Little Brother asked their fans to not support a repressing of their critically acclaimed album The Minstrel Show.
After Fat Beats announced more vinyl copies of the LP would be available on its online store, Phonte and Rapper Big Pooh spoke out against the reissue. Both Little Brother members told fans to avoid buying The Minstrel Show vinyl because the two aren’t getting paid from it.
“I see ABB Records has decided to put up a repress of The Minstrel Show on vinyl instead of answering for 16 years of non payment on TMS or answering for 18 years of non payment for The Listening,” Big Pooh tweeted. “Humbly asking that you not support bad business practices. Thank you for listening.”
I see ABB Records has decided to put up a repress of The Minstrel Show on vinyl instead of answering for 16 years of non payment on TMS or answering for 18 years of non payment for The Listening. Humbly asking that you not support bad business practices. Thank you for listening.
— Rapper Big Pooh (@RapperBigPooh) September 21, 2021
Although The Minstrel Show was released by Atlantic Records in 2005, Big Pooh noted ABB Records maintained the vinyl rights. Little Brother dropped their debut album The Listening via ABB in 2003.
“Atlantic Records own all platforms except vinyl, ABB retained vinyl rights when we initially signed to Atlantic,” Big Pooh mentioned on Twitter.
Phonte also addressed the situation, clarifying that he had no problem with Fat Beats. But like Big Pooh, he wanted fans to avoid buying The Minstrel Show vinyl – and not stream The Listening – due to Little Brother’s ongoing money issues with ABB.
“I have no smoke with @fatbeats, but @abbrecords can get the entire f### outta here,” he wrote on Instagram. “Either way, my brother @rapperbigpooh and I are asking that you don’t support any LB vinyl represses and stop running The Listening on all streaming platforms until Ben Nickleberry Jr. aka Beni B. of @abbrecords honors his f###### word and pays us what we’re owed. Thank you for listening. #LBbizness.”
Following Phonte and Big Pooh’s comments, Fat Beats deleted its Instagram post announcing the vinyl repressing of The Minstrel Show. The longtime Hip-Hop shop and distributor also took down the listing on its online store.