Bow Wow Has A Hard-Earned Lesson For Independent Artists

Bow Wow has a word for independent artists who grab their beats from YouTube. As the massive video platform continues to be a resource for both producers to share their beats and artists to find them, the Growing Up Hip Hop: Atlanta personality broke down the proper protocol to avoid getting jammed up down the line.

“To all independent artist: When you go on youtube and take a beat make sure YOU HANDLE YOUR BUSINESS!” he began on Twitter on Tuesday (November 3). “its tricky. I always hit these producers and PAY them and we do business the right way.

“Meaning …. You might have recorded it and thought it was yours… meanwhile you have no paper work on the record. You don’t own nothin. Then you sitting there clueless saying someone stole my song. Naw.. nobody stole your song … ITS CALLED BUSINESS!”

To all independent artist: When you go on youtube and take a beat make sure YOU HANDLE YOUR BUSINESS! its tricky. I always hit these producers and PAY them and we do business the right way. Meaning ….

— Bow Wow (@smoss) November 3, 2020

You might have recorded it and thought it was yours… meanwhile you have no paper work on the record. You dont own nothin. Then you sitting there clueless saying someone stole my song. Naw.. nobody stole your song … ITS CALLED BUSINESS! its called im paying the producer …

— Bow Wow (@smoss) November 3, 2020

Bow Wow continued, “And we have paperwork and ownership of the song. This is the music biz. Once i do all that the beat is mine. So .. now you know how to go about it. Pay these producers and u can claim it. You dont pay… well… it aint yours.”

And we have paperwork and ownership of the song. This is the music biz. Once i do all that the beat is mine. So .. now you know how to go about it. Pay these producers and u can claim it. You dont pay… well… it aint yours.

— Bow Wow (@smoss) November 3, 2020

Bow Wow found himself defending his music catalog earlier this summer after Timbaland suggested he may not have 20 hits to compete in a Verzuz battle. The legendary producer’s comments came after the rapper/actor turned down an opportunity to go up against Soulja Boy and Bow was quick to explain that wasn’t the case.

“@timbaland you been drinking too much ciroc,” he wrote on Twitter. “20? Timbo you betta stop playing w/ me. I can give you 10 before i hit my 3rd album. The Bow Wow era was nothing to play w/ Ima let the people tell you about me tho.”

He followed up with a retweet of a fan-made list of 21 of his biggest songs and reminded fans in his post there were even more than that.

“What about: Oh i think they like me,” he questioned. “Where the party at remix. Destiny child remix. Ima flirt. Theres more…. 3-6 mafia side to side we past 20 right?

Check out the list below.

What about: Oh i think they like me. Where the party at remix. Destiny child remix. Ima flirt. Theres more…. 3-6 mafia side to side we past 20 right? https://t.co/U5mGZhAciI

— Bow Wow (@smoss) July 28, 2020