In April of 2023, New Jersey based label Dominion Hill Records signed a deal with Roc Nation’s EQ Distribution. In shortly over a year, Dominion Hill Records is re-defining the term indie music and is making remarkable traction in 2024.
In a recent interview with DJ EMEZ, host of Power 105.1’s “The Sit Down,” Dominion Hill artist Bizz the Prince said “A lot of artists say they are Indie, but we say we have partnerships; we don’t say indie”.
We asked Rhasun to explain the mentality behind the culture at Dominion Hill Records: “We don’t use the word indie when discussing labels and artists in 2024, says Rhasun (Sun) of Dominion Hill. When artists or labels reach out to me for distribution or management and say “I’m one-hundred percent indie” they are not truly indie. One – hundred percent Independent says to me you don’t have a team. You up ya odds walking in the door saying this is my team I assembled and this is what we need to level up,”
“Your team consists of producers, engineers, DJ’s, graphic artists, videographers, managers, PR Reps, investors, all the way through to your circle who come out to your shows or bring the bottles and smoke to the sessions. It’s all a group effort, it’s not an independent movement. If all these individuals agree to bring these elements to the table, then this is a deal. You have everything right in front of you. A lot of brothers have the budgets and talent to be successful, but they only need direction, distribution and people who know the business to organize their career movements,” states Rhasun.
We have to pause and respect and have appreciation for anyone who agrees to assist in the process of maintaining a label or artist’s career. I have supreme gratitude for everyone who’s invested time, money or talent to any brand I developed or was part of, If it’s not undermining my blueprint, then I’m grateful.
Why EQ?
Labels are distributed. When you’re talking deals with advance money, a small percentage of deals may be direct artist – label deals, but in most deals the funding is coming from publishers and investors who form partnerships with the labels. When you walk into a meeting talking about something different a vet in this business knows you don’t know the business you are in. Equity or EQ has been solid for us. They provided what we needed and we have creative control and own the masters.
To say that is to say this, build your team. Everybody can’t be the artist. Invite people to your team who have knowledge of the business. Draw agreements up where everyone invest and plays a part and if you win everyone wins. My quote is “If you want investors or parent label deals, then show that you can run a successful hot dog stand on the street before you ask for a loan to buy a Mc Donald’s/” If you can’t organize a team and run a $30,000 investment of your own money labels – investors advancing you a million to f#%k up ain’t gonna happen,
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