Pharrell joined The Breakfast Club to promote Hidden Figures, the new movie that he helped produce and score, but the 40-minute conversation also touched on topics like racism, gender, the recent election, and outer space. One of the most interesting moments on the show came when Pharrell talked about what he sees as a big problem with the music industry.
Speaking on racism in the music industry, Pharrell commented: "They don't have to call you the N-word to be racist. It's a much deeper conversation. We work in a business where it is OK to own other people's masters. That's insane. That's like you owning my ID and telling me when I can and can't cross the street, and when I can eat, and when I should pay my taxes. That's the business we're in in the music industry. That will soon change. Everybody should own their masters. If major labels wanna do deals with artists to partner with them, great. Partner with me. But don't own me. "
Later in the show, Pharrell revealed that all artists who sign with him—including i am OTHER acts like Buddy, Bia, and Kap G—have ownership of their masters. Watch the full interview above, and listen to the music industry segment around the eight-minute mark.
