Busta Rhymes Says Artists Need a Business Beyond Streaming

Busta Rhymes bows his head with his hands together, wearing a black shirt and jewelry.

Busta Rhymes is looking beyond streaming when he talks about building a lasting music business. In a September 10 Yahoo Finance interview with Brian Sozzi, the rapper described physical releases, merchandise and control of intellectual property as important parts of an artist’s income. His argument centers on the value of the artist as well as the recordings.

In the business portion of the conversation, beginning around nine minutes in, Rhymes expressed frustration with streaming compensation. He said he continues to put music on streaming services while also offering it through other formats, including vinyl, CDs and cassettes. He also discussed building a team that can keep track of the different places royalties arise.

The payment system needs some context. Spotify’s royalties guide says it pays recording and publishing rightsholders according to their share of streams, rather than a fixed amount for each play. Labels, distributors and other rightsholders then pay artists and songwriters under their individual agreements. An estimated per-stream figure therefore does not establish what a particular performer actually receives.

That distinction makes the interview useful beyond a debate over one number. A listener’s play, the royalty generated by a recording and the amount reaching an artist are different measures. Contract terms and the route a payment takes matter. Spotify’s explanation describes its system; it does not supply an audit of Rhymes’ earnings or resolve his criticism.

Rhymes also left open the possibility of considering an intellectual-property sale if the terms made sense for his family. That was a discussion of his approach, not an announcement of a transaction. No buyer, price or completed sale was disclosed in that exchange.

For fans following his current chapter, the conversation complements PowerPage’s earlier Dillagence 2 coverage with a business perspective. Watch the original Yahoo Finance interview for his comments in context, and consult Spotify’s payment explanation to separate the artist’s position from the mechanics of the platform.