Why did you release your album ’1977′ for free?
People are more disconnected to music. It seems like we should be more connected because of the Internet and how fast it is to get records. Now, we don’t digest it much, and I believe that certain things take time. Sometimes, when you include the label, every idea seems to be too big. They’re basing it on first-week sales and a whole bunch of s— that I don’t really deal with in my life, so I wanted to make sure it’s free, so there’s no pressure on anyone, other than trying to make people feel great when they listen to music and my new ideas. Because it’s always been free for me to do it. I don’t really make money off my own albums anyway.
Being that you’re on both sides of the music game — an executive at Def Jam and an artist — what is your relationship with your label?
They see me as an asset, because I’m able to tell them both sides. I’m able to say, “This artist is disgruntled because of this,” and then also, because I am an executive at Def Jam, I’m able to look at it from another side and say, “OK, maybe I need to put ’1977′ out to show you from an executive capacity how I, as The-Dream, should be worked.” There’s not only one way to do it, and that’s a part of my asset in the company. Everything [at a label] goes out the same way, but everything doesn’t work the same way. Not only that, but to understand that the label isn’t s— without the artists, and that’s a part of what Def Jam has started to lose, that part of understanding the importance of these people that we have signed, and their dreams.
To Download Terius Nash-1977 click HERE.