Prince gave Rita Ora the motivation to take charge of her music.
The late ‘Purple Rain’ hitmaker, with whom she collaborated in 2013, had advised her that it was crucial to do this. The “Hot Right Now” singer signed a deal with record label BMG last year, and as part of the agreement, she was given control of her own masters.
She discussed Prince’s infamous remark that “If you don’t own your masters, your master owns you” in a preview of her upcoming interview with Wonderland magazine.
He said it to me while I was with him, but I never considered that to be a possibility for me, Rita said. I thought, “There’s no way.” I won’t irritate anyone, I promise. I now have control over my own masters, so I can decide what we publish and where we go.
The 32-year-old celebrity started her career with Roc Nation, but she later sued the record company for their “unenforceable” contract. After they countersued, she eventually reached an out-of-court settlement.
Rita acknowledged that in the beginning, she had been “taught” not to upset the apple cart.
“I was a huge, huge pleaser back then,” she remarked. I was brought up to follow the crowd.
The singer of “I Will Never Let You Down” was also influenced by Taylor Swift, whose dispute over the ownership of her early master recordings led to her having to re-record the songs.
“Taylor really inspired me,” she claimed. Making this deal required a big risk; it wasn’t easy.
Rita now offers guidance to emerging artists who are unsure of how to safeguard their own work.
I’m always available to talk, she said. Emerging artists are welcome to ask me questions about it; I’m available for them.
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