Bobby Shmurda’s release from prison was expected to be followed with a major rollout of new music and other projects. However, the lack of urgency from his label, Epic Records, prompted the rapper to publicly air his grievances with the company, which granted his request to release him from his contract, making the Brooklynite a free agent.
Shmurda, who first signed to Epic Records in 2014, shared the news with his followers on social media. “I JUST SIGNED MY RELEASE PAPERS ALSO JUS MADE AH MILLY TODAY,” the “Hot N***a” rapper wrote. “I’M SHOOTING MY FIRST INDEPENDENCE [sic] VIDEO TODAY CALLED GETTING EM BACK.”
Last year, Shmurda, unhappy with the progression of his career and the lack of a release date for his album, took his gripes to social media, blasting the Epic brain trust, particularly chairman and CEO Sylvia Rhone. “I got a 70 year old lady running my label and I love her dearly but doesn’t want to let me go at alllllllll,” Shmurda wrote of Rhone, an industry legend herself, in late 2021. “No matter what I do I’ve been sign[ed] to them since I was 19. I did six years in jail trying to get off this label before I came home, you name one person in the industry a lable [sic] keeps sign[ed] in jail for six years???? Yeah IK IK I made them more millions than they ever gave me!!! Just let me gooo.”
He continued in the caption of the post, explaining, “This is not a cry for help this is a message and understanding for my fans that they stopping my music and prolonging my career I been holding s**t down doing everything on my own since I been home,” he said. “It’s been ah year now I still feel like I’m in prison and by the way the Album’s done ready to live pleaseeeeeeeee I need them to let me goooooooo!!! #FreeShmurda.”
Since his release from prison in February 2021, Shmurda’s releases have been few and far between. Last year, he released his comeback single, “Shmoney,” featuring Quavo and Rowdy Rebel, and was also featured alongside Eladio Carrión, J Balvin, and Daddy Yankee on “Tata (Remix).”