Hey - Chesney wasn't a bad prediction. I'm fairly certainly no one around here (or anywhere else) thought Kanye would do practically platinum the first week out though, I suppose in hindsight, it doesn't seem as shocking (but it still does). Chesney's a power player in a genre (country) that hasn't suffered as badly as hip-hop at the sales counter.
Besides - I wasn't "riding" for Chesney. I did, however, want to see 50 and Ye shut the fuck up and getting sonned by Kenny would have helped. Now Kanye is going to run his mouth forever.
If I recall, Jay's album "only" did 750,000 the first week right? *whistle* The Good Life indeed.
ha i am waiting for the second week numbers which will give the real story.
I hear what you're saying, but Kanye's album is going to go platinum (no way that won't happen) and even if it stalls out there...dude went platinum in two weeks. It'd be really hard to call this a "flop" even if, by week 3, no one bought the CD ever again (which won't happen anyways once "Good Life" drops as a single).
Believe me, I would have been happy to see "Graduation" crash and burn just because a little humility can go a long way to better artistry (and besides, it's just not a great album) but factor: 900+K units after one week + 79 rating on Metacritic (which is really, really good for any rap album) and we're talking about a seeming meeting point between commercial and critical love (which is what Kanye has enjoyed on all three of his albums thus far). I certainly wasn't expecting either (obviously, since I had my money on Kenny).
ha i am waiting for the second week numbers which will give the real story.
I hear what you're saying, but Kanye's album is going to go platinum (no way that won't happen) and even if it stalls out there...dude went platinum in two weeks. It'd be really hard to call this a "flop" even if, by week 3, no one bought the CD ever again (which won't happen anyways once "Good Life" drops as a single).
Believe me, I would have been happy to see "Graduation" crash and burn just because a little humility can go a long way to better artistry (and besides, it's just not a great album) but factor: 900+K units after one week + 79 rating on Metacritic (which is really, really good for any rap album) and we're talking about a seeming meeting point between commercial and critical love (which is what Kanye has enjoyed on all three of his albums thus far). I certainly wasn't expecting either (obviously, since I had my money on Kenny).
Yeah honestly Curtis just isn't a great album. A few dope tracks but other than that...
ha i am waiting for the second week numbers which will give the real story.
And what is "the real story"?
That both albums will experience a massive second week sales fall-off? I think we already know that.
Or ar you suggesting that Kanye will experience a greater fall-ff than 50, which seems pretty unlikely?
I could care less who sells more, the shear numbers they are selling seem suspect as hell to me. What I am saying is you can gauge the ACTUAL first weeks sales off the second weeks sales. I am not convinced that these sales for Kanye and 50Cent are anything more than both artist's egos/marketing machines at work. They may have actually sold this many, but in this market it seems highly unlikely. I am more inclined to believe that kenny Chesney numbers are closer to the truth as far as real sales numbers than Kanye's or 50 Cent sales.
actually quite true....just post Blueprint my boy used to roll with him all the time to Amoeba - and he'd buy stacks and stacks of CDs.....kinda like that he didn't say "oh well Mountain's a a group with drums that have been used dozens and dozens of times by people like..."
ha i am waiting for the second week numbers which will give the real story.
And what is "the real story"?
That both albums will experience a massive second week sales fall-off? I think we already know that.
Or ar you suggesting that Kanye will experience a greater fall-ff than 50, which seems pretty unlikely?
I could care less who sells more, the shear numbers they are selling seem suspect as hell to me. What I am saying is you can gauge the ACTUAL first weeks sales off the second weeks sales. I am not convinced that these sales for Kanye and 50Cent are anything more than both artist's egos/marketing machines at work. They may have actually sold this many, but in this market it seems highly unlikely. I am more inclined to believe that kenny Chesney numbers are closer to the truth as far as real sales numbers than Kanye's or 50 Cent sales.
How much do you think they're inflated?
I really don't think the sales are that extraordinary at all, even in a slumping market.
I really don't think the sales are that extraordinary at all, even in a slumping market.
I find these numbers very shocking - I mean, its been a while since a popular rap album went plat at ALL, never mind in less than 2 weeks...
That doesn't make it shocking. Unusual compared to general trends, sure but look at what else is out there: Fergie's album hit #2 the other week and it's been out for a year. Nickelback just went past 5 million albums and their CD is two years old. There's always going to be exceptions to the rule and Kanye and 50 are two of the biggest rappers out there with national appeal. Them selling well isn't surprising considering the sales records on their LAST respective albums.
