Trinidad James performs onstage at Fader Fort presented by Converse during SXSW on March 14, 2013 in Austin, Texas.
Trinidad James has been dropped from Def Jam Recordings, the Atlanta rapper tweeted on Aug. 1.
Exclusive: Trinidad James Signs With Def Jam
“I should tell yall. I got dropped by the Label. My Album is now free. If u hear ur beat or verse on it. I hope u want dap cuz i got no money,” he wrote to his 366,000 followers.
I should tell yall. I got dropped by the Label. My Album is now free. If u hear ur beat or verse on it. I hope u want dap cuz i got no money
— Trinidad Jame$ (@TrinidadJamesGG) August 2, 2014
In December 2012, then-Def Jam president Joie Manda exclusively told Billboard that the label had signed a deal with the "All Gold Everything” rapper. The signing also included a joint venture with the rapper's Gold Gang Records.
At the time, James lauded Def Jam for investing in a green artist. "It's like a gamble," the rapper told Billboard. "You don't know what you're getting but you have a strong belief that this can [be] something big. They believed in me."
Trinidad James: 'I Don't Think I've Made It'
James also noted that the high expectations that came with his deal (rumored to have a $2 million price tag) wouldn’t make him change his quirky aesthetic exemplified by the successful "All Gold Everything."
"I'm gonna continue to do me -- the same thing that got me to where I'm at right now," he said.
Def Jam had not responded to Billboard’s request for a comment at press time.