Welcome to The Manager’s Playbook, my personal newsletter where I share insights from Music Executives and Artists for aspiring and emerging music managers, executives and artists on how to navigate the music industry. This newsletter is brought to you by Mauricio Ruiz.

THE MANAGER’S PLAYBOOK PODCAST

(FEAT. LaRussell & Tietta Mitchell)

The most “independent” thing LaRussell did…

was partner with Roc Nation.

Yeah, I said it.

And before the comment section starts foaming at the mouth like I just kicked over somebody’s cereal, let me double click on what I mean.

Most people treat “independent” like a jersey. You either wear it or you don’t. Like it’s a permanent identity. Like it’s a personality trait. Like it’s a tattoo you get at 19 that you’re forced to explain at 31.

LaRussell and his manager, Tietta Mitchell, don’t treat independence like a jersey.

They treat it like a system.

Quick business check: 
If you’ve got music out, you’re probably leaving publishing money on the table.

Publishing royalties can come from streams, performances, and online usage, but collecting worldwide is a maze of registrations and middlemen.

That’s why KOSIGN exists. Built by Kobalt, KOSIGN lets you submit once and they handle global registrations to help you collect every cent you’re owed, plus direct DSP licensing (Spotify/Apple) where possible. No long lock-in either: rolling quarterly term.

It’s selective, but the application is 100% free. Apply now.

If you’re being honest, the real fear isn’t “signing.”

The real fear is getting stuck in a situation where you look up one day and realize:

I can’t function without them. 

I can’t release without them. I can’t market without them. I can’t tour without them. I can’t even approve a damn product page without them.

That’s not a partnership. That’s a dependency.

And LaRussell gave one of the cleanest definitions I’ve heard in a long time: being independent means you’re not dependent on something outside of yourself to have a sustainable business, so if the partner disappears tomorrow, you’re still you. You’re still intact.

That’s the whole game. That’s the whole point.

So when people ask, “Why did LaRussell sign with Roc Nation?” the answer isn’t “because he needed them.”

It’s the opposite.

He partnered because he didn’t need them.

And that’s exactly why it makes sense.

In the episode, LaRussell says it straight: they wanted to globalize what they built and they struggled with representation outside of where they exist.

Vallejo is strong. The yard is strong. The local ecosystem is real. But Switzerland, Ireland, the UK, Indonesia, China… that’s a different set of relationships and infrastructure. You can be the mayor in your city and still be a stranger everywhere else.

That’s not a music problem. That’s a distribution of relationships problem.

So what did they do?

They didn’t walk into Roc Nation like, “Please save us.” They walked in like, “Here’s what we built. Here’s what we need. Can you actually add value to this or are we just doing corporate cosplay for the look?”

And Tietta, shoutout Tietta, by the way, because she’s a killer, makes a point that every manager should tattoo on the inside of their eyelids:

They stopped going into deals where only the artist has deliverables.

In the past, they’d sign, do the obligations, then look up and ask the question nobody wants to say out loud: “What actually changed? How much did we grow? What did they really contribute?”

So this time, they went in with deliverables from the label. Clear outcomes, clear expectations and clear definition of success. And the tone of the relationship changed immediately, because now both parties are in the contract, not just one.

That right there is the difference between being “independent” as a vibe and being independent as a business operator.

Because here’s the truth: a lot of artists call themselves independent when what they really mean is unfunded.

No leverage or negotiating power. Just vibes and a distributor login.

LaRussell is the opposite.

He’s independent the way a company is independent.

He owns the assets. He controls the decision making. He chooses the partners. And when Roc Nation comes in, they’re not steering the ship. They’re adding horsepower to a ship that already floats.

It’s also why the deal structure matters so much, because this wasn’t some “sign your life away and we’ll see you in five albums” nonsense.

They talk about it being non-exclusive, and LaRussell is still dropping music outside of the Roc Nation pipeline. That’s a bar. That’s the bar.

If your partnership requires you to route every creative decision through someone else, you’re not partnering. You’re handing over the keys.

And then you get into the mechanics: one project, rev share, a six-month term, and this is the part a lot of people missed, a mutual option. Not just “label option,” where you’re basically on layaway waiting to see if they pick you up again. Mutual. Meaning both sides choose. That’s leverage showing its face.

Even the way they describe Roc Nation’s posture is telling. Tietta talks about how important it was to Roc Nation that they remain independent and autonomous and that the goal was to add to what they’re already doing, not take over.

Again: partner, not owner.

Now, can we talk about alignment for a second?

Because everybody says “alignment” like it’s a cute buzzword you sprinkle on top of a pitch deck.

What they’re describing is much more practical:

When they walked into the building, it didn’t feel like they had to break the ice. The people were prepared. They knew who LaRussell was. They weren’t learning the story in real time. That seems small until you’ve been in those meetings where the label is smiling in your face and still asking “so what’s your name again?” ten minutes later.

Tietta said it felt aligned with their home team, like they could hit the ground running. That is what alignment looks like in real life. Readiness, respect, shared pace and shared language.

And LaRussell took it even further. He didn’t sign the deal that was proposed to him. He signed the deal he proposed. That is not a flex for social media. That is a reflection of how prepared their operation is before they ever enter the room.

So if you’re an artist or manager reading this, here’s the question you should be asking yourself, not “should we sign?”

Ask: What would we need to build so that signing becomes optional?

Because once signing becomes optional, the conversation changes from “What are you going to give me?” to “What are you going to do for me?”

And that’s exactly what they did.

They had specific areas they wanted amplified: radio, publicity, late night, sustained streaming growth that isn’t playlist fluff. They weren’t chasing vanity metrics. They were chasing durable expansion.

That’s a manager’s brain.

And it also connects to something I’ve said before: plain and simple, we’re not just in the music business anymore. We’re in the media business.

If you don’t control the narrative, someone else will. If you don’t control the distribution of the story, the story gets distributed without you.

LaRussell understands that and Roc Nation understands that. The partnership, at its best, becomes a media and relationship accelerant without taking ownership of the identity.

So no, Roc Nation doesn’t diminish his independent status.

If anything, it proves it.

Because the most independent thing you can do is build a business that stands on its own legs and then choose partners from a position of strength.

Don’t get fancy. Don’t get precious. Keep it simple.

Do you own the asset? Do you control the decisions? Did you choose the partner?

If yes, congratulations. You’re independent.

Even if the logo on the email signature changes.

Watch Episode 59 with LaRussell & Tietta Mitchell LIVE NOW

1:1 CONSULTATIONS WITH RUIZ

I’m offering private 1-on-1 sessions for artists, managers, and execs who want real, practical advice on how to move their careers forward.

With 16 years in the music business and experience working with some of the biggest artists and executives in the world, I can share insights, strategy and ways to execute the pain points in your career as it currently stands.

Book your private consultation below.

Bio

I’m Mauricio Ruiz, the host and creator of The Manager’s Playbook podcast, dedicated to demystifying the world of music management, and Founder/CEO of 8 Til Faint, an Artist Management company with over 5 billion audio streams worldwide. Our past and current clients include Grammy nominated, Juno Award winning multi-instrumentalist and singer/songwriter Jessie Reyez, Skratch Bastid and more.

I am also the Co-Founder of Mad Ruk Entertainment, a content agency with over 3 billion long form video streams worldwide. Our client list includes The Weeknd, Eminem, and Celine Dion, along with renowned brands like Nike, Pernod Ricard and the NBA.

Follow me on IG @mauroisruiz

Follow me on LinkedIn

Follow the pod on Youtube