Been a long time...

[TQ]

What do I say other than thanx for sticking around!

I think the same way I've always thought. I'm a hustler first and foremost. If it don't make $'s it don't make sense. The Indie record biz is trial by error and if u somehow find a way to make it profitable you're in the minority. Some years ago I started administering copyrights for a lot of artist/songwriters. Basically, finding them money that they haven't collected and charging a percentage to collect it for them... U wouldn't imagine how many people have been fu?ked over in this game. I'm blessed...

As I did a little history lesson this morning while looking at TP, I'm reminded of all the dramatics we've had to fight thru and all the blah blah blah that u guys have had to listen to. It's a gift and a curse. We started out a relationship where I was completely open and honest with you and I shared my ups and downs in public. Sometimes that would backfire and I'd just shut up. Which would cause long a$s lapses between posts... I'd always come back and read but no need to post if I have nothing to say right? It's clear that if it ain't free new music, people ain't really interested. So I try to keep it to a minimum... This site is for my die hard fans who already know me so I've decided to use TP for cold hard facts about new music. I'm gonna try my best to do what u ask...

I have a date for Legendary. I've had the date since July and it's stuck since then... but u better believe that if I catch some good biz move or lick that takes me outta play during that date, that date will definitely change, as it did for my birthday. I'm a hustler... You guys know this. You listen to my music. I'm not gonna spend money putting out an album instead of making money that can help me put it out better later. Every single album since Gemini has come 100% from my pockets. Every single dime you've spent buying these albums has gone straight to my pockets and the other writers involved. I don't have a multi million dollar company behind me. All I have is my hustle. So I'm left in a position that has me mute on the best site I've ever had. U guys got to me when I had Sony or Cash Money behind me... so I get what you're missing. I'm just sorry to say that if that's what you require I will not be delivering. I have a business. I have to ensure that it is a profitable one. For my last couple albums there were a solid 40-60k of you that supported by buying the music or merchandise. I had to spend a certain amount to create and market and after that's paid comes the profit. In some situations like "SEXY", radio played it, it started picking up, and radio wanted astronomical amounts of money to play it more. By the time they really wanted to "support" aka payola, You guys had already bought Paradise and I had already made my profit. At that point would I spend that profit to get more airplay? No! I shut it down and get a huge mansion for my kids to live in for the summer. I'll buy the football teams Uni's and pads. I'll buy my mom a place. etc. Another example... "Electronic" was calculated weird. It got me a bunch of new fans from new genres... I figured it would. I got a bunch of love from Asia which I hadn't had since "Westside". As I'm overseas promoting it, it get's pick up and licensed for a movie and I hit my mark. ($) OK! Time to go home!!!

For all the drama attached to "Hotel California", I released it for one reason only. Radio asked for it. We went into the biggest radio conglomerate on earth, for a totally unrelated meeting, sat in front of THE head guy, and my partner played the song. The dude instantly flipped and said he'd add it to all his stations AS SOON as we were ready... Did I want to put that song out? If so I woulda did it a long time ago. Anyway, I paid for my clearances and usage rights and went about releasing it. The Eagles start blocking ILLEGALLY and I start spending money in court... Whether the claim is bogus or not u still have to spend time and money proving that fact. They delayed the hearings over and over and months go by. While I'm fighting about radio rights, Viacom accepts the video. They set up a cool release for me on BET and here come the Eagles again... Another bogus claim to which I have proof of the bogusness by my clearances that I'd paid to them months before. Can we litigate? No. Why? They keep getting extensions on the hearing date... as time goes by. What's the life of a single? 12 weeks? Do the math... Why would I drop this album in May when all this bullsh!t is going on? Hey trust me I don't wanna write all this and a lot of you prolly don't wanna hear it. Maybe some of you do... It's a catch 22 for me so I'll keep typing.

I shut Hotel California down... All I was doing was paying my lawyer to attend bogus court dates. Dude is really good. Dude is really expensive. fu?k that I'm a hustler. Eagles win. I ain't got that type of dough. At the end of the day that remake opened me up to a lot of new fans. The kind that like real live music... and since then It's only been real live music. That's what it's gonna be for the duration. I'm an expert at real live music...

