JoJo's exhaustive multi-year battle with Blackground Records - the battle that almost no music fan doesn't know about - finally came to an end. Due to bad management and many wrong business decisions, Blackground Records went almost-bankrupt after the release of JoJo's hit album 'The High Road'. However, because it was still barely alive on papers thanks to money coming from selling Aaliyah and JoJo's old materials, she still couldn't break off her contact. Even without any money to release her new album, Blackground still kept holding her back, didn't allow her to sign with any other label or release any new album for seven years until now. She was in a pretty fucked up situation which she didn't "legally own her voice."
After many times trying to sue her bankrupt former label without success, this time, JoJo claimed that the Blackground failed to release her third album despite delivery and acceptance of recordings and that the label neglected to pay producers and other vendors she collaborated with. But the most important thing is that her contact was signed in 2003 when she was only 12, which means she could not be bound to a contact after a period of 7 years.
JoJo's loyal fans, as well as all other music fans who have been watching and supporting her are now celebrating. The campaign #FreeJoJo which was launched by her fans last summer on social media such as tumblr and Twitter caught a lot of attentions from mainstream media. Meanwhile, along with fighting for freedom, JoJo did sate fans by independently releasing two mixtapes - 'Can't Take That Away from Me' and 'Agápē', as well as a bunch of collaborations and leaked songs. Both the mixtapes and unreleased songs were highly critically-acclaimed, showing her transformation from a teen singer to a sexy, grown pop star.
Free at last, and with a new contact with Atlantic Records which was signed in December last year, 2014 is a promising year for JoJo. Let's wait and see how the "Too Little Too Late" singer come back and claim her rightful position in the music scene.
Watch her latest music videos "In the Dark" and "André" here
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