. for guys that are signed to independent labels, how much do you reckon they'd be getting per cd?

[L.Kizzle]

thanks for the info tetris. for guys that are signed to independent labels, how much do you reckon they'd be getting per cd?
More than an artist signed to a major label. Since their independent, more dollars is goin' straight unto their pocket instead of goin' to the major, than the labl under the major, ect.

Than is you have your own publishing, you get "more" money, than if you produce yourself, even more money. Than if you run your own shows, book your own concert appearances ...

http://s.ecrater.com/stores/47865/4ad6483da752b_47865n.jpg

[GOBB]

More than an artist signed to a major label. Since their independent, more dollars is goin' straight unto their pocket instead of goin' to the major, than the labl under the major, ect.

Than is you have your own publishing, you get "more" money, than if you produce yourself, even more money. Than if you run your own shows, book your own concert appearances ...

http://s.ecrater.com/stores/47865/4ad6483da752b_47865n.jpg

While they may be getting more. The quantity distributed is in the artist signed to a major labels favor.

[L.Kizzle]

While they may be getting more. The quantity distributed is in the artist signed to a major labels favor.
The quantity is way more, but they gave up way more to exec and the labels and what not.

[AtomSmasher]

im friends with these guys called plastic little. they don't make a lot of money.

[L.Kizzle]

im friends with these guys called plastic little. they don't make a lot of money.
Of course they don't who are they??

[AtomSmasher]

Of course they don't who are they??
they are a popular party rap group that caters mostly to hipsters in and around philadelphia. kind of like spank rock if you are familiar with them. they are fun.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9f_Zhn4-ICo

[L.Kizzle]

they are a popular party rap group that caters mostly to hipsters in and around philadelphia. kind of like spank rock if you are familiar with them. they are fun.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9f_Zhn4-ICo
What type of numbers do they get? I have a whole bunch of rapper friends but they ain't pullin' in no numbers.

[phoenix18]

The quantity is way more, but they gave up way more to exec and the labels and what not.

Dont Major label artist get pennies off each album??

[AtomSmasher]

What type of numbers do they get? I have a whole bunch of rapper friends but they ain't pullin' in no numbers.
enough to pay the bills and get trashed on the regular.

[AtomSmasher]

Not to be a d*ck but, hipster rappers? That's a small market haha.
ha philly/balt/nyc area hipsters love rap like this. they don't cater exclusively to hipsters but generally scene type kids are attracted to them.

[v-unit]

Dont Major label artist get pennies off each album??

Major label artists recieve way more than pennies...They make the majority of their money from live shows, touring, etc. Fairly certain they make bonuses if they create large hits on the charts. Doing features can bring in big bucks as well. Promotions and advertising with other companies can bring in a lot of green as well.

[GP_20]

V-Unit check ur PMs

[phoenix18]

Major label artists recieve way more than pennies...They make the majority of their money from live shows, touring, etc. Fairly certain they make bonuses if they create large hits on the charts. Doing features can bring in big bucks as well. Promotions and advertising with other companies can bring in a lot of green as well.

I remember Fat Joe talking about it in XXL and they had a comparison between major record companies and...... aww sh*t, I cant remember.

I bought that copy too, I should have around my house somewhere, I'll look for it tomorrow.

[Rake2204]

This is a good topic. I'm interested in this myself. I'll throw Brother Ali into the ring as he found himself briefly homeless at one point over the past few years (after his marriage dissolved). I haven't read up enough to discover whether it was a "let me crash for a few days while I find a new house" situation or a "she has all of the little amount of money I had and now I can't afford to live out on my own" situation. I'll guess the former but perhaps it was a mix of both.

[Dizzle-2k7]

before the houston scene blew up a few years ago, all of the underground artists were getting big bank... slim, flip, koopa, paul ,mike, scar, zro have been paid waaayyyy before they went major...

paul/koopa sold 100,000+ cds of their first record (get ya mind correct) and they put that out independently.... 10bucks a pop, thats a million dollars right there.

[thejumpa]

Yeah, I used to work with a dude who was affiliated with Lil J and couple others down there in Houston. He said the rappers down there were bringing in some serious money. On the flip side, I heard it was a lot different nowadays.

This is a great topic, though. I know a couple cats from my area made a little money of the local shows they did. One or two signed with Koch for a dist deal so they could get that extra push...

I have no idea what they actually make, but I bet it's 75% from touring. Local, nationwide, or overseas. If you have a non existent buzz and haven't put out much, how much can you really get paid?

[beasly15]

before the houston scene blew up a few years ago, all of the underground artists were getting big bank... slim, flip, koopa, paul ,mike, scar, zro have been paid waaayyyy before they went major...

paul/koopa sold 100,000+ cds of their first record (get ya mind correct) and they put that out independently.... 10bucks a pop, thats a million dollars right there.

out of that list, z-ro is the best one( by waaayyyy far) and i don't think he was "paid" way before he "made it" and that pretty much sums it up... the more skill, the less money.

and not all the underground artists from houston were making big money. atleast not the good ones..

[v-unit]

I read that Ying Yang twins slept in their car for a while until they made money

[RomeoLuvCasanova]

Since most of the undeground artists aren't signed to major labels, they don't have 360 deals like all of the new artists. The 360 deal takes a cut of sales, touring, merchandise, publishing...basically anything you make income off of. The smart thing to do now if you are into music is get a regional fanbase, build that buzz, start off independently then the major labels will come to you offering a deal worth signing.

[Timmy D for MVP]

It depends on your defenition of underground. Like officially The Roots and Mos Def and Talib Kweli are considered underground by databases like Pandora but we all know them and they are ALL doing just fine.

But as for like unuderground underground artists: like Blue Scholars are really only put out there if they end up on something like a videogame or something.

[RidonKs]

But as for like unuderground underground artists
so are you saying you like me or you 'like' like me?

[D.J.]

Oddly enough, some of the most popular musicians are underground. It is not necessarily limited to rap either. With mainstream music, a lot of it is the image. If you do not fit the image, then it is really difficult to make it. That is not to say an independent musician cannot make good money. If you have a good following, then you can be successful.

[insidehoops]

yeah. ghostface is another decent example. 340k for fishscale (which was quite an edgy release)? very impressive.
I wonder how much they make per cd sold, though. Like, final net profit, not including taxes