In an interview with Beatz Star, Wiz Khalifa's producer E. Dan explained how labels -- in his case Atlantic -- call albums mixtapes to get out of paying producers.
Marvel Alexander, who co-produced A$AP Ferg's 2013 hit "Shabba" from his debut album Trap Lord, has now come forward and explained that RCA tried to pull a similar trick on him.
He says he and his co-producer Snugsworth were only paid 500 bucks each for the "Shabba" beat because Trap Lord was slated to be a mixtape. Then RCA switched it to an album but didn't give him any more money.
RCA did this to me and @snugsworth on Trap Lord. Fought it for almost a year I gave up cause I was nearly homeless so eventually we had to split $1000 for “Shabba” I was deflated as a producer after this. Yams told me it was “paying dues” R.I.P. wise words I guess. https://t.co/XwydOyNPaZ
— BOSSMAN (@MARVELALEXANDER) January 3, 2018
To add salt in the would RCA told me they didn’t have the budget because Trap Lord was a mixtape. After mans signed a 1.5 MILLION dollar deal. When I tell you i was FURIOUS 😂😂😂 pic.twitter.com/pAbyaTqX6l
— BOSSMAN (@MARVELALEXANDER) January 3, 2018
Alexander did have some leverage because RCA ended up releasing "Shabba" without his permission. After a long legal battle, he and Snugsworth each got 12.5 percent of the 50 percent of the track's publishing that the sample's right holders didn't own. He said the negotiations pissed off Ferg, but that he didn't care at that point.
"Shabba" went Gold and had been streamed over 65 million times.
According to DJ Booth, Sonny Digital, Rook of J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League, Benny Cassette and DJ Burn One have all reached out to them with tales of the mixtape/switcheroo since E. Dan's interview ran yesterday.