WIDEawake Death Row Records Update

[jonathandubcnn]

Hey guys,

Just wanted to keep you updated on what's going on with WIDEawake Death Row.  This is a new article that went up a few days ago from the Edmonton Journal and explains the sad and fradulent business dealings of over 200 Million Dollars of New Solutions Financial Corp, the umbrealla that owns WIDEawake Death Row...

Check it out...

http://www.edmontonjournal.com/business/Missing+millions+Investors+Profit+Notes+issued+Proforma+Capital+fear+they+have+lost+everything/7669153/story.html

[Hack Wilson - real]

thanks for posting

[MarshColin]

Thanks for the read!

I always thought the reason WA never put out the 2Pac album was because they couldn't manage to come up with the money to make it happen. Knowing now how much money they blew, it's astonishing they never put up the money to make the 2Pac album happen, considering that it clearly would have made them more money than everything else they released, combined!

[doggfather]

thanks for posting

[JeremyM]

Thanks for the read!

I always thought the reason WA never put out the 2Pac album was because they couldn't manage to come up with the money to make it happen. Knowing now how much money they blew, it's astonishing they never put up the money to make the 2Pac album happen, considering that it clearly would have made them more money than everything else they released, combined!

Yeah, releasing a new 2Pac album would seem to be good business, but what do we know? What morons.

[BiggBoogaBiff]

A new Pac album wouldn't have sold shit actually [no disrespect and may God bless the dead], maybe 50-60k TOPS when it was all said n done.  There's not too much left in the DR Vaults done by Pac that isn't already avaliable unless youre talking about brand new Remixes which was everybody's issue in the first place And Guest Featured songs from the "One Nation" album which r probably out there in one way or another (before the Official release)


Why would u buy something that has been on YouTube a year(s) before and is still there?  Sure you'll get a better quality version of "I'm Dumpin" and shit like that but as far as flipping a profit on that I cant see it.  Not only do u have to pay to package it and distribute it you also have to pay Afeni/Amaru and Sample Clearances among other things probably.  


Say on average the album is going for $12 [on average] and it sells 60k or 100K, that's $720,000 & $1,200,000.  Now factor in everything I just put out (which isnt everything really), you wouldnt make any money.  And keep in mind that this is Pac we're talkin about, so all of those Sample'd Artists are gonna want sum kickback.  Which is crazy becuz DR/Afeni (pre-WA) actually had the opportunity to put things out Original at first and turn a profit (if ppl weren't being a Greedy Headache about it).  


I want new Pac material but as far as Business goes I just can't see it.  They'd be relying heavily from Sales on i-Tunes and Amazon which is definitely a more feasable way to get their money back (which I've campaigned for before ftr) but they'd still have to pay those Fees and Dues.  So therefor it's possible but unlikely.  Not having YouTube and Facebook in places like Asia will help but Again, you're trying to turn a profit.  You've just spent $24,000,000 on an investment and now AFTER that you have to spend anywhere from 250,000 to $1,000,000 just trying to release the thing properly which in turn gives u a "$800,000" return and u still have to kick some of that money out as well as put money back for "your" next release.  Where's the money?

[ianyo2008]

A new Pac album wouldn't have sold shit actually [no disrespect and may God bless the dead], maybe 50-60k TOPS when it was all said n done.  There's not too much left in the DR Vaults done by Pac that isn't already avaliable unless youre talking about brand new Remixes which was everybody's issue in the first place And Guest Featured songs from the "One Nation" album which r probably out there in one way or another (before the Official release)


Why would u buy something that has been on YouTube a year(s) before and is still there?  Sure you'll get a better quality version of "I'm Dumpin" and shit like that but as far as flipping a profit on that I cant see it.  Not only do u have to pay to package it and distribute it you also have to pay Afeni/Amaru and Sample Clearances among other things probably.  