I'm gonna still remake my favorite songs cuz that's my right. All the old foagies that made this great music should pull the Depends out their a$s cracks... They make the money anyway. As far as the Eagles go, Imma go ahead and say it myself. My guitar player played your song better than u did. Period. That has NOTHING to do with TQ. I was in N.O. last week and the House band did "Bye Bye Baby" and fu?kin murdered it. Suck it up cuz...Just because we get old doesn't mean people stop being talented... FYI my guitar player is you guys age, he played with Hendrix, Funkadelic, Chaka Khan, and Tupac to name a few. It wasn't some kid that outdid u... It was an OG.

Anyway, It's a big football day in the wack a$s state of Alabama and I'm headed to the Liquor store. Couple big cookouts happening today to watch the wack a$s Tide go back to the championship... Against wack a$s Notre Dame. I never thought I'd say this... In fact this is the ONLY possible way I'd ever say this... Please don't tell ANYBODY I said these 2 blasphemous words....

ROOOOOOOOOOOLLLLLL TIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIDE!!!!!

DO NOT let bit?h a$s Notre Dame win the National Championship!

#FIGHTON <------- (Had to throw that in in case u 4got) And notice how I'm just NOT even considering the chance that Georgia could pull off an upset today... NOT.

* My new Album Legendary drops February 12th 2013. Pre-sale starts January 7th. If the dates change shoot me.

WESTSIDE4LFE

Attachments:

[Stunna]

Man if Sony waz behin u ... the sells where up and more people knew your name an music.... but it's just me...
I'll suport u wha'eva...

[bwarrenwpa]

For all of your fans who know how good your music is and have to listen to crap on the radio, it's hard not to imagine your songs NOT being hits if picked up by more radio stations. I've probably introduced your music to hundreds of people over the last 15 years my life and they all love it but have never heard of you. I'm sure that has happened to the rest of you fans as well. What I'm saying is from our perspective (albeit a limited one), it's hard for us not to imagine you selling millions of records if you went with a major record label.

You've been upfront with your position from the beginning--laying out the pros and cons. I respect that and understand the position you took from the beginning. I think one of the the reason you're my favorite artist is your honesty and willingness to reach out to fans. You ultimately have to do what is in your best interest and as fans, it's our job to respect that. The free music Tuesdays and coming on here and speaking with us shows that you respect our patience and loyalty.

February's going to be hard to wait until but like Stunna said, we'll support you through whatever. Good luck getting through the legal mess. Can't wait for another banger come Feb!

[dvcashmoney]

Glad you haven't forgotten about us over here! I check the boards almost daily and it has been quiet around here. Hope that changes!

[Maudizzle]

Thanks for the post. It gives a lot of insight in why the album has not been released yet and why you put out Hotel California after so many years.

Don't let anybody tell you you should go back to a major label. I prefer quality over quantity, so I'm good. Everybody likes free music, but we're all grown ups here and we all understand you run your own business. Besides, how much good music do majors actually put out? I'd rather hear a "California Dreamin" than a "Keep It On The Low".

Talking about that new single: I've been playing it like crazy... Love the video too. I was in Hollywood over the summer and recognized that place where you were playing with your band on the Walk of Fame! Haha, that was cool!

Anyway, California Dreamin is great. Judging from the previews, Bad Man sounds great too. If the album is anything like "Kind of Blue" and/or what we already heard from "Legendary", I'm sure it will become another (personal) cla$sic.

[TQ]

Thanx for the support guys... I wanted to do an album that the people on this site would absolutely love. I don't know what that says about everybody else and I really don't care at this point. I won't go back to a major unless I had a deal that was great for me and bad for them. I learned that from E-40. When u come from where we come from you take your best shot to secure your life with the first chance you get. U may not get another one. It allows you to make better decisions for the long run. I'm a father. I also get to deal with a LOT of horror stories that u'd never believe and I'd never tell u about the things people are going thru regarding their business. I just can't do it. Call me a control freak. I gotta make sure Tylon and Rashaun are covered. On that level call me a hard conservative. I'm blessed. You guys and your support play a big part of that and I thank u. I was told this was a bad road to take with fans... I'm supposed to be hard to get to and mysterious. That sh!t ain't really fun to me. I got no problem with anybody knowing whats on my mind. I got in a biz where the consequences are minimal for telling a person "fu?k you". It's been told to me many times and I've prolly said it to twice as many. Is what it is. love it or hate it we been down for a long fu?kin time and this is where we are.

I'm about to make you proud of me again. I'm working on touring cuz if u see me live with my band ur gonna sh!t yourself.

Much love. WESTSIDE4LIFE.