Apple paid Chance the Rapper $500,000 to put his album on Apple Music exclusively for 2 weeks
"I never felt the need to correct folks on my relationship with @apple but now that more people have tried to discredit my independence," Chance wrote on Twitter. "I wanna clear things up. @apple gave me half a mil and a commercial to post Coloring Book exclusively on applemusic for 2 weeks. That was the extent of my deal, after 2 weeks it was on SoundCloud for free. I needed the money and they're all good people over there."
Chance, a 23-year-old Chicago native, won a Grammy for best new artist last month, making him the first artist without a label deal to snag the honor. Chance has remained fiercely independent during his career, shunning label deals, and fans have loved his commitment to giving away music free on SoundCloud.
"I feel like if I didnt clear it up people would keep trying to discredit all the work we did to make Coloring Book what it became," Chance continued on Twitter. "I think artist can gain a lot from the streaming wars as long as they remain in control of their own product. I just wanna remain transparent. Folks out there without a deal need to know they're doing everything right just keep at it. If you come across oprtunities [sic] to work with good people, pick up cash and keep your integrity I say Do It."
Exclusive windows for albums have been a source of tension in the music streaming industry. Market leader Spotify has come out strongly against them, saying they are "bad for artists and they're bad for fans." Apple Music, conversely, has sought high-profile exclusives from the likes of Drake and Frank Ocean.
Drake reportedly signed a $19 million contract with Apple in 2015.