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The ‘Cash Me Outside’ girl explains how the f*ck she got a record deal

The only thing more shocking than the way Danielle Bregoli speaks to her mother is the fact that with no previous musical experience at all, the internet celebrity now known as “Bad Bhabi” has signed a deal with Atlantic Records.

I suppose the more shocking part is her hit single “These Heauxs“, which dropped at the end of August, has over 52 million views, and is actually… good?

Sorry not sorry, I support Bhad Bhabie in all her auto-tuned goodness.

People still salty, though, questioning how she went from a punk on Dr. Phil’s stage to a celebrity whose relevance we still talk about.

Sometimes people just get their break. Rather than berating Danielle for catching her, supposedly undeserved one, we should be encouraging her to become a more proactive member of society, that way everyone benefits from the audience she is able to reach.

Although, if you ask me, she’s managed to handle herself wonderfully already. In an interview with Hip Hop DX, she shares her feelings about being signed:

“What would you do if you were put in the situation I was? And your mom put you on a TV show and you came home from a program, and you didn’t even know the latest music that was out — didn’t know anything.”

She’s managed to balance her new fame very well, taking part of different creative outlets, despite originally blowing up as an internet meme.

“Your mom gives you your phone and you look on the Instagram explore page, and there’s a million pictures of you? Every other picture is a picture of you with something saying, ‘Cash me ousside’ on it and you don’t even remember that you said that. Then all of sudden somebody calls you and they’re like, ‘Hey do you rap, do you sing?’ And you say no, but they wanna manage you and say, ‘I think we can make something out of you.'”

She shares her full take on the pressures and glamour of Hollywood and the promises she was made regarding her signing. Then, in a simple question, she forces anyone hating on her to rethink their stance: “Are you not gonna take that?”

“Then they fly you out to Los Angeles and they basically put you in a little Airbnb, and they take you to meet with a record label because they just want to meet you. They think that you can be an artist. They ask you if you like music, you say, ‘Yes.’ They say, ‘Okay we want to give you a record deal. You sound good.’ Are you not gonna take that?”

Along with her other hit singles,  “I Got It,” “Hi Bich,” “Whachu Know,” and “These Heaux,” Danielle just released “Momma Ain’t Dirty” and it’s pretty hot.

Mama don’t worry, mama don’t worry, I did all this dirt and still ain’t dirty.

Metro Boomin flames Atlantic Records head Mike Caren, other artists join in

If Young Metro don’t trust you, he will expose you.

Yesterday, Metro Boomin, the young Atlanta-based super producer, went off on Atlantic Records, issuing a “PSA to producers everywhere, don’t let @AtlanticRecords steal your soul.”

Metro then clarified that he was talking about a specific branch of Atlantic, the Artist Partner Group (APG), and its head Mike Caren, “who deals directly with producers and songwriters.”

The “Mask Off” producer then identified Black executives at Atlantic Records “who do great business and wanna help us win.”

Artists and producers around the industry responded to Metro’s tweets with support, sharing personal stories about Mike Caren and APG. Mike Will Made It said, “Caron looked 2012 Mike Will in the eyes after hearing my whole catalog and said you don’t have ANY hits but we can help u wit that.”

Mike Will has founded his own label, Ear Drummer Records, and is a multi-platinum record producer. Safe to say he didn’t need Mike Caron’s help.

London On Da Track, another Atlanta producer, agreed with Metro that “That’s all they want to do.”

Metro went on to explain that his experiences with APG and other industry bullshit  drove him to want to start his own label.

Earlier this summer, Metro announced his label, Boominati Records, a subset of Republic Records. His single “No Complaints,” featuring Drake and Offset, was the first official release from the label.

It wasn’t just hip-hop artists who agreed with Metro’s tweets. Beach Fossils, left Brooklyn indie label Captured Tracks in 2014 as frontman Dustin Payseur started his own label, agreed with Metro’s assertion that the industry drove him to want his own label.

Pop singer Halsey claimed that she wrote “Hold Me Down” about Mike Caren and APG while calling on songwriters to protect their art.

