Chief Keef, Trinidad James Dropped From Their Labels…Who’s Next??

If you made a bet that Trinidad James and Chief Keef would become “one hit wonders,” collect your coins. Both rappers were dropped from their record labels.

A few months ago, Trinidad James made the announcement via social media that he was no longer on Def Jam. The “All Gold Everything” rapper reached stardom at a rapid pace. After releasing his first major rap song in the summer of 2012, Trinidad’s unique style of rap and fashion choices ended up with Def Jam signing him to a $2 million record deal.

Trinidad James has yet to drop an album, but has released two lackluster mixtapes (Don’t Be S.A.F.E. and 10 PC Mild).

Another young kid whose cult following and smash hit “I Don’t Like” helped catapult him to becoming one of the most sought after artist in 2012…is Chief Keef.

This week, AllHipHop.com reports that rapper Chief Keef was dropped from Interscope Records about two weeks ago.

The separation occurred about two weeks ago, a source said.

Earlier this year, matters began to sour with Chief Keef, his camp and the bosses at Interscope. Our source maintains Interscope began to “subtly disassociate” itself from the 19-year-old rapper after he had a series of legal cases sprout up in 2013 and 2014, ranging from lawsuits to drug offenses. He also went into rehab for an addiction to lean, an illegal drink that mixes promethazine and codeine. A March 2014 shoot out in Chicago, which authorities linked Keef to, allegedly further damaged the relationship with Interscope.

After that, the Chicago rapper relocated to Los Angeles in a new mansion this past summer in an effort to change the energy surrounding his life. The move not only got him away from his troubled roots in Chicago, but much closer to his label. This is where sources say the tension intensified.

“Keef and his people tried to keep the label accountable (once Keef moved to Los Angeles) but Interscope didn’t seem interested in dropping a new album. Keef’s team tried to have formal meetings but nothing moved,” an anonymouse source told AllHipHop. Additionally, there was some left over bad blood stemming from how Chief Keef’s first album was marketed and promoted.

Insiders say friction intensified until there were arguments with higher-ups in Interscope over how Keef’s career was being handled. Shortly thereafter, Keef was quietly released from his contract, sources said.

Chief Keef, however, was able to release one album under Interscope, Finally Rich.  The album has yet to reach Gold status. The label and music onlookers possibly presumed that because of Keef’s huge following, that he would not struggle with record sales. Unfortunately, his personal nuances ended up being WAY too much for Interscope.

Unlike Trinidad James, Chief Keef independent run was quite strong prior to getting his deal. He has his own imprint, Glory Boyz Enertainment. Many of Keef’s fans speculate that he will do really well as an indie artist. Through show performances, merchandise, and other business ventures, Keef is better off on his own.

Trinidad too has a huge fan base. Outside of the sneaker and fashion-related gigs/vlogs, will performances be enough for him to survive off on?

But, who will be next to get dropped from their label?  Hmmm…