After a successful series of Black Circle mixtapes with big features from Young Thug, Akon, and Gucci Mane, well over a million listens, and major support from his hometown of Atlanta — Money Man was able to catch Birdman’s attention and inked a deal with Cash Money Records back in February 2017. A little over a year after signing with the Cash Money family, Money Man took to Twitter to let it be known there was trouble in paradise. He let his followers know that his label took his music down from all streaming platforms. A month later Money Man came back to update fans that he bought himself out of his contract with Cash Money and that his music would soon be back up on all streaming platforms.
Since becoming an independent artist Money Man has recently released his new 6 Hours 2 mixtape, in which we were able to sit down and discuss the making of his new project. In addition, why exactly Cash Money took his music down from all streaming platforms, and what are the benefits of being an independent artist now compared to when he originally signed the deal.
Why did you buy yourself out of your Cash Money deal?
Money Man: I bought myself out that deal so I could get 100% of the profit. Really, I’m not a splurger like that. I could make $500,000 and whatever else comes in over that I’ll spend. Then when I get to another amount I save that, and whatever money I make that exceeds that particular amount I had previously set to save I use that extra as spending money. So I make sure I have a lot of money put up to the side. That way if I’m going to talk to Birdman and ask, “So how much to buy myself out my deal?” I can pay that right now. I won’t have to wait or negotiate anything. I can just put my money up because I made sure I saved accordingly.
Did you already know that was the plan when you signed the deal? Or what benefited you to be independent now compared to when you originally signed the deal? Why didn’t you just stay independent?
I signed the deal because they gave me a large amount of money. I was thinking about how I could use this money to do this or flip this money three or four times and come back and say here’s your money back plus interest and now I’m going to go over here and make my money 100% myself.
Why did you title your project 6 Hours and why did you decide to do a 6 Hours 2?
I had dropped a mixtape before 6 Hours and I called it Before The Flight. I dropped that in four hours. Then I went to California for three days and came back to Atlanta and dropped a mixtape in six hours. I just have a crazy work ethic. Whatever I do I’m going to work hard at it and I’m going to do it fast and it’s going to be quality.
I made a mixtape in Phoenix in two hours. I had a layover in Phoenix and made the mixtape in an hour and thirty minutes. I have all kind of mixtapes. I just make them. Whatever I’m getting into or doing I’m going to make a mixtape about it.
Why did they take your songs off Apple Music and Spotify and other streaming platforms?
It was a money discrepancy. I was making so much money that my label didn’t know about that they felt they needed a piece of this. I told them I didn’t feel like they deserved a piece. They disagreed. After that happened that’s when I cashed myself out.
Any advice to up and coming artists about signing a deal or not signing a deal or just valuable advice in general?
As far as signing a deal, Drake signed a deal and made $100 million. You have artists who are independent who’ve made a lot of money. It’s really all your preference. If you can’t handle doing everything yourself you need to sign a deal and have someone do it for you. And if everybody has to do everything for you then they deserve a lot of your money. I like working by myself and doing everything myself. I’m very hands on. But I’m trying to stay independent unless a label comes with a lot of money like ten or twenty million then we might can do something but other than that I’m good by myself.
We’re just the consumers. We listen to the music and we might relate to the music for one reason or another. Is there any particular project of yours that means a lot to you that maybe we don’t know why it means so much to you?
Every project really means a lot to me like the 24 Hours and the 6 Hours and 6 Hours 2— those are spiritual mixtapes. A lot of people just listen to the sound of them but I really talk about some different type of stuff. I talk about fasting. I talk about organic things. I talk about the internet a lot and different ways you can maneuver and make money on the internet and things of that nature so it’s really all the preference of the fans. I also just try to motivate people. I try to tell people you can go get some money it don’t matter whether you have some hindrances or not just go get some money.
What kind of fasting do you do?
I’ll do a three-day water fast or a two-day fruit fast. I just be fasting. It opens up my mind. When I dropped my 24 Hours, 6 Hours, 6 Hours 2, I might fast before that. It’s just something hits me and I go crazy in the booth.
