Intent to Distribute: Amalgam Digital

When a major label decides to sign an artist/act, it is often a dream come true after many years grinding in the underground with little recognition, a chance to shine in the spotlight, with a huge international team to push your music. What many artists don't realize is that they are now a commodity, and this huge machine that they are now a part of wants a return on their investment. That international team, with access to radio, tours, promotion, etc. is all getting paid for by the "future sales" of the artist themselves. It's called an advance for a reason: they want that return as quickly as possible, or the artist is likely to get dropped like a steaming pile on the sidewalk. If they're lucky they might get to hold onto that "box of Newports and Puma sweats" 3rd Bass was talking about all those years ago on Gasface.

Joe Budden
With the cost of putting out a major label album often too much for many to bear, artists are increasingly looking to alternative methods to get their projects out. Aspiring MCs who wish to avoid label politics can take a page from the book of Joe Budden, who has used the distribution of Amalgam Digital, and his own promotion and marketing skills to create a totally different lane for himself and his career, putting out several projects over that past few years on the independent label. Home to many new underground artists, and even moreso, hip hop veterans tired of the label games, Amalgam Digital allows artists to get their music out without worrying about a huge budget hanging over their head, or having to conform to a marketing plan cooked up by some boardroom exec, or an image concocted by a trendy "swaggerific" stylist.

Saigon & Statik Selektah
When they banged out a full album in the span of a single day, (All in a Day's Work) Saigon and Statik Selektah looked to Amalgam to help them put the project out to the masses with the quickness, before the internets could get a hold of the album and torrent it into a profitless oblivion. The album shot to number 4 on iTunes without any promotion from a major label. It also allowed Saigon to put out a project while fans wonder if that project with legendary producer Just Blaze will ever see daylight.

Kurious
One artist who hasn't gotten the recognition for the skills he's displayed since Walk Like a Duck, is Kurious, who keeps it real on his latest project for Amalgam, Kurious II. Old school heads won't be disappointed with the Constipated Monkey's latest effort, as Kurious reminisce's about Benetton with his old friends Doom and Serch, and talks about frustrations with honeys on Sitting In My Car.

Tash
Amalgam is also home to some seasoned artists that have enjoyed major label fame with a group, but decided to explore a solo route for current projects, such as Tash (from the Alkaholiks) who recently released his latest project Control Freak. Full of consistently trunk rattling thumpers, any west coast head would be happy to snap their neck to this album in the ride or the club.

Tame One
Tame One (half of brick city legends Artifacts) also decided to put out his latest heavily dusted verses through Amalgam, giving other rappers Anxiety Attacks. For fans of Tame's previous solo projects like Ol Jersey Bastard, this album will further expand consciousness with more of that Acid Tab Vocab we have come to know and love from Druggie Fresh since he was with his old partner in rhyme El da Sensei on the Wrong Side of Da Tracks.

Aside from the many artists who are actually signed to Amalgam Digital (Joe Budden, etc.), the company also distributes projects for several other underground labels, and a visit to their website contains information about many hip hop artists we all know and love. Check out the free section for banging mixtapes by the likes of Joell Ortiz, Clipse, Bishop Lamont/Black Milk, and many more.