Former TDE artist Reason says he nearly went back to his 9-to-5 job because of label

Reason's issues with his former label TDE are well-documented. He spoke about being dissatisfied with them more than once, before leaving in June 2024 after seven years.

The Carson, California rapper recently spoke to Audiomack co-founder Brian Zisook about his exit and said things at TDE were moving so slowly for him, he nearly went back to his 9-to-5 job as a tech recruiter.

"I contemplated giving up music for a year and a half," said Reason, per HipHopDX. "I was updating my resume, ready to walk away. At the time, it was a fair deal for a new artist with no name, but the length of the contract was tough."

"I came in with an album ready to drop," he continued. "It still took over a year to [come out]. That’s when I realized the delays weren’t just about development, it was [how] the label operated. I couldn’t drop music when I wanted. I couldn’t feed my fans. I even updated my resume to go back to my old job."

These days, Reason is an independent artist after getting a distribution deal and said going the independent route has rekindled his love for making music. He also turned down an advance from the distribution company, because he didn't want to start out with them in the hole.

“I didn’t want to be in that position again," said Reason about not taking the advance. "Now, I see royalties immediately instead of waiting to recoup debt."

He also owns his masters now.