NEW YORK, NY (Kingpin Entertainment Group) -
Sandy Lal, Lil Flip's attorney and manager, announced today that he has successfully negotiated the release of the multi-platinum rapper from his contract with the Sony
Music Group. The terms of the release allow Flip to retain ownership of the master tapes of "I Need Mine," the rapper's forthcoming CD, which had been scheduled for release on June 27.
"Flip and I are ecstatic," says Lal. "Our relationship with Sony has been quite fruitful. But I've always believed that Flip's potential is virtually unlimited, and we're really eager to take it to the next level. Being able to walk away with the masters to 'I Need Mine' is an absolute victory." Lal is the executive producer of "I Need Mine."
A teenage prodigy out of Houston crowned "King" by the legendary DJ Screw, Lil Flip first made a name for himself with the "Leprechaun." The significant regional success of this independent release led to a contract with Loud/Sony and the subsequent issuing of two albums. The first, "Undaground Legend," was released in 2002 and included the hit single, "The Way We Ball." It quickly achieved platinum status, for sales of over one million units. The second, "U Gotta Feel Me," was released in 2004 and included the hits "Game Over" and "Sunshine." It was ultimately certified double-platinum. (The latter, produced by Lal and his partner Carlos Hassan, climbed to number one on Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart and won a BMI Urban Award and a BMI Pop Award for the Most Performed Song of 2004.)
Mr. Lal is widely appreciated for the depth of his devotion to his clients. He negotiated a joint venture for The Fugees' Pras - under the rapper's Guerilla Entertainment label - with the Universal Music Group at the end of 2004. In 2005 he engineered the deal that introduced Lil Flip's Lucky Nites liqueur to the world.
Mr. Lal has represented Lil Flip since the release of "U Gotta Feel" Me, guiding the artist's rise from local sensation to international star. "If I can be sure of one thing about the music business, it's that Sandy Lal has my back," says Flip. "Usually, it's like the labels have all the power. No one else could have negotiated a release so favorable to me as an artist - and I got to take my masters with me! Incredible."
Sandy Lal is the chief executive of the New York-based Kingpin Entertainment Group.
