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.