Gladys Knight says she’s fed up with the way today’s current record labels do business. So she’s taking matters into her own hands and is releasing her new single, “Just A Little,” independently on her own record label on September 25th. Here’s what was reported via Chicago Defender:

“I told my crew, please don’t sign me to another record label. You can give people chance, after chance, after chance but it hasn’t changed,” Knight said. “Why do you think there aren’t any record labels left? People got tired of not being paid while these mega companies are at the top with executives living in big houses, owning luxury cars and taking our money sending their kids to college. I have kids in college as well and I need my money.”

With her new company, comes new talent and she’s happy to bring on young and fresh ears to the camp. Rising singer and current vocal arranger, R&B singer Avehre has managed to capture Knight’s interest in becoming one of the premiere artists on her independent label.

“Avehre is an amazing, talented and respectful young man. My husband has taken him under his wing. They are in the studio right now,” Knight said. “This man can write, produce and do his own thing.”

We don’t blame Gladys one bit for shunning these record labels because in today’s current music industry, not only are these major record labels like the music equivalent of a communist run nation- being that they are the sole dictators and controllers of the mainstream music, images and messages our nation gets.

These corporate labels are also extremely biased to talent that is approximately 25 years old and under. Yeah there are rappers and singers in the game who are older than 25 now, like Drake, Beyonce, and others, but the key word is “now,” they are now older but they had to age in the music game and they also are being pressured to cater to an audience who is about 22 and under, go figure.

Anyways, I’m saying all of this to say that legends like Gladys Knight deserve more respect because they are still very viable artists and just because they’re not rockin’ a pair of skinny jeans or booty shorts, doesn’t mean that they don’t have a solid fan base who will support their music. Yet, these record labels don’t seem to get that concept, so we continue to get these cookie cutter singers who are all striving to be the next Beyonce.’ We really dig Beyonce’ because she is an amazing artist, but the problem is that we already have a Beyonce’ so we don’t need 20 more of them…geesh!

Thank you Gladys Knight for not being afraid to step out on your own and bring back variety in soul music. Can’t wait to purchase your new single on September 25th.

-ILoveOldSchoolMusic, Old School news with a new point of view