After a successful year as an independent artist, Tyga announced a new multi-million dollar record deal with Columbia Records. According to Variety, the “Taste” rapper made the decision with his global fans in mind.
“They definitely understand the global brand,” he said. “I have a lot of fans worldwide — in places I’ve never been like South America, and in places I have been like Asia and Europe. They can help bring that to a larger scale. Doing it independently, you don’t really have those teams to help worldwide. Sony, if you look at the history from what they’ve done from Pharrell to Beyonce to Adele — then you look at Lil Nas X, one of their new artists that’s blown up this year — they’ve done a lot for artists globally, for their brand. That’s why I wanted to partner up with them.”
This year, the Los Angeles-bred rapper released his seventh studio album, Legendary, which included his Offset-assisted hit, “Taste.” He also found success in collaborations with Nicki Minaj on “Dip” and YG on “Go Loko.”
Tyga told Variety he came to know Columbia Records chairman and CEO Ron Perry after he and Mustard’s 2011 collaboration, “Rack City.”
“I’ve always wanted to work with Ron Perry,” he said. “I’ve been a fan of how he’s been able to spot talent; how he’s been able to A&R; and to publish people. And likewise, he’s been following my career for a long time. It makes sense for me to do something with Ron. If I was going to go anywhere major, I want to go somewhere where the head person in charge is really about the music and really understands me.”
Tyga joined Cash Money Records in 2008, eventually developing contentious relationships with the label over legal disputes. In 2018, he sued Cash Money and Young Money for $1 million, claiming that the label withheld royalties from his Careless World: Rise of the Last King and Hotel California albums. This year he chose to act independently and says he gained a lot from the experience.
“The independent thing taught me a lot,” he said. “It was a do-it-yourself motto — learning how to get from point A to point B. Now doing a deal through Columbia, it’s like I already know the ropes.”
With the freshly signed deal, Tyga revealed he’s back in the studio.
“I could put a single out and have another out right after. I’m always creating,” he said. “Sometimes I want to make an album or a song out, or a joint album with somebody. I’m very indecisive when it comes to releasing music on my own because I got so much of it.”