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Coi Leray Is A Magician (& Joe Budden Switches Up)
She can't keep getting away with this...
Yassine X
February 13, 2025
What’s poppin y’all,
Coi Leray has once again secured a major label deal, this time with Epic Records, which is home to Travis Scott and Future under the Sony Music umbrella. This marks yet another shift in her label journey after previously being signed to Republic Records (Universal Music Group)—the same label as Nicki Minaj, Drake, The Weeknd (XO), and Ariana Grande.
Coi Leray’s Label History
Republic Records (Universal Music Group) – Where she collaborated with Nicki Minaj.
Island Records (UMG) – A demotion within Universal’s hierarchy.
Independent Release – Heart Don't Lie was released on her own, reportedly self-funded.
Now Signed to Epic Records (Sony Music Group) – A full departure from Universal.
After releasing an independent project, it looked like Coi Leray was testing the waters outside the label system. But now, just a day after dropping a new EP under Sony Music, she’s confirmed her new deal with Epic Records.
Coi Leray’s Statement on Signing with Epic
"Epic is one of those labels who understands me as an artist and as a person, and I'm super appreciative of that. They support me right from the beginning, and I’m super grateful for that. They support me rather than try to tell me what to do, and that's all an artist can ask for when it comes to signing with a major label."
With this new deal, she’s now part of one of the "Big Three"—Sony Music. The other two are Universal Music Group (UMG) and Warner Music Group (WMG).
Why Does Coi Leray Keep Getting Deals?
Coi Leray’s ability to keep securing major label deals is impressive, even after a mixed track record in terms of sales. But one thing she does have is awareness—which isn’t always the same as a dedicated fanbase.
This concept of an "awareness base" is something I’ll break down in a future newsletter, but for now, it’ll be interesting to see how Sony and Epic handle her career moving forward.
Joe Budden's Super Bowl Setlist Switch-Up
Joe Budden also switched up his stance on Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl setlist. When it first leaked, he trashed it, doubting that Kendrick would really go with that selection. But after seeing the performance, he co-signed it, admitting that while he didn’t initially like the tracklist, he started questioning his own judgment.
Now, I don’t know if this is gaslighting or just realization. If someone calls a setlist trash, then watches the performance, and suddenly says,
"Well, maybe I’ve been conditioned to expect something different from the Super Bowl… maybe my perception of what a halftime show is supposed to be has been shaped by those above me," is that a realization, or is it gaslighting himself?
Some people argue that he just changed his mind, but Budden has had plenty of these “realizations” in the past, and this didn’t follow his usual pattern of reaching conclusions.
Another thing he brought up:
"Is Kendrick an Israelite?"
That’s what would really make sense, in his view. And on the topic of Israelites—not the country, but the subgroup of people who identify as such—that’s something I’ll be covering in an upcoming video on the main channel.
I’m taking my time on that one, so it might not come out this month, but I’ve got other interesting topics lined up in the meantime. Stay tuned.
HY
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