“If Drake goes independent, the music business is over.”

“If Drake goes independent, the music business is over. If Drake goes independent, the music business is done.” – Steve Stoute

During a SelectCon music conference held on Friday, July 17th, businessman Steve Stoute [who has worked with Sony, Interscope, Mariah Carey, Gwen Stefani, and more], along with rapper Russ, shared some powerful words in regards to recording artist Drake. While Drake is currently signed to Cash Money via Universal Music Group-owned Republic Records, if he were to go independent, he would (according to Russ) make “$10 million a week for […] 60 weeks” per album released.

“You think that if Drake right now, completely independent … if Drake posts a picture on the ‘Gram of his new album, link in bio — f–k a link in bio, “new album out” — and he was fully independent, Drake will make $10 million a week for f–ing 60 weeks” says Russ.

Stoute then added: ““I said this before, Drake is about to come out in the next six months, Drake is about to get the biggest bag in the history of the music business by far. Both A and B, they don’t want that to happen. Because the day that happens, they might as well close the business down.”

“Drake uploads ‘God’s Plan’ on a digital distributor so whatever money it is: less than $10 dollars, right? Fine, pay for the beat — $10K, $20K, $30K, $40k, whatever the f–k it is — and to get mixed: four racks. So you’re all, $50K tops. That song, you owning it forever and getting paid weekly on it, you’re making a million dollars a week off that song. It’s different. If Drake goes independent, this whole industry gets turned upside down. That’s why I’m independent, putting out music independently. I’ma f–k this whole industry up.” – Russ