Artists experiencing delays in their music projects dropping is a tale as old as time.

Back in 2013, Buzzfeed reported on the unfortunate reality of artists not being able to release their music including reasons like artists being mismanaged, the label focusing on competition, stalling on getting their music ready for radio, and more. But as a The Guardian report simply put it, “But to writers and artists, your songs are your babies. It’s only fair that you get them back if they’re not being looked after.”

The industry continues to evolve with the times, yet still musicians — especially Black women artists — are subjected to constant pushback from their labels. Oftentimes, they are left with limited options on how to resolve the issue such as trying to part ways amicably. Another way to musical freedom that can be quite a hassle is acquiring their master recordings. As previously reported by AfroTech, the likes of Anita Baker, Rihanna, Ciara, and more used their voices to earn back their masters.

Thankfully, with today’s high-level digital age, artists are able to vocalize to their fanbase their frustration about what they’re experiencing — bringing in more heat on the labels — whether it’s social media, interviews, etc.

Although the list is evergrowing, here are seven Black women artists who have been outspoken in their fight to have their art to be heard, and how some have even successfully taken action.

Tinashe

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