I just read in Billboard magazine that Leela James is no longer signed to Warner Bros...


Sad
sad
sad
[Edited 6/2/07 12:14pm]

Damn, I really find myself mourning artists who are doing anything ELSE these days - hope she bounces back & can keep her head up in the madness

CalhounSq said:

I wonder, if you're not catering to the mainstream, is there no cance of a career in music?

Is there no room for individuality in the industry these days? Everyone doesnt wanna be a timbaland or Fergie

LoveAlive said:

I guess they have to really be doing it from their SOUL, can't help themselves, & have to be able to maintain financially in other ways Companies are really making it hard on the talented (vs. the image driven). It's sad... How long can an artist like her - new, not incredibly popular - sustain themselves w/ touring? Can she even afford to tour?

I remember she came out this way once, I wasn't able to see her b/c it was during the week (I HATE that!), but man, they have to do it from the soul otherwise they'll get broken QUICK

The record industry is DYING. An artist of her talent should NOT be out on the street.

Leela needs to wear some tight skirts, shake what god gave, and maybe she'd be back on warner brothers...I'm being sarcastic...but its really sad...I still plan on getting her CD...but if you dont sell, and if you arent talking about bling, hoes, male bashing, and cars, and sex of course, then you just aint gonna sell, as sad as it sounds its the truth. Yes, Prince talked about sex, but it had more of a meaning to it...


Meanwhile T-Pain and Akon are still on their record labels..
[Edited 6/2/07 14:46pm]

and didn't someone ask about our black soul singers....


I'm sure Fergie is still gainfully employed.

Rhondab said:

LOL

Now people know exactly why artists in that genre DESPISE the label "Neo Soul" because it immediately takes them out of the Hip-Hop/R&B section. Neo Soul artists have it the toughest in the music biz because it's such a niche genre:

- Hip Hop has taken over basically everything
- Their song content isn't about fuckin' and grindin' and clubbin'
- Lyrics are a bit more of substance (socio-political)
- They aren't quite Jazz, aren't quite R&B, aren't quite Adult Contemporary, aren't quite Easy Listening, they're kinda just caught out there

For about 2 or 3 years (almost 10 for D'Angelo) the question was: Where's Bilal? D'? Badu? Maxwell? Donnie? Chico? Jilly from Philly? Rahsaan? Some of those artists have dropped or are finally dropping but some are still AWOL and most aren't even on major labels anymore.

The most consistent of the genre are India and Musiq but their sales aren't that great either, so how long before THEY get the boot from their respective labels. As a matter of fact, Musiq just changed labels for this last release so I wonder why he had to do that? Amel had to do her own thing, so I think you will see more artists do this. What's also sad is how some of these artists are now doing "cover albums" (Jill and Amel) - That shit is usually for people like Barry Manilow and folk like that, which really tells us how bad it's gotten.

LoveAlive said:

Bring on the Amy Whinehouse

Afronomical said:

Very true...if Leela came out with a song about being in the club, etc...I bet you she'd be doing just fine! Its really quite sad...thats why I have no interest in being in the music industry...I have a nice voice, but I wouldnt fit it anywhere...

Afronomical said:

And it I hear one more song, about being in the club, etc...I am just gonna scream!!!


[b]

lonelygurl8305 said:

Thing is, on her album there is a song about clubbing, even the video is about the club. The song is called "Tonight". It was her 3rd single I believe and it didn't do anything on the charts. It seemed very generic and "fillerish".

LoveAlive said:

After only ONE album? That's pretty stupid on the part of WB!!!

LoveAlive said:

I guess if you need a hit, you must hire Timbo as your producer.....or else.

lonelygurl8305 said:

I bet if Leela had Snoop Dogg, Akon, or even 50 Cent guest appearing on her debut album, she'll still be with WB right now.

People need to stop looking to record labels for their artists and start looking out on the streets because thats where all your good artists are. Even if you are an artist and get signed to a major label you are not going to make that much money. Even if you sign and say your record goes platinum, you will still come out owing the record label after your first release after paying all your people.

Most musicians nowadays are getting smart and they are doing their own CDs, getting their own gigs and making a living at it. However, this route is just as hard as getting a label because it takes longer for people to take independent musicians seriously. They think that because they aren't signed that they must not be that good or have fallen on hard times so they give them little attention and simply just bitch that the labels aren't signing good people. The label has become completely corporate and they are run by corporate people who are only going to follow what people are buying which is why you get the same ole shit over and over. There are no creative types hanging about record labels discovering the next big thing. They leave you to do all the hard work and after you're making enough money they want to step in and takeover the fruits of your labor. Unless you're at the status of Prince, Madonna or the Stones, its gonna be hard to make a decent deal with a label where you come out actually making some money. All these rappers riding around in their fancy cars and their hot cribs are lying. Those houses are leased and what they do buy are bought from advances. When they get dropped from those labels because of poor album sales, they still "owe" that money. Many people don't realise that they make probably as much from their days jobs or more than their favorite artists. Many of these artists never are able to pay back the labels afte they are dropped.

