Adam Gross, President of the California-based Ineffable Music Group, recently discussed the difficulties new talents face when signing with major labels. He emphasized that the Artist and Repertoire (A&R) executive responsible for signing the artist plays a crucial role in their success. Highlighting that if this executive leaves the label, the artist may struggle, particularly if they did not receive much support beyond that person.
Gross mentioned Masicka as an example and explained that the A&R exec who signed him to Def Jam has an A&R background. During his interview with The FIX, he expressed that he’s confident in this A&R personally. Because of his association, he knows that the exec is genuinely invested in helping Masicka succeed and is committed to making that a reality.
Gross also advised new artists not to rush into signing with major labels. Instead, he suggested focusing on growing their fanbase naturally by releasing music regularly and improving their skills in making music and promoting themselves. He said doing this could make them more attractive to labels in 5 to 10 years, giving them better deals.
“The goal of an artiste should not to be hasty to get signed by a major label but instead to learn how to grow their audience through consistent, cohesive releases while getting better at production, writing and better music and marketing. If every artiste does this the labels interest in a talent will be much greater within a 5 to 10 year window, which would present them with a lot of leverage to secure a better deal.” Gross declared.
Alluding to the ongoing debate about Afrobeats and Dancehall music, Gross acknowledged that Dancehall faces challenges because its audience is significantly smaller compared to Afrobeats, especially in Africa, notably Nigeria. He explained that Dancehall music usually starts locally, then spreads to the Caribbean, the U.S. and onto the rest of the international markets, versus Afrobeat, which has an extensive home base established on sheer population.
Ineffable Records is Billboard’s top independent Reggae label in the world. It helps artists from various regions, including Jamaica, release their music while allowing artists to maintain ownership and creative control over their work.
