Artists not being expected to pay for features isn’t the typical narrative that’s heard of in the industry. When it comes to rap stars 21 Savage and Drake, it appears that there’s reportedly no money talk when music is involved.
A glance into their studio life was shared by Justin “Meezy” Williams, 21 Savage’s manager, in a Clubhouse interview with social media personality Druski.
Cost Of A Feature? Priceless
According to Meezy, it’s almost innate for artists to feed off each other creatively without a focus on monetary gain.
“A lot of the artists, they are low-key peers,” Meezy told Druski. “So sh*t just be happening naturally. A n***a might be in the studio, somebody ask, ‘Ay, can you do this song?’ And it happens, because n***as fuck with each other, so you ain’t gonna talk about money.”
No Paperwork For The Studio
Based on 21 Savage and Drake’s longtime music relationship, one could say it’s befitting that they have an exchanged subconscious rule of thumb that there’s no need for any form of paperwork for laying down bars.
Meezy also revealed that 21 has a similar relationship with rapper Young Nudy.
“Most of the time, when you bring up Drake or Nudy…if Nudy got a song, ain’t nobody even thinking about no paperwork if Savage get on something. Or if Savage send Nudy something, ain’t nobody thinking about paperwork. We know that’s going to get handled whatever,” he continued. “It’s relationship-based, a lot of times it’s like that.”
According to Complex, 21 Savage’s manager “conceded that plenty of rappers might need to pay for features early on, at least as they build momentum, but usually it’s far from a priority.”
“N***as ain’t paying each other for verses,” Meezy said.
How Much Rappers Charge For A Feature
While this level of camaraderie is admirable, securing a feature from your favorite rapper is generally on the pricy side within the music business.
Complex reported that many rappers in the game are charging in the six-figure range for guest verses from Nicki Minaj invoicing as high as $500,000 to J. Cole’s bars costing $2,000 per word.
According to the outlet, 21 Savage’s typical rate for his selective features is in the $100,000 and up range.
As for Drake’s feature price, Meezy said he doesn’t know. However, he still took a stab at answering the question when Druski asked.
“I think where he at he’s just choosing who he fucks with,” Meezy said. “I know anything we’ve ever done with him, there’s never been money involved, ever.”
