Ice Spice‘s manager has outlined how the “Princess Diana” hitmaker has retained ownership of her masters and publishing, a feat that is traditionally unheard of with new artists.
James Rosemond Jr., the son of notorious drug kingpin and music executive Jimmy Henchman, spoke with Billboard about their shrew strategy when it came to her signing a record deal.
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When asked how he was able to guarantee Spice her masters, Rosemond Jr. said: “It was really about giving her all the right information. Like, this is where the market is going.
“It’s about independence. It’s about retaining ownership; about intellectual property and generational wealth. That sometimes there are sacrifices — that people may be dangling money. But if you want a certain type of deal, you have to be patient as we do the work to have leverage. That was the conversation early on.”
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He added: “And thank God she listened and was able to hold out while we kept running up the numbers on ‘Munch.’ Then it became, ‘Let’s entertain these deals’ and, as I said earlier, begin to shape one in a creative way.
“Now, she not only retains her masters but also her publishing rights and still gets upfront money as if she’s a work for hire. It’s a hybrid type of deal that you don’t see often. And it comes with doing the work, having patience and creating leverage.”
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The structure of Ice Spice’s deal with 10K Projects and Capitol Records puts her in good stead leading up to her debut album Y2K.
Earlier this month, the Bronx rap star revealed the project’s July 26 release date along with its cover art, which pays tribute to her NYC roots with nods to the city’s subway and graffiti culture.
The artwork, shot by the esteemed David LaChapelle, also shows Ice with her back facing the camera, flaunting her most famous asset.
Despite the anticipation surrounding Y2K, the cover was met with a mixed reception as many fans were unimpressed by the art direction.
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“Y2K could’ve been a futuristic take. Like how did we miss it. This looks like ghetto sesame street,” one critic wrote on social media, while another said: “Maybe putting the title on the trash can wasn’t the best idea.”
Ice Spice later responded to the backlash, writing on X: “David LaChapelle is #Y2K! soooo sweet + legendary he didn’t even charge me cus he fucks wit a real bitch,” she wrote alongside a polaroid photo of them together.
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“thank U for all the incredible art you’ve put out through the years this cover means everything to me [heart emoji] & yes Y2K was placed on the trash can on purpose can u guess why?”
