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# Former Def Jam Artist: “Before I Had This Record Deal, I Was Happy”
- URL: https://www.hypebot.com/former-def-jam-artist-before-i-had-this-record-deal-i-was-happy/
- Published: 2012-08-28T10:16:07.000Z
- Updated: 2012-08-28T10:16:07.000Z
- Description: After garnering a huge online buzz with more than 12 million YouTube views, Maryland rapper Wax (now residing in Los Angeles) was on a high horse after celebrating his signing. Continue reading [https://www.hypebot.com/hypebot/2012/08/former-def-jam-artist-before-i-had-this-record-deal-i-was-happy.h
- Author: admin
- Tags: DIY Advice & Tips, Indie Music, Major Labels, #wp, #wp-post, #Import 2026-01-21 10:49

[![Screen Shot 2012-08-28 at 12.55.39 AM](http://hypebot.typepad.com/.a/6a00d83451b36c69e20176177a52b4970c-150wi "Screen Shot 2012-08-28 at 12.55.39 AM")](http://hypebot.typepad.com/.a/6a00d83451b36c69e20176177a52b4970c-popup?ref=hypebot.com)

After garnering a huge online buzz with more than 12 million  
YouTube views, Maryland rapper [Wax](http://www.waxdotcom.com/?ref=hypebot.com) (now residing in Los Angeles) was on a high  
horse after celebrating his signing with Def Jam Records back in early 2011\. On  
board a hip-hop artist’s dream label, the rapper initially had huge plans for  
his major label debut, but decided to leave Def Jam after **the label would not**  
**allow his creative vision to take center stage**. Wax recently shared his  
experience with Def Jam, and the video below is certainly worth watching for  
anyone still interested in scoring a record deal.

  
In the video, Wax points to creative differences with label executives,  
songwriters, producers and others while working on his debut album from Def  
Jam.

"After a while, everything you do is so put under a  
microscope,” Wax explained. “All the songs that you make are put under a  
microscope by 20 people. The point is, after a while, you second-guess yourself  
to the point where you don't trust your own instinct anymore. Your instinct is  
really what gets you to that place in the first place.”

This uncertainty and uneasiness caused him to become so uninspired  
that he requested his release.

“Before I had  
this record deal, I was happy. But after a while that kind of got taken away;  
everything I liked was being questioned under this microscope, so I started  
doubting myself.”

Despite his release, Wax is in high spirits and happy that he can  
now be in creative control, and above all, in charge of his own career. He provides an  
interesting perspective of an artist that got signed to a dream label, and not  
having it be all that it was cracked up to be.

**Check out the video below:**

—

***Hisham Dahud*** *is a Senior Analyst for Hypebot.com. Additionally, he is the head of Business Development for [Fame House](http://famehouse.net/?ref=hypebot.com) and an [independent musician](https://soundcloud.com/hishamdahud?ref=hypebot.com). Follow him on Twitter: [@HishamDahud](http://twitter.com/hishamdahud?ref=hypebot.com)*