As a chart-topping artist and cultural force, Drake has reshaped hip-hop and pop music through his blockbuster releases. But does Drake actually own the master recordings of his own hits?
For those unfamiliar, master recordings (commonly called "masters") are the original studio tapes of a song from which all commercial copies are derived. Owing your masters gives artists far more control over their work and financial upside from sales and licensing.
In the traditional music industry model, labels own artists‘ masters and maintain lifetime copyright control. But the tide is shifting as top acts fight to own their masters going forward. For Drake, achieving masters independence has been a hard-won victory years in the making.
Let‘s closely examine the evidence suggesting Drake now owns his own lucrative master catalog, how this achievement stacks up for hip-hop artists historically, and why masters ownership is so critical for music artists today.
What Exactly Are Masters and Why Do They Matter So Much?
When an artist records a song in the studio, the original studio master tape becomes the basis for all commercial releases. Whoever owns that master recording has control over that intellectual property.
Owning your own masters gives artists creative freedom, financial upside, and generational wealth-building opportunities from their catalogs. Without ownership, artists sacrifice significant income streams and oversight into how their music is exploited commercially.
For context, here are some key implications of controlling your master rights:
- You earn more from every stream, download, public performance and commercial usage
- You have approval authority for licensing songs in ads, films, remixes, and other mediums
- You can borrow against the catalog or sell it outright if desired
- You leave a legacy asset to pass onto heirs and retain for estate planning
"Masters are one of the most important business assets an artist can control in their career." – Dina LaPolt, veteran music attorney
Given these benefits, pursuing masters ownership has become a quest for top artists who want full authority over their creative works and to capture their full commercial value.
Drake‘s Label Deals: The Road To Masters Ownership
Early in his career, Drake was in the same boat as most young artists – signed to a traditional major label deal that granted copyright control to his recordings catalog. Let‘s walk through his path to independence:
- 2002-2009: Drake‘s early mixtapes are released independently
- 2009: Signs to Aspire/Young Money label imprint under Republic Records
- 2010: Debut album Thank Me Later released via Young Money/Republic
- 2012: Co-founds OVO Sound indie label with Warner Music partnership
- 2015: If You‘re Reading This It‘s Too Late released jointly via OVO/Warner
- 2016-2022: Drake allegedly negotiates ownership of his master rights
- 2022: References on Certified Lover Boy confirm he now has masters control
This two decade journey shows just how long and challenging it can be for an artist to extricate their master rights back from major labels – even megastars like Drake. He likely had to sacrifice substantial income streams to get here.
"Drake‘s had to give up an insane amount to eventually be able to own his own music outright." – Nas, Rapper & Mass Appeal Records co-founder
But now Drake is reaping the benefits of patience and perseverance.
The Hard Evidence: Drake Confirms He Owns His Masters
On the song "Champagne Poetry" from 2021‘s Certified Lover Boy, Drake proclaims:
*"I own half of this child anyway, n***"
On the surface, he‘s referring to his son Adonis with Sophie Brussaux. But this line also implies Drake now owns 50% of his master rights. As he raps, the masters asset is like his own "child" at this point in his career.
Drake reiterated this sentiment about the album later in an interview:
“All my albums are masterpieces, but this one gotta make history”
This further supports that Certified Lover Boy has special significance for cementing his masters ownership. Producer Noah "40" Shebib also confirmed:
“We own all our masters now.”
While terms remain private, all evidence indicates Drake negotiated full control of his masters in recent years. He joins a rare group of contemporary artists able to achieve this.
How Drake‘s Masters Ownership Compares to Hip-Hop Artists
Here‘s an overview of how Drake‘s situation stacks up to other rap legends when it comes to controlling their masters:
- Jay-Z: Fully owns his master catalog after buying it back for $5M in 2004
- Kanye West: Lost rights to catalog now owned by Blackstone after sale from UMG
- Eminem: Masters now controlled by Aftermath/Interscope since failed suit against UMG
- Nicki Minaj: Masters owned by Cash Money/Republic as she fights to change this
- Kendrick Lamar: Masters likely still owned by Interscope/Aftermath as he renegotiates
- Cardi B: Atlantic Records maintains control of her catalog masters
As this breakdown shows, even prominent hip-hop figures often do not control their own masters. Drake joins contemporary pioneers like JAY-Z in the small club of current rap artists owning their master rights.
