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Just three days before the release of his April Fools mixtape, D.C. rapper Fat Trel found out this afternoon that he’s been dropped by the local Board Administration imprint.
But according to Fat Trel’s manager, Dakari Dudley, that’s probably for the best. “In the last seven months, the Board Administration has done nothing for us,” Dudley tells Arts Desk. “There really hasn’t been anything done.”
Earlier today, WKYS-FM first reported the split between Fat Trel and the Board. Dudley says Fat Trel found out about the split through media.
The record label, which put out Trel’s well-received No Secrets mixtape last year, released a cryptic statement, saying it had intended to position the rapper as D.C.’s “next big thing.” However, the label did not collaborate with Fat Trel on his new mixtape. “We wish him well in all professional endeavors and hope his new effort is a noteworthy follow-up to No Secrets,” the statement says.
The Board Administration could not be reached for comment.
According to Dudley, the tension between Fat Trel and the Board comes down to a contract dispute: The label didn’t want Fat Trel’s current management team—-The Bassheads—-to work with the artist. Even though Fat Trel worked under the Board Administration’s banner, the rapper never signed a contract with the label, Dudley says.
Wale is part owner of the Board Administration label. However, Dudley insists there is no beef between Fat Trel and Wale. “This has nothing to do with Wale,” Dudley says. “He’s done a lot for us.”