I've pretty much dedicated my life and all my resources to the growth and preservation of the independent market.
My personal preference is to have 200% control over what my artists are releasing and the artistic integrity/freedom of the music.
I love the fact that I could have my artists make a "Boom Bap" album and rhyme like
Tek and Steele, not have ONE radio single and still make a million and a half dollars.
Underground fans are the most loyal, and the most knowledgeable, and if you are a smart businessman and a good artist, you can release albums every year until you're 50 without having to lie about your age (like all major artists do!)
The #1 hip hop site in the world is an underground site. (ughh.com)
The Wake Up Show has broke more new artists that became household names than any other radio or tv format (The Source is probably neck-in-neck with them though).
Would I consider distribution from a major label?? Hell yeah, but at the end of the day,
you don't gotta make an album that sounds like NY hip hop 1995, but I shouldn't have to make a "club song, thong song, and thug song" if I'm not feelin that shit!
Independent all day!