Independent labels are iffy because many of them have no real money to back you like the majors, many have no marketing department and other perks majors have so you really are taking a chance by signing with them. If they get sucked up by a major, you could get royally screwed because if you don't fall into their program they can lock you up and they won't release your music and keep you from signing with anyone else as well.

As a new artist starting out, unless you have a following it will be a long hard road that many musicians cannot afford to go the distance. It's similar to that feeling of graduating school and needing a job, but no one will hire you because you have no experience, but you can only get experience if you get a job. Most clubs now will not book you if you can't get people to come see you or they book you on a real fucked up night during the week, late. If you're young and are fairly popular in school, you maybe can get a group of your friends to come see you. If you're older and work, it gets harder to get people out unless you play on the weekends. Only the more seasoned bands get the weekend gigs.

We just went back to gigging and times are changing now. Back in the 80s, there were lots of people out watching bands, now, it's getting harder to get people out and when they go out they don't want to hear any music they don't know so clubs are either getting DJs or getting bands that play only covers and no originals.

I say this because it may not seem like a big deal now, but it will severely affect the music in the future. If you want to find good music, then you have to surf the net, myspace and so on. It used to be a day trip perusing through your local record store and listening to the radio, but I've found some excellent independent artists just going through online music pages. That's where you'll find some good musicians with just a little patience. I refuse to support big labels anymore because they don't care about music, I rather give my money directly to the artists.

LQ

Just because she's not on Warner Bros. anymore may not be a bad thing - might be the best thing for her, as far as independence is concerned. Not being signed to a major label nowadays is not the kiss of death some might think it is. Of course, there's a lot to be said for the marketing push of a well-reknowned label, but there are a lot of musicians/recording artists who are doing just fine without it.

Case in point - I gig from time to time with a keyboardist whose wife is a great singer. She just released a cd that's selling pretty well on cd baby, among other sites of that ilk. With a busy touring schedule that's usually booked a year in advance, they are living VERY well below the mainstream radar and are pretty well-known in the business. Of course, one has to really hustle and promote themselves, but a big audience can be had via touring. Look at The Grateful Dead, Phish and Dream Theater. That's how they built their fanbase.

Leela James has talent AND a seemingly unique perspective on things. That should go a long way. You don't have to be in the mainstream to be successful.

Afronomical said:

-----
It did not do anything on the charts because it never received RnB radio airplay. WB is the worst label around.

laurarichardson said:

Amen. And the song was called "Good Time" not "Tonight" as I had previously stated.

Afronomical said:

I was bout to say..I got the CD and I dont remember a song called TONIGHT....."Good Time" was decent..not one of my favs...

Graycap23 said:

This is sad, but not surprising. It's disgusting as well, because she is an great live performer and can actually sing. She's got the talent and the charisma on that stage. It just seems like if you aren't a talentless marionette running around half-naked you can forget it.

but somehow boring ass Corrine Bailey what's her name still has a platinum record and contract...ugh

Afronomical said:

I think one of the problems is that "Neo-Soul" has become such a trivalized term for a style of music who own sound has changed since it's conception. When I first heard Maxwell and Erika, they had a sound all their own, that was different from anything out there. While they were both "Neo Soul" artist, their sound was totally different from one another. In my opinion, this has not been the case lately. Now, "Neo-Soul", artist are starting to sound like everything that is out there, it is no longer soulful. Gone are the great lyrics and great melodies that made that genre what it was. Now everyone from Musiq to Leela are begining to sound the same and the buying public is just tired. People will say that Corrine's sound is boring, but it is alot different sounding from what these other "Neo-Soul" singers, have been putting out lately.

badujunkie said:

She's also new and "pretty" but the real test is her ophomore effort. If that falls short of expectations, her leash will get shorter and shorter.

shorttrini said:

And that's the Neo Soul artists shameful attempt at trying to get into the R&B section because the Neo Soul section ain't sellin' no mo and they don't even know they are ruining their own sound by doing so.

BlaqueKnight said:

Actually, Kedar Massenberg, the man behind D'Angelo and Erykah Badu coined the phrase Neo Soul. And most music genre names are "marketing names" so to speak, a means to categorize in order to sell to particular demos.

BlaqueKnight said:

I was thinking the same thing. These days, it ain't always bad when an act is dropped by a major.