Rapper Reason Splits From Top Dawg Entertainment After Seven Years

Steven J. Horowitz
·3-min read

After seven years with independent label Top Dawg Entertainment, rapper Reason has announced his split from the imprint that helped launch Kendrick Lamar and SZA.

Reason, whose real name is Robert Lee Gill Jr., posted a lengthy note on social media stating that he’s left the company and sharing his love for those who helped him along the way. “It comes with great appreciation and excitement that I want to announce my split with TDE,” he wrote. “I want to give a huge thank you to Top himself, not only for giving me a chance to live out my dream but also for hearing me and understanding my decision to travel a different path after the years. There’s truly no words for the amount of respect I have for you, and that’ll never change, no matter what.

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“I also want to thank every single TDE fan who embraced me and allowed me to share my music with them,” he continued. “There’s no world in which you don’t mean the absolute most to me. Last but not least, a thank you to all the artists who embraced me. Thank you for being a constant inspiration and ear while trying to navigate this industry and music. Thank you guys for the time and a huge thanks to everybody for this experience. Excited for what comes next!”

The California native first signed to TDE in August 2018 after releasing a string of buzz-building independent mixtapes, as well as appearing on the TDE-produced soundtrack for “Black Panther.” In 2017, he released his mixtape “There You Have It,” which he re-released the following year after inking his deal with the imprint. While on the TDE roster, Reason released a pair of albums — 2020’s “New Beginnings” and last year’s “Porches.”

Reason made his issues with the label known over the past year. During an appearance on the Back on Figg podcast last August, he shared that he didn’t feel support the way he needed from TDE. “We had certain features lined up that could’ve went through,” he said, referring to features with Latto and EST Gee that failed to materialize. “On my end, the rollout and excitement right now is kind of the thing that’s missing.”

TDE’s co-president Anthony “Moosa” Tiffith Jr. called into the podcast and responded to the claims. “You could have got an EST Gee feature but what’s that going to do for Reason?” he said. “You done had features from everyone, including [Schoolboy] Q and I’m just trying to understand it, man.”

This past March, Reason spoke with Gina Views on her Hoefessions podcast and said they apologized to one another after the dust-up. “I’m still signed to the label. I just think shit’s just delicate,” he said. “I don’t know what the fuck it is. To me, it’s all weird. I don’t really know what the situation is. I’m still signed to the label right now.”

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