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Inside the Playbook: Steve Rifkind on How He Negotiated Wu-Tang’s Deal with a CHAIR?!?

Steve Rifkind breaks down the behind-the-scenes reality of Wu-Tang Clan’s record deal negotiations, the kind of label-room pressure that shapes careers, catalogs, and legacies.

In this clip, Steve walks through how a deal can come down to a $20,000 gap, how business affairs and label politics can stall momentum, and why the smartest move isn’t always “artist vs label,” but true team alignment that protects leverage. He also explains the bigger strategic picture: how Wu-Tang approached solo album deals while preserving the power of the group economics, and why deal structure, deliverables, and…

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