Here?s a Receipt Brandy Can Flaunt in the Face of Her Soon-to-be Former Record Label
It?s been nearly a month since a label rep for Chameleon Entertainment Group issued a statement filled with language that falls directly under NeNe Leakes? ?so nasty, so rude? infamous descriptor. The rep, speaking on behalf of the Chameleon Entertainment CEO Breyon Prescott had this to say to TMZ about Brandy comparing her contract with the label to slavery. CEG deemed the suit ?a desperate ploy to drum up publicity instead of facing facts ? her best days are behind her.? The rep claims that Prescott took a risk ?signing an artist that hasn?t had a chart single success since the early 2000?s.?
By now, most are aware that Brandy?s baby brother, Love & Hip Hop: Hollywood star, Ray J, recently married his longtime girlfriend and co-star Princess Love. Judging from the videos and images that leaked out on social media the wedding was quite the affair. Of course, what?s stuck out most for fans of the now legendary star is the video on TMZ of Brandy singing Etta James? ?At Last? for the couple?s first dance as husband and wife. The fanfare surrounding the clip is a testament to Brandy?s enduring appeal to her very vocal group of supporters.
When Brandy signed with Chameleon Entertainment Group in 2011, a subsidiary of RCA Records, it looked as if the singer-actress had finally found a home that would help her net the musical comeback she had long pursued throughout the previous decade. ?This is truly a blessing,? she explained in a statement. ?Breyon Prescott, Peter Edge and Tom Corson [RCA Music Group?s president and chief operating officer] believe in me and have introduced me to a home that also believes and knows exactly what to do with the type of music I?m doing. Breyon and the team at RCA/Chameleon are creative and forward-thinking and I am thrilled to be working with them.?
In hindsight, this deal turned out as well as a date with an Instagram cutie who turned out to be a living nightmare in person and without filter. Nearly five years later, B-Rocka filed a lawsuit against the label, claiming CEG was barring her from recording or releasing new music. In response, a spokesperson for Prescott claimed the singer hadn?t ?generated any meaningful revenue? from her last album, Two Eleven, and that if he wanted to, he could?ve pulled her single, ?Begging and Pleading? from iTunes.
Well, Two Eleven was mishandled for varying reasons. One, she actually did score a hit in ?Put It Down? featuring Chris Brown. Unfortunately, the follow up single, ?Wildest Dreams,? came too late. Then again, the Mike WiLL Made-It produced ?Do You Know What You Have?? probably should?ve been the second single. Yes, some of us partake in the game of laptop label head.
Still, one can?t gloss over the reality that Brandy has had so-so relationships with record labels for over a decade now. After the disappointing sales of Full Moon and Afrodisiac, Brandy parted ways with her label of 11 years, Atlantic Records. She then signed with Epic Records, who released Human in 2008.
That album did not perform well and she quickly distanced herself from it. In an interview with Out, Brandy said, ?To hell with that album!? She said as much in a separate interview with the Los Angeles Times. She cited label politics, creative process and promotion as the reason for not reaching peak success? sentiments echoed back in 2004 when Afrodisiac failed to perform better than anticipated.
What?s most interesting about Brandy is that throughout all this time, she released some of the best R&B music of the past 25 years. Music that has been highly impactful and influential even if it?s not reflected on the charts. Perhaps labels did struggle on how to properly help Brandy, whose commercial peak occurred
while she was a teenager. Maybe part of the problem is the artist herself wasn?t able to tap into a new stream of fans. One could argue that it might be a combination of the two with blame being shared on both sides.
Whatever it is, though, the comment from Prescott does not only read as unprofessional, it?s untrue.
So, let?s put some things into perspective. It was and continues to be very difficult for R&B acts ? notably female ones ? to gain radio airplay the way they used to. Again, despite the challenges, Brandy did score a hit in 2012 with ?Put It Down? featuring Chris Brown. She?s also actively working as an actress, which in of itself is an added boost to any artist trying to score attention in the days when record labels often continue to work on a pork chops manager?s sale (i.e. they?re about to go bad by the end of this sentence) budget.
In response, her rep said if the label feels that way, ?release her from her contract.? It?s the sort of professional drama that would make for a great storyline on Love & Hip Hop. Her rep has a point, though. Brandy, regardless of what?s happened since Full Moon, is a legend. There?s a certain level of respect that ought to be afforded to her. It?s a pity that many of the sounds she hopped on first enjoyed greater success by those that came after her, but that doesn?t mean she can?t ever land a hit again.
She is still touring around the world. She still receives the utmost respect from her contemporaries. There is still a path there, just clearly not with her current label.
So, if they think she?s basically a walking episode of Unsung, so be it?but give her the opportunity to prove otherwise where she?s appreciated.
