Dudley Perkins’ (aka Declaime) Top 5 "Rule #4080" Moments

About 16 years ago, A Tribe Called Quest released their hit single, “Check the Rhime,” from their classic album Low End Theory. Although that song has many quotable lines, one line from Q-Tip summed up the entire music industry, “Industry rule number 4080/record company people are shady.” The line has stayed in hip-hop lexicon ever since, and since then a plethora of artists have had “Rule #4080” experiences.

Here at Street Census, we’re always interested in the “behind the music” stories, so we hit up Dudley Perkins for his. For those not familiar, Dudley Perkins (also known as Declaime) is a rapper and singer signed to Stones Throw Records. He’s released a handful of albums, both singing and rapping, with a majority of them produced by Madlib. Oh yeah, it’s some classic stuff. Now he’s connected with fellow Stones Throw artist, singer Georgia Anne Muldrow to drop an album under the G&D moniker called Message Uni Versa on Look Records It’s some good stuff, it hit stores last week, but that doesn’t mean Perkins hasn’t had a hard time in the industry. Here’s his Top 5 “Rule #4080” moments.

#5: Goodvibe Recordings – My first voyage into the BS world of label politricks.

#4: The 5 Year Ahead Of Your Time Syndrome – your music goes over the heads of every label exec. Madlib and I had a theory of The 5 Year Ahead Of Your Time Syndrome where label execs just don’t get our music – it’s too ahead of our time.

#3: Stones Throw Recordings – Be careful of wolves in sheeps’ clothing

#2: Vampirism – Me and Georgia’s theory of be careful of vampires because they will stick a straws in yo’ neck and suck out your life force. (Biters, thieves, spongers, suckers) Beware of the ones that are in your back.

#1: Label's amnesia on who they work for - Labels start to feel that you work for them, when in fact they’re supposed to work for the artist. Most labels eat better than the creativity that their company is built on. Wake up and don’t sleep, suckas!

By the way, here's a taste of that G&D album: