People need to stop calling that record deal shady

It was not Pebbles, LaFace, or Arista's fault that they were broke.

People can say this or that, but they were 18 or 19 years old back then. They all came from nothing and knew nothing about how the music business works. The good or the bad. So it's very easy to get manipulated when you trust people for their word like they did and are ignorant to how things work.

And i'm also assuming none of their parents were their to help sort things out and figure out what's a proper contract and what's not. Also they had the lawyers that came from the label so they too were probably screwing them before Fanmail came out when they got a better lawyer. And the contract they signed was set-up for them to never prosper and get rich. When you are young and have a dream and someone comes and hands you the opportunity that you've always wanted then you end in situation like this because you don't know any better. And no ones is telling you how this or that goes. They took advantage of them and many others that were signed to them back then. Toni Braxton, Goodie Mob, and others also. Usher had his mother as a manager that's how he didn't get screwed in. She learned the business. Outkast had good lawyers and their own outside Management also so that's how they didn't get screwed in also

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That's great advice based on the information that's available right now (experience, internet, knowing the right people). Back in the early 90's there wasn't a lot of opportunity to "get it right" from the beginning. Add to it the fact that their respective parents didn't have this knowledge/wisdom to impart on this for the level of fame that they reached, and it's not hard to believe that they'd be a little irresponsible with what they had "for the first time". They learned from this later on as they seem to be doing a lot better with what they have. They seem to just be passing on their experience and what they felt at that time so someone else new to the game won't have the same problems.

Meeka472
The recording industry is like one big Pyramid scheme. Those at the top (BMG and Arista) get the big dollars from everyone else's blood, sweat and tears. Those in the middle (like LaFace) profit to a lesser degree from those below them, and those at the bottom (the artists) basically get screwed. Pebbles figured that out and wanted to work her way up the pyramid. I believe the things she's keeping mum on are details perpetrated by those persons above her on the "pyramid". That's where the bulk of those TLC millions really went. Notice that L.A., a rung or few above her, has always kept quiet even when she (his own wife) was under fire. Clive ain't had much to say either.

For the record I don't hate Pebbles for her part in "the game". That is what it is and has always been. If she only worked for LaFace I'd not think twice about her hustle.

What gives this cretin Beelzebub status, sets her apart from the typical industry lowlife and the reason I absolutely loathe her is for setting herself up as MANAGER, so-called "big sister" and "protector" to those girls when they were young, naïve and vulnerable, knowing full well her conflicts of interest and divided loyalties. A manager's first job is to protect and fight for the interests of their client. Pebbles clearly had her own interest (and her husband's) as priority. A good manager would've set them up differently, been 100% vested in THEIR interests from the start, not flimflammed them into signing all of those dodgy contracts and made them aware of the game rather than victims of it. This woman suffers from a severe case of N.P.D., actually having the audacity to repeatedly call herself a "visionary empowering women". IMO she's a narcissistic crook that tried to make a name for herself in the industry and went in too hard on the wrong group. It caught up to her, and thanks to the success of the group the whole world is now aware of it.

New artists are always always ALWAYS given an advance (so they can live while making their production) by the record company. TLC's advance seems to have been given to Pebbles and Pebbles was giving them, like, $25 piece a week?!?!?! Are you kidding me? That sucks. Even when Expose was first starting out they were only given $250 a piece for every concert...and that sucked too...but it's hella better than $25 a week!

Dammit Carol Sue, where is the vodka?!

They never should've signed those contracts without a lawyer present, but what teenager in that situation would be thinking about lawyers? Pebbles should have suggested they have a lawyer (and not HER lawyer) look the contracts over first, but she didn't because she was shady. And $25 a week for living expenses? That's a joke.

Record labels/managers/producers know exactly what they are doing when they screw people over. They screwed Teena Marie and I believed she sued and won. They know exactly how to take advantage of people because at the end of the day, it's all about what goes into their pockets and not so much the artists pockets. Even smart artists like Prince was screwed with by his record label.