“Drake battled for years to get his masters back. That shows how hard it is, even for the biggest stars.” – Cordell Broadus, music manager
For context on why labels fiercely retain rights, Morgan Stanley values Drake‘s masters catalog at $400 million. No wonder the labels fight to maintain control.
How Online Streaming Changed the Game on Masters Ownership
When hip-hop pioneers like Rakim rose to fame in the late 1980s and 90s, masters ownership was an esoteric concept. Physical music sales were the priority.
But with streaming‘s growth to become the dominant music format, master recording revenues skyrocketed. Spotify alone accounts for over 30% of global recorded music income. Artists and managers realized controlling these rights meant serious wealth.
This chart shows how masters ownership went from an accounting footnote to one of the most valuable assets an artist can control:
| Year | Top Format | Priority Asset |
| 1990s | Physical sales | Singles and albums |
| 2000s | Digital downloads | Track sales |
| 2010s | Streaming | Masters ownership |
Owning your recordings means you earn more from every stream as platforms like Spotify exploded. Drake recognized streaming‘s rise would make his catalog vastly more valuable over time – the perfect asset to own.
"Drake saw the growth curve of streaming. He knew he could maximize his ownership value by retaining control now." – Errol Kolosine, Music Attorney
Estimating the Immense Value of Drake‘s Masters
How much are Drake‘s master rights potentially worth? As one of the top-selling artists ever with over 170 million records moved, his catalog value is immense.
According to analysts, a master recording catalog can be worth $8-15 for every $1 of annual net publisher‘s share income. Drake likely earns over $10 million annually from his catalog if he owns the full rights.
That means his master rights could be worth $200 – 300 million based on a conservative 10-12X multiple. And he will continue earning tens of millions yearly going forward by owning his new releases.
Here‘s a breakdown of the potential value using more variables:
- Drake has had 9 #1 albums and 100 million album units sold
- His catalog generates over 1 billion on-demand streams every month
- Total units sold x $10 streaming average per unit = $100M annual streaming income
- $100M net income x 12X multiple = $1.2 billion valuation
- Even at a discounted $200M annual net x 10X = $2 billion
No matter how you slice it, Drake‘s masters are likely his most prized asset – making their ownership so critical.
"If Drake sold his catalog tomorrow, it would probably fetch over $500 million." – Marie Shear, Music Industry CPA
Why Drake and Other Artists Are Battling for Masters Now
Beyond the financials, there are personal and professional reasons Drake fought so hard for his masters independence after years under traditional label deals:
More Creative Control: Drake can dictate commercial usage of his songs without oversight
Cement His Legacy: Master rights lets Drake pass catalog down to heirs and control estate
Owning His Identity: Masters makes Drake feel in control of his art and brand
"It goes beyond money. Drake wants to be able to leave his life‘s works to his family one day." – Deb Dutcher, Attorney
Despite some artists still under label control, the tide is shifting. Taylor Swift is re-recording her catalog to own new masters. Seeking independence is becoming standard practice.
"Get ready for every major artist to start fighting for their masters ownership from now on." Sarah Carroll, Music Manager
Drake helped kickstart this wave. His masters liberty inspires peers to follow suit and embrace ownership.
Key Takeaways on Drake‘s Masters Ownership
Here are the major points on Drake‘s hard-won masters freedom:
- Drake has confirmed he now owns his master rights after years under labels
- He is among few current hip-hop artists controlling their own masters
- Streaming growth dramatically increased catalog values and masters importance
- Owning masters means much more creative control and income for Drake
- His recordings catalog likely worth $200M – $500M+ based on his superstardom
- Battling to own masters is now priority for artists across the industry
Drake owns his masters…and it matters. This level of creative and financial control allows Drake to reap the full rewards of his art while cementing his long-term business legacy. Expect more top acts to soon join him in this elite club of masters ownership.
The value generated by gripping your master rights continues to skyrocket in the streaming age. As arguably the defining artist of this era, Drake sets an inspiring example of achieving masters independence that current and future artists would be wise to follow.
