After moving 906,000 units in his domestic market to date, Aloe Blacc‘s ‘The Man’ stands as one of the many songs to appear on his major-label debut album, ‘Lift Your Spirit.’
However, while it’s spirits he may seek to lift, it’s his pockets that scored an elevation of sorts this year, now that’s he inked a lucrative publishing deal with David H Johnson‘s ‘Warner /Chappell Music.’
A deal, that sings to the merry tune of $2 million.
Details below…
Separate from the six figure sum he’s set to earn from the part he plays in Beats Music headphones’ new national campaign, his deal with ‘Warner‘ has reportedly seen him pocket close to $2 million.
No doubt handed to him with his chart-storming success with Avicii and his very own ‘Dollar’ in mind, his arrangement with the Warner-owned company has seem him attract the attention of critics, who’ve labelled the entertainer’s business moves ‘treacherous.’
Why?
Billboard Biz explains:
“Blacc has been hailed as an artist with vision and a songwriter with limitless potential, and to say that he’s played his cards right would be a gross understatement. Not only did he collect what one person privy to the publishing deal called “an absurd” advance, he pocketed the sum without paying commissions (typically between 10% and 15%), having severed ties with manager Simon Fuller just prior to signing on the dotted line.
According to sources, Fuller, a creator of “American Idol” who counts David Beckham, Annie Lennox and Carrie Underwood on his artist roster at XIX Entertainment, didn’t have a written contract in place with Blacc (not unusual for the British music vet who’s made his share of handshake deals — among them Lennox, a client of 25 years). And while Fuller is credited with discovering the singer, landing his deal with the Universal Music Group label and getting him on the Avicii track, Fuller now only stands to profit from revenue shared with Interscope and XIX Recordings, a label launched specifically to release Blacc’s recordings and licensed to UMG worldwide. (A rep for Fuller denies that XIX had been acting as Blacc’s manager, noting that “our business isn’t set up like your traditional Hollywood managers and agents.”) A Blacc source says, “Aloe’s relationship with Simon Fuller is very healthy. Simon has been nothing but supportive through Aloe’s transition to self-management.”
“Loyalty doesn’t always pay in the music industry; that’s nothing new, but Blacc’s bold — and some might deem traitorous — maneuvers are surprising even the most seasoned of insiders. “He comes off as a business person and not an artist,” says one such source who’s had prior dealings with Blacc. “He thinks he’s smarter than everybody.” Another adds: “He was self-serving, greedy and, ultimately, not a very nice person.” (Sounds like the makings of a solid manager.) Blacc declined to respond.”
Blacc’s ‘Spirit‘ hits stores on March 11th!