You are correct. You can't compete with the big boys if you're not spending money, simple as that... So how would any record label justify a big promotional budget for an artist like B-Legit? And by that I mean somebody who has never had a hit single or album, and doesn't have mass appeal?
To the cat who said something about 'as long as we accept those numbers' in reference to record sales. If you're an artist whose numbers are unacceptable then that means you have a lot more work to do. Nobody is owed sales, period. Every unit sold is earned so if your numbers are crap it's most-likely because you're crap as an artist, businessman, decision-maker, and/or otherwise.
So many people think they can jump right into the music business without really understanding it, then play the finger-pointing game when they flop. It's endless and yet people still don't learn.