Say on average the album is going for $12 [on average] and it sells 60k or 100K, that's $720,000 & $1,200,000.  Now factor in everything I just put out (which isnt everything really), you wouldnt make any money.  And keep in mind that this is Pac we're talkin about, so all of those Sample'd Artists are gonna want sum kickback.  Which is crazy becuz DR/Afeni (pre-WA) actually had the opportunity to put things out Original at first and turn a profit (if ppl weren't being a Greedy Headache about it).  


I want new Pac material but as far as Business goes I just can't see it.  They'd be relying heavily from Sales on i-Tunes and Amazon which is definitely a more feasable way to get their money back (which I've campaigned for before ftr) but they'd still have to pay those Fees and Dues.  So therefor it's possible but unlikely.  Not having YouTube and Facebook in places like Asia will help but Again, you're trying to turn a profit.  You've just spent $24,000,000 on an investment and now AFTER that you have to spend anywhere from 250,000 to $1,000,000 just trying to release the thing properly which in turn gives u a "$800,000" return and u still have to kick some of that money out as well as put money back for "your" next release.  Where's the money?

Damn.......Well said, not much to say to that!  I guess we should be happy 4 tha shit that leaked during there neglegance, lol!

[BiggBoogaBiff]

When WA first purchased the company for that much money I already knew then and there that that amount of money was too much.  I would've paid between a $5mill-$8mill range [which is a little generous]



Not only that, I would've gotten in talks with Dre (mainly), Snoop (secondly), Daz (thirdly), and mostly everybody else before I even signed up to bid.  Why spend Millions of Dollars for something u cant even take full advantage of.  And knowing the history between those 3 (especially Dr. Dre; especially 'specially Dr. Dre) why would I even take such a risk on the NIEVE thought of them complying, especially with the stigma attached to them at the time that their Old shit was better than any of their Newer shit.  The purchase of Death Row Records is one of the most hilarious Investments in Pop Culture I've ever heard of considering how they did it.  



I would've had pre-signed contracts with all/most of the Death Row era artists beforehand.  Unless I was some filthy rich billionaire/multi-hundred millionaire that was driven by passion than dollars then aint no way Im paying 24 fuckin million dollars for a something i can only use 30-40% of thats actually profitable (and thats a generous percentage if u think about it).  Im the biggest Ruthless Family Tree fan and supporter you'll ever meet, but I also have common sense

[Will_B]

A new Pac album wouldn't have sold shit actually [no disrespect and may God bless the dead], maybe 50-60k TOPS when it was all said n done.  There's not too much left in the DR Vaults done by Pac that isn't already avaliable unless youre talking about brand new Remixes which was everybody's issue in the first place And Guest Featured songs from the "One Nation" album which r probably out there in one way or another (before the Official release)


Why would u buy something that has been on YouTube a year(s) before and is still there?  Sure you'll get a better quality version of "I'm Dumpin" and shit like that but as far as flipping a profit on that I cant see it.  Not only do u have to pay to package it and distribute it you also have to pay Afeni/Amaru and Sample Clearances among other things probably.  


Say on average the album is going for $12 [on average] and it sells 60k or 100K, that's $720,000 & $1,200,000.  Now factor in everything I just put out (which isnt everything really), you wouldnt make any money.  And keep in mind that this is Pac we're talkin about, so all of those Sample'd Artists are gonna want sum kickback.  Which is crazy becuz DR/Afeni (pre-WA) actually had the opportunity to put things out Original at first and turn a profit (if ppl weren't being a Greedy Headache about it).  


I want new Pac material but as far as Business goes I just can't see it.  They'd be relying heavily from Sales on i-Tunes and Amazon which is definitely a more feasable way to get their money back (which I've campaigned for before ftr) but they'd still have to pay those Fees and Dues.  So therefor it's possible but unlikely.  Not having YouTube and Facebook in places like Asia will help but Again, you're trying to turn a profit.  You've just spent $24,000,000 on an investment and now AFTER that you have to spend anywhere from 250,000 to $1,000,000 just trying to release the thing properly which in turn gives u a "$800,000" return and u still have to kick some of that money out as well as put money back for "your" next release.  Where's the money?

Damn.......Well said, not much to say to that!  I guess we should be happy 4 tha shit that leaked during there neglegance, lol!

