Independent Artist Quotes

I'm not an industry artist - I'm an artist in the industry.

I don't know, I really try not to pay attention to comparisons, 'cause I'm my own artist. I try to build my own sound.

I have had the good fortune to experience both the limelight and the traffic light as a musician. I did my first recording on my own and it was available at concerts. The second to seventh were released on small and then large labels. My eighth to 14th were done under my own steam once again, but with the benefit of the Internet.

My whole team, it wasn't about putting the album out, it was about getting off the record company and going independent or going to another label. To the point we were like, 'Listen, just take 'Lasers.' You can have whatever percentage off the next ten records I do for the rest of my life. I just do not want to be here anymore.'

When I was signed to Quincy Jones before I went independent, he told me to rap what you know, and people will forever feel you. And I stuck to that, no matter how many people called me a devil worshiper, no matter how many people call me a cult leader. I stuck with rapping about what I know.

Obviously there's not much options when you're a cartoonist - you pretty much either work at home or rent an office I guess, and working at home just seems easier.

I don't want to be a small-time, independent, successful rapper.

I don't sell millions of records. As a matter of fact, I'm not even interested in selling millions of records. I enjoy MCing. I make a decent amount of money. I can feed my kids. I keep a roof over my head. I don't have to sell a million records to maintain my lifestyle.

As a new artist there are so many new ways to put music out there where you don't necessarily need a label because now labels will have their hands in your pocket and leave you with less control.

I was forced to be an artist and a CEO from the beginning, so I was forced to be like a businessman because when I was trying to get a record deal, it was so hard to get a record deal on my own that it was either give up or create my own company.

I'm not a manufactured artist. Nobody taught me how to be a proper artist.

I have more perspective now, and am happier now. It's not that I don't want success, but I now know I can have success at a lower level and make much more money doing it by myself. I make $6 or $7 bucks a record vs. nothing off those other records.

I'm one of the few that comes from this vantage point: I never tried to get a record deal.

The American dream is Chance the Rapper, or 'little Chano from 79th' who hails from Chicago's Southside and became the first artist to win a Grammy without selling one physical copy of his album.

I was never officially signed with Akon, but it was a shopping deal. That was around the time he was going through some problems with his label at Interscope. I waited, but when a deal didn't happen, I just went out on my own.

I've never conformed to what my record label has said and, yes, that has meant that it's been a long journey for me.

I always had this dream to make a solo record. I told my mom when I was 7 years old, but I just ended up being in bands. I'm a free spirit. I follow my heart, and it's led me to where I am.

I don't think people realize that I produce like 90 percent of all my music, except for the songs that I co-produce with people.

I drop free music because I want people to know I'm still working. I want people to know I'm working and making my money independently. I don't want to charge for a mixtape; I'd rather charge for an album and really give something to my fans.

I set out and I said I wanted to just release music, and I don't care how many people heard it at first. And I just wanted to put records out. I knew that.

The success of the first album was almost an anomaly, and it could remain a fantastic anomaly. It was not crafted for commercial success. I remember meetings with my label saying it had no radio singles. For me, the second album was a gesture of independence.

I never wrote music for the mainstream.

Obviously spending my teenage years in music, and in popular music, I wanted to continue this career, but in a way that allows me to dictate it and create it myself as opposed to relying on third party or more corporate decision making.

I have a master plan as an artist. I've always said I'm not going to be punching nobody's clock. I will work as an artist to survive in this world.

For a long time I was free. I didn't belong to any type of studio, or any company. I kept a sort of freedom and a light touch.