I just find this idea that the "numbers must be inflated" to be spurious. I'm sure there's always some inflation but if Def Jam had the resources to make Kanye's album look significantly bigger than his reported numbers really are, why didn't they do that for, say, Jay-Z's album? An album that had huge hype behind it and was being touted by the PRESIDENT OF THE LABEL. It just doesn't make sense to suggest conspiracy theories for Kanye and 50's numbers. Even if they were inflated by, say, 20% (which I would find rather unlikely), it still would have been a huge week for everyone involved.
I like Just Blaze's take on it:
"If you look at the numbers, compared to the majority of sales this year, one point is strongly proven. PEOPLE WILL STILL BUY GOOD MUSIC. There are songs I like and dislike on both albums, but theyre were both solid albums, and better than most that came out this year. It doesnt matter who sold exactly what, but between Ye, 50 and the Country Guy, almost 2 million records were purchased last week. More than some label???s entire hip-hop rosters sold in the past 12 months. Now granted of course there was a huge hype machine behind 2 out of the 3, but at the end of the day, people don???t always feed into the hype machines, as we all know, and they aren???t as stupid as we generally assume the masses to be."
Comments
Besides - I wasn't "riding" for Chesney. I did, however, want to see 50 and Ye shut the fuck up and getting sonned by Kenny would have helped. Now Kanye is going to run his mouth forever.
If I recall, Jay's album "only" did 750,000 the first week right? *whistle* The Good Life indeed.
I though it was more like 650K. It suffered from massive first-day falloff, once everybody who hadn't previously downloaded it actually heard it.
(Not mine, btw; it's from 106 & Park's DJ.)
Speaking of which, Rapid Ric will be on 106 and Park today with Chamillionaire. They were on TRL yesterday.
I hear what you're saying, but Kanye's album is going to go platinum (no way that won't happen) and even if it stalls out there...dude went platinum in two weeks. It'd be really hard to call this a "flop" even if, by week 3, no one bought the CD ever again (which won't happen anyways once "Good Life" drops as a single).
Believe me, I would have been happy to see "Graduation" crash and burn just because a little humility can go a long way to better artistry (and besides, it's just not a great album) but factor: 900+K units after one week + 79 rating on Metacritic (which is really, really good for any rap album) and we're talking about a seeming meeting point between commercial and critical love (which is what Kanye has enjoyed on all three of his albums thus far). I certainly wasn't expecting either (obviously, since I had my money on Kenny).
Yeah honestly Curtis just isn't a great album. A few dope tracks but other than that...
And what is "the real story"?
That both albums will experience a massive second week sales fall-off? I think we already know that.
Or ar you suggesting that Kanye will experience a greater fall-ff than 50, which seems pretty unlikely?
more importantly, who here's seen 'Ye at amoeba?
The Hip-Hop Scientist hath spoken.
Have you heard both albums? If not, plaese to turn mouth off.
Actually, fuck it.
Marquee)>
ahhhh, feels goooood.
Just Blaze's take on all this
For these reasons, I like The Game.
I'm still listening to The Game "Documentary".
Late Registration is 2 fold better than this Graduation crap.
I could care less who sells more, the shear numbers they are selling seem suspect as hell to me. What I am saying is you can gauge the ACTUAL first weeks sales off the second weeks sales. I am not convinced that these sales for Kanye and 50Cent are anything more than both artist's egos/marketing machines at work. They may have actually sold this many, but in this market it seems highly unlikely. I am more inclined to believe that kenny Chesney numbers are closer to the truth as far as real sales numbers than Kanye's or 50 Cent sales.
actually quite true....just post Blueprint my boy used to roll with him all the time to Amoeba - and he'd buy stacks and stacks of CDs.....kinda like that he didn't say "oh well Mountain's a a group with drums that have been used dozens and dozens of times by people like..."
whaaaa!?!
he made it sound like he discovered the mountain sample with his "good ears"
I'm just finally listening to this Kanye album.
I seriously can't believe Kanye sampled
Can's Sing Swan Song and redid it as Drunk and hot girls.
Just what the fuck?
- spidey
I dont understand your gripe?
The song sucks perhaps? (Kanye, not Can).
How much do you think they're inflated?
I really don't think the sales are that extraordinary at all, even in a slumping market.
I find these numbers very shocking - I mean, its been a while since a popular rap album went plat at ALL, never