Memphis Bleek Defends His Decision To Not Join Jay-Z's Roc Nation

Posted: Monday - December 28, 2009 |

Memphis Bleek is ready to step out on his own, and leave his former life in Jay-Z's shadow behind. Around June of this year when he confirmed reports that he was no longer under contract with Def Jam, everyone assumed it was because of Jay-Z's departure from the record label, and that he would be following "big homie" to his new label, Roc Nation.  

Bleek had something else in mind though. "I coulda went to Roc Nation, but then what am I getting out of that? Another $150,000 check advance, then I come out [and] sell 300,000 probably, somebody makes two or three million, and I gotta mess with the fact that they gon' say yo you bricked out? Like that's the industry," said Bleek during an interview with HipHopDX that posted on December 26th.

Further explaining his decision to not take the easy route, he added, "Plus I'd rather be on my own fam. I been in the game...I know what to do; I know what not to do. It's time for me to have my own record [label]. I got a lot of n*ggas behind me that's ready to get they shot.  And me being behind Jay, they ain't gonna never get they shot."

Bleek's fifth studio album, The Process, which according to the rapper will detail his journey to fame, was supposed to be released around this time in November, but has been pushed back to February 2010 when it will be released via Mass Appeal Entertainment.

- By Sharniece Moore