Swishahouse legend Mike Jones led a discussion on Clubhouse about the games and politics played when it comes to features in the music industry. He spoke about Drake's willingness to do features with newer artists but his reluctance to appear in the music videos.
The discussion then switched to calling out Asian Doll for going public with her gripe over being taken off Megan Thee Stallion's "Do It On The Tip" and trying to drag the City Girls for signing a 360 deal.
Listen below.
Drake And The Politics Of Features
Mike Jones asked his Clubhouse panelist a simple question, "Why you gonna get on my shit if you ain't even gonna do the video?"
Mike was using Drake as an example of the political games played when it comes to features. He pointed out how Drake hopped on the remix to Yung Bleu's "Your Mines Still" but did not bother doing the video. Mike believes the song would have been bigger if Drake had extended the same courtesy he did to former foes Meek Mill & Chris Brown, or like many think he would for Lil Baby. Mike Jones said, "If I do a feature with you and I ain't doing the video with you, that says a lot, dog."
What I took away from this conversation is that bigger artists want to do the bare minimum while reaping the benefits from hooking up newer artists. The veteran gets to stay relevant, possibly chart high, and get the credit for working with younger artists. But, they are unwilling to extend themselves unless the artist is on their level or part of a bigger marketing plan. The label side is also trying to hustle smaller artists for more money, which he addressed.
Is this why we are still waiting on the Savage Remix music video... J/K.
Later, Mike Jones revealed the reason Lil Wayne never did the music video for their collab "Cuddy Buddy."
"She's Just Trying To Clout Her Way Up"
As the discussion progressed, they started speaking on 360 deals. One panelist brought Asian Doll dragging the City Girls for signing a 360 during her "Does it look like I was Bad and Boujee" rant. Mike Jones responded, "They not going to be known to y'all until they sign a 360."
I thought that was a valid point. Everyone is so quick to call artists dumb for signing 360 deals, but when you think about it, what labels are offering another option? Unless an artist has already blown up on their own, I'm not talking about a buzz but already charting, they probably have to sign a 360 or go the independent route.
The Nicki Minaj deal was rare in her day, and I would guess non-existent for girls today. Megan and Cardi had to take the 360, prove themselves, and then renegotiate to get something close to or better than Nick Minaj. That seems to be the only play besides only signing for 3 albums or less. If you are stuck in a bad deal, it's really nothing in today's music climate to pump out three projects and be free.
As they continued to talk about Asian Doll's gripe with being left off Megan Thee Stallion's song, the sympathy she found on social media was nowhere to be found in this room. Besides people just not feeling Asian Doll's overall attitude, Mike Jones said it best, "She still supposed to be business-like to know Ok my cut didn't fit."
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@lilthurs - LOL...
I can tell you love Nicki, but she is not the only female rapper being done wrong in the music industry. No matter how you want to twist and turn it, the fact is that Meg/Asian and Nicki/Trina situations involved friends doing business together. Albums are business for those wondering.
When Trina and Asian did not get their way, they went public on some clown shit because they knew that both Nicki and Megan had smear campaigns going and that the public/blogs would side with them without critically thinking about the situation.
As for contracts, any girl that can get their 360 rights and have less than a 6 album obligation has a better contract. I don't…
We don't know what goes on behind the scenes and what really cause Asian to do what she did but honestly all she did was play her verse the stans along with Jt took it the wrong way I get it she put meg on the spot but right is right and wrong is wrong its clear meg went with whos popular or should I say her team since she's in a 360 and doesn't really have full control Everyone involved is at fault and not just Asian but because she went against meg Asian is now a bad guy when all she did was defend meg but like NM said "it's no friends in the game"
The Trina and…
@Chloe, usually these things are discussed behind the scenes. Asian knew she was not on the song because then she would know to promote the album. That is probably why Megan decided to have her in the "Body" music video, which she accepted.
If her team or she did not inquire as to why she was taken off, that is not Megan or the City Girls fault. She was just in bed with Megan approx two weeks before she decided to go public. If she is so straight forward and tells it like it is, why not ASK MEGAN.
That is my issue. Asian decided to speak on IG Live instead of to Megan. It would be different if Megan…
@ Fck Yaya I found the clip on Empressive’s channel titles “Nicki feuding with Trina”. Check it out if you want to.
I def understand the business side of it, but we see those lines are blurred a lot with what is going on. I do think she mumbled that part on purpose, but I still felt it was all directed at the city girls and the constant choosing of verses that happened between them. I do think a lot of these issues we’re talking about should have gotten handled behind scenes l, because partially knowing the full story leaves us to speculate and fill in Blanks for details and the whys they didn’t give us. Which doesn’t work out in their favors. Ie meg & Nicki