Erm I think a new 2Pac album of OG's would be massive seller. That would easily get heavy press coverage worldwide

[BiggBoogaBiff]

thats becuz youre an idiot and outta touch with society.  It would've gotten some sales overseas (i never doubted that at all) but the return on that would be minute when it comes to the bigger picture (the $24,000,000+ investment with profits that have to be split)


I'd say if they would've released something in 09' or 2010 by now the Worldwide sales would be by NOW maybe 300K TOPS, MAYBE.  My guess is that it's not cheap to release a 2pac project if you aren't a part of his Estate.  And I would imagine even being part of the team for his Estate that a whole bunch of wires get crossed with a little bit of confusion in the air.  


I'm only going off of what we've seen, what appears to be there on paper as far as Merchandise goes, how much the materials would cost, how much the labor would cost, and the hype/market.  There's still people who buy albums but that number literally gets smaller and smaller everyday.  CD's nowadays are for up & coming rappers who wanna be heard, not so much for established artists who do fine Touring and in the Digital Market

[BiggBoogaBiff]

dont get it twisted either, Pac's popularity has only grown since September 1996 (thats not even in question here, and youre buggin if u think that about what im saying or in real life). 


just looking at the raw data and the merchandise it's just obvious, about Pac & Death Row

[Jimmy H.]

When WA first purchased the company for that much money I already knew then and there that that amount of money was too much.  I would've paid between a $5mill-$8mill range [which is a little generous]



Not only that, I would've gotten in talks with Dre (mainly), Snoop (secondly), Daz (thirdly), and mostly everybody else before I even signed up to bid.  Why spend Millions of Dollars for something u cant even take full advantage of.  And knowing the history between those 3 (especially Dr. Dre; especially 'specially Dr. Dre) why would I even take such a risk on the NIEVE thought of them complying, especially with the stigma attached to them at the time that their Old shit was better than any of their Newer shit.  The purchase of Death Row Records is one of the most hilarious Investments in Pop Culture I've ever heard of considering how they did it.  



I would've had pre-signed contracts with all/most of the Death Row era artists beforehand.  Unless I was some filthy rich billionaire/multi-hundred millionaire that was driven by passion than dollars then aint no way Im paying 24 fuckin million dollars for a something i can only use 30-40% of thats actually profitable (and thats a generous percentage if u think about it).  Im the biggest Ruthless Family Tree fan and supporter you'll ever meet, but I also have common sense

The price they paid was fair. That catalog should have been worth a fortune in licensing alone but that company seemed mismanaged from the get-go. If they never touched the unreleased material, their classic catalog should have kept them paid for years.

[BiggBoogaBiff]

*i'd figure u'd bs but thats alright becuz i had no expectations lol
 



unless WA is gettin paid decently (individually) off of spins for "Deep Cover", "Nothin But A G Thang", "Gin N Juice", and "California Love" in the second Decade of the 2000's then No, licensing wouldnt have gotten them anywhere but a delayed bankruptcy which in turn looks like what actually happened.  


as far as the "Sentimental Value" of Death Row Records is concerned, $24,000,000 is a steal and a blatant robbery.  But as far as Economic Value is concerned it's hilariously overpriced.  ESPECIALLY when u dont know exactly what you're ACTUALLY getting and u dont really have anybody on board ESPECIALLY your breadwinners (Dre, Pac, and Snoop).  


Between 1999-2002 it would've made more sense but in 2008/2009 u've got to be kidding me.  I have no problem putting the cape on for Death Row Artists (during and after) or should i say Telling the Truth.  But thats literally one of the funniest things I've ever heard in my life.  The catalogs should've been sold between $3,000,000 - $6,000,000 knowing what we all know and there's no real Real Life reason to think otherwise.  That would just be "naive boyhood dream thinking".  Death Row isnt worth anything without those 3 and tha dogg pound

[Jimmy H.]

