First off, i could have gone the glamourous route, beleive me, i had offers from the big boys, a certain big boy label was courtin me for damn near a year..but im a businessman as well... I think all young men or youth in general from the hood, have that extra hustle in em, that extra think tank that makes you question everything and analyze every angle... So when my manager came to me with this proposal I didnt know what to make of it, simply because i got caught up in the BET hype for a sec. Like who the hell is 808 and what have they done lately that is relevant?..Smack myself for that one... The two main components of what i cared about in all my defunct deals of the past were publishing (which no new artist really ever gets) and marketing(which is sketchy dependin on who you have heading ur dept at the label) and i could never get those two things to my satisfaction in one deal..Money used to be an issue to me, but shit im aight in the hood..lol, i got a good stash saved up, got a bangin job, i mean my music takes precedence at the moment, and if there is a much better way of gettin it out other than goin the major route, imma do it..The creative control im getting is unheard of, plus the points breakdown is quite titilating to be honest..i mean i have the deal i have always wanted, minus the big boy bucks..which really puts things in perspective. 1. it makes it about the love more than the paper, cuz honestly im not getting a whole lot from jump street, but will be made up in the percentage breakdown of sales and touring 2. I already had my dream staff picked out for years stylist, personal manager, road manager, d.j., i mean all close friends who are all peppered in this industry and now i have the chance to utilize them and compensate them for real, not no play play ish 3. as for the label, any one know wat hidden beach's record was?..no but we still love jill scott, did anyone know wat the roc was before jay and dame made it alive?..no, but we still threw our diamonds up..did anyone care what def jam was until LL told us that he needs a beat?..nope but we still bow before the holy grail that is the record and needle of the def jam logo..did anyone know bling bling came from a group of southern hustlers conglomerately known as Cash Money, or did we know that Percy Miller and his clique knew No Limit when it came to makin us hit the dance floor?..The point is, i can make this label take on a name...i can build this brand, i dont have to come under an already established brand, and get lost in the shuffle of marquee artists, and artists in line for new beats and shelved albums..i can take 808 with the backing they have behind them, and take my movement to the next level, this is my chance to truly.. make a mark and not be cosigned by someone, which they always wanted to do, or to be someone's gimmick rapper, i can be my own man, and my own movement can make this work Basically the moral of this is I'd Say 808 is home because it give me the chance to be Dapa Don the movement, not Dapa the gimmick, and this will truly be the ultimate test of my hustle... i always..knew..im a huslter, so now is the time for Dap to put up or shut up, go hard on this album and make it a hood classic, f that, a classic in general and take my time put out more mixtapes in the mean time wit my FAM Records homies, and get the buzz crazier than a damn beehive..so this will be my breaking point...can i take on these other cats and break the billboard top 200?..can i break the indie charts??...all this is possible with enuff seriousness and effort and tireless work..this will make or break me..but im ready for the journey Dapa the new aged hustler...80's babies stand up!!