Saigon: Goodbye Atlantic Records

By Saigon on AllHipHop.com

On his blog, Saigon drops a bomb - he has departed his longterm recording home of Atlantic Records. Read the saga from the man, who has had a rough path in the music game despite being one of Hip-Hop faves. (This editorial has not been edited by AllHipHop.com in any way.)

Saigon:

Okay, where do I begin....

Once upon a time, I remember telling my homie Just Blaze that the ONLY way we would win was if we were to get off of Atlantic Records A.S.A.P... Most of you may not know but I have fought and fought and fought for the past year and a half to get out of that bad deal..I personally E mailed Julie Greenwald and Craig Kallman (C.E.O and President) and begged for a release from my contract numerous times.. I know some of you may or may not remember but I even went as far as saying 'I quit' or 'Im retiring' to get out of there. I figured if I said 'I quit', they would say 'well if he's not rapping anymore, we should let him go' but nope...They held me.. I even went and aqcuired the powerful services of Chris Lighty and Violator Management to help me get out of there but nope, they held me.. I was about to write the word SLAVE on my cheek like Prince or go CNN style and go flip over some computers or something... LOL

I was signed to Atlantic Records by Kyambo 'Hip Hop' Joshua. Hip Hop is one of the most creative and innovative people in this music business..He was the A&R on every Jay Z album from Reasonable Doubt to The Black Album so he knows and understands a real TRUE talent... But 4 months after signing me to Atlantic Records, Hip Hop quit and left the label because he didnt like the way they wouldnt let the real artist be themselves. They even passed on signing the legendary Devin The Dude because he wasnt 'young enough'...Wow.. When Hip Hop left I knew I was in trouble...BIG trouble...

Strike 1

I put out 2 songs on Atlantic Records, the first one was called 'Pain in my Life' feat Trey Songz. This song recieved GREAT reviews, massive press and was to set the tone as to who I am and the type of artist I am.. Atlantic Records felt I needed a party song, or a sexual song or something like the other artist they have up there. On one side of the token they're telling me they need to market me to the youth yet they want me to use adult content.. This didnt make sense to me. They wanted me to tell 12 and 13 year old kids that its cool to be strippers and gangbangers. I felt if they were going to market me to the young kids in the urban communities, I should be giving them something thats gonna be more beneficial than detrimental to their lives, like the importance of eduacation, safe sex, will power and shit like that. I live in these communities so I see the power and the effects this music has on our children.. We disagreed and I guess their way of
saying fuck me was, they NEVER worked the record at radio.. They NEVER put me on a promo tour to work the record, and they gave me a measley 18 thousand dollars to shoot the video which was kinda insulting to me...

Strike 2

Okay, no love and support on Pain in my Life and at this point Im very discouraged because the record was doing very well on its own. Yet they would not support it.. Im on a hit television show Entourage on H.B.O, magazine covers, everything.. Yet still no support from the label. Okay we say 'lets try it again'... We give them 'Come on Baby' feat Swizz Beatz. Once again the song recieves great reviews, classic Just Blaze material. And once again, NO radio staff is working it, NO promo tours, not even a fuckin poster or an online banner.. NOTHING.. When it came time to do the video, they gave me 28K.. LOL... 10K more than the measley 18K they gave me for Pain in my Life.. Thats 2 videos for under 50K and this is supposed to break a new artist??? For those of you who dont know the business, the average cost for a decent video is between 100K and 150K for a new artist youre trying to break. Thats ONE video mind you.. They gave me less than 50K for 2 videos.
They never worked either of the 2 songs at radio.. They never even made a Saigon poster...Lol... If you go up to the Atlantic offices their are pictures on the wall of artist you NEVER, EVER, EVER heard of in ya life.. and probably never will. I knew for a long time I was at the wrong place.. I like to tell myself that the money they were supposed to spend on my project just went to T.I's legal team and court fees...Then I feel they did something good with the money..Haha

Strike 3

Okay so now they shit on us again with 'Come on Baby', Im crying to leave the label but they wont let me go.. They wont push me, but they wont let me go.. So Just Blaze says 'okay, lets pull out the big guns'.... He gets the big homie Jay Z on the remix of Come on Baby (see page to listen) and can you believe these muthafuckas stiiiiiiiiiiiilll didnt work the record or give us what we needed to work the record... Here you have an new artist as handsome as me,(haha) as talented as me, on a hit television show, XXL and many other covers, mega buzz in the street and online, AND a song with Jay Z and Swizz Beatz you stiiiiillll dont push the button... There was nothing more I could do but take legal action to leave there..At first I was discouraged about the whole thing but then I started to think about T.I. on Arista Records, Lupe Fiasco on Arista Records, Alicia Keys on Columbia Records, 50 Cent on Columbia Records, DMX on Columbia Records. These are just a few of the superstars that werent on the same page as their first record company. And me on Atlantic, I refused to let them put out my album with no marketing dollars behind it.. My album is a masterpiece that will go on to make history.. I refused to let it be mishandled by some people who only care about a dollar when my music is about so much more than just financial gain...Once people realize money doesnt equal happiness the world will be a better place..I know alot of rich miserable people, rappers, actors or just plain businessmen that are hooked on drugs and shit because theyre trying to escape reality. The money dont mean shit...Lets talk about THAT..

Now to bring you all up to date...I am NO LONGER ON ATLANTIC RECORDS, thank you God. I took legal action and got my manager Chris, my lawyer Theo, my homies Gee Roberson and Just Blaze and we got the fuck up out of there... No, I didnt get dropped so you haters dont get excited, I fought these people very very hard to leave. When they drop you they keep your music and you dont have to pay them shit back.. Trust me, I tried to get dropped. I still own my masters so we have to give these bastards a whole LOT of money , BUT, we still own The Greatest Story Never Told which will be released this year with a company that Im sure will surprise the whole world once we let it out.. Nobody is gonna see this coming..TRUST ME. Im still rocking with Just Blaze till the dirt, Im still with Hip Hop Since 1978 till the dirt, we killed them with Kanye West, now we bout to kill em with Lil Wayne and Saigon comes soon after to play clean up.....Goodbye Atlantic Records, I
dont know if it was systematic racism or the fact they didnt think they could break an artist with validity in his music who cares about the future of black children, but I guess we'll never know will we.....................???????
????? So now you know why Ive been quiet the past year.. Ive been in battle with these people, and I WON.

Now check out my single Gotta Believe It...The one explaining my new beginning.....Peace.. Im off to China for Memorial Day weekend...Wow. Later Yall