Mike Caren can’t be too happy today, as artists and producers around the industry join in to publicly expose him. This whole ordeal also shines light on the increasing trend of artists spurning major labels, either starting their own label or signing to an independent.

As always, if Metro don’t trust you, it’s very quiet for you.

Matt Ox and Danielle Bregoli both signed record deals. Get over it.

Just as last week’s news of Danielle “Bhad Bhabie” Bregoli inking a deal with Atlantic records became palatable, Warner Bros. Records decided to pour salt onto the wound by signing a 12-year-old kid named Matt Ox yesterday.

As you can imagine, everyone from hip-hop purists to your casual rap fan felt some type of way.

https://twitter.com/lustforgays/status/911223547401506817

https://twitter.com/utterfingers/status/908791178874761216

If we’re being completely transparent, they’re both white, out-of-culture social media stars turned rappers. Even I cringed when I saw major music labels so ready to throw cash their way.

There is talent out there that has touring experience, garnered a fanbase from scratch, and who’s honed their craft tirelessly.

Surely there’s an artist more reputable than a kid doing his best Chief Keef video impression, armed with hot Cheetos and fidget spinners or a girl whose claim to fame was disrespecting her mother on Dr. Phil.

Fidget GIF by Future Generations - Find & Share on GIPHY

But that’s where the problem lies: we’re outraged and taken aback because we don’t see them as artists; we see them as viral sensations. We feel as if labels are betraying us, but in reality, they’re doing the same shit labels always do.

Trinidad James wasn’t signed to Def Jam until “All Gold Everything” blew up in 2012. T.I didn’t pay Iggy Azalea any mind until her video for “Pu$$y” went viral. And Jimmy Iovine couldn’t wait to get his hands on Keef after “Don’t Like” broke the internet.

Was the integrity of hip-hop a point of emphasis in these signings? How many of those deals still exist?

Joe Budden said it best on Complex’s The Daily Struggle:

“People don’t view Atlantic that way. They are showing you what they are in the business of. How can you get mad at somebody showing you what they do. They’re not in it for hip-hop integrity.”

It’s a numbers game for these big labels, and say what you want, both Bhad Bhabie and Matt have plenty of them.

Max’s “Overwhelming” video reached the benchmarks of other viral phenomenons, pulling in 14 million in just a few months. He’s seen a success on SoundCloud, attracted the attention of Lil Uzi Vert, and performed at Diplo’s Mad Decent Block Party.

He’s like a much more self-aware Slim Jesus.

And despite not recording a damn thing in her life prior, Danielle Bregoli’s “These Heaux” already has over 21 million views on YouTube and she’s already the youngest female rapper to chart the Hot 100 at #77.

And she hasn’t missed a beat. Today she dropped “Hi Bich / Whachu Know” and it already has 2 million views on Youtube.

You telling me labels are not supposed to sign these acts?

This is the fate I accepted when Cardi B got her shot. The case study is similar. Again, no musical background. No real time spent as an artist before her deal. And she, too, came up off the internet. Yet I root for her like I know her.

I think as hip-hop fans it’s time to admit that we’re being a bit greedy. On one hand, we praise the direct fan to artist connection that today’s media platforms allow — which gives the role of A&R to the people — and then we get angry when the popular vote is something we don’t like.

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It’s important to remember that Bhad Bhabie and Matt Ox can’t exist without a base to fuel them. They had to have tapped into something to go viral in the first place — whether good or bad publicity — and now they’re setting up shop to soak it for all it’s worth.

The cause for concern is warranted. We’ve seen what can happen when a genre in music in suddenly invaded and transformed (i.e Jazz and Rock and Roll ), but sometimes it’s best to let things run their course.

Who knows what the future holds for these artists. They’re both still extremely young (Bregoli being 14) and could compromise their contracts, grow into different artists, or, don’t hold your breath, actually be good.

What we do know is that only real music is going to last. All that other bullshit is here today and gone tomorrow.