*i'd figure u'd bs but thats alright becuz i had no expectations lol
 

 

unless WA is gettin paid decently (individually) off of spins for "Deep Cover", "Nothin But A G Thang", "Gin N Juice", and "California Love" in the second Decade of the 2000's then No, licensing wouldnt have gotten them anywhere but a delayed bankruptcy which in turn looks like what actually happened. 


as far as the "Sentimental Value" of Death Row Records is concerned, $24,000,000 is a steal and a blatant robbery.  But as far as Economic Value is concerned it's hilariously overpriced.  ESPECIALLY when u dont know exactly what you're ACTUALLY getting and u dont really have anybody on board ESPECIALLY your breadwinners (Dre, Pac, and Snoop). 


Between 1999-2002 it would've made more sense but in 2008/2009 u've got to be kidding me.  I have no problem putting the cape on for Death Row Artists (during and after) or should i say Telling the Truth.  But thats literally one of the funniest things I've ever heard in my life.  The catalogs should've been sold between $3,000,000 - $6,000,000 knowing what we all know and there's no real Real Life reason to think otherwise.  That would just be "naive boyhood dream thinking".  Death Row isnt worth anything without those 3 and tha dogg pound

  Well, generally speaking, they should be getting paid off spins for everything Death Row that goes over radio airwaves. The auction sale should cover the rights to all their music, videos, artwork, photographs, and everything that the company personally owned during that time.

Sentimental value has nothing to do with business at all and I'm not sure why you would even bother to introduce it into the conversation. You don't need a Dre or Pac to figure out what you're actually getting. Capitol/Priority has owned all of Ruthless' classic catalog and that of Ice Cube's, they've had to go through the same legal loopholes as anyone else and they aren't suffering those losses. Ruthless, itself, has kept the lights on all these years without putting out scores of unreleased albums on CD so there's something to be said for living off the royalties.

[BiggBoogaBiff]

Sentimental value has nothing to do with business at all and I'm not sure why you would even bother to introduce it into the conversation. You don't need a Dre or Pac to figure out what you're actually getting. Capitol/Priority has owned all of Ruthless' classic catalog and that of Ice Cube's, they've had to go through the same legal loopholes as anyone else and they aren't suffering those losses. Ruthless, itself, has kept the lights on all these years without putting out scores of unreleased albums on CD so there's something to be said for living off the royalties.

r u serious?  Ruthless started and ended on Priority Records, they've been eating out of those Kitchens for Decades.  Eazy owned Ruthless Records so of course his family is still eating.  Him and Jerry were gettin all of the money and that's why NWA broke up, I thought we all knew that.  His mansion just got foreclosed on this year.  Maybe they wanted to downsize (who knows) but if she had her way why would she give up a big ass mansion for no reason.




And what tha hell do u mean Sentimental Value isn't worth tha thought, you said the price they paid for Death Row was fair and as we can see that's simply NOT TRUE.  if u didn't know that the second u read they paid that much for it then I suggest u save your money instead of invest it lol



WideAwake is a pure example of a "big business" by not understanding the consumer and the product that they're selling (the same argument some people feel Radio and TV are guilty of).  Do u really think Russell Simmons or somebody of that nature would purchase Death Row Records under those terms and conditions?  Nobody in their right mind who understands the product and the Pros+Cons that go with it would even go 4 that.  


And considering that "the hot item" in that whole entire auction was the Electric Chair that sold for $2500 I highly doubt they covered anything, maybe business travel expenses and christmas gifts but hardly anything to help them recoup what they've spent.  Everything sold altogether in that auction probably at best probably rounded up to $100,000 (maybe slightly more).  The fact of the matter is that people have moved on and along the process the Management of Death Row Records between 1997-2012 has been Shitty at best.  Everybody knows that, no need to beat on the dead horse....again


DubCC/DubCNN probably has your view a little skewed to real life.  Death Row has always been popular but so has the Veteran's Day holiday.  No matter what u still don't see the masses flipping their wig over it like Christmas and New Year's.  Nobody broke into song + dance when a re-release of OFTB's or Sam Sneed's album came out.  





*i could be a little off but wasn't Crooked I signed to Shady/Aftermath when WA released his LP?  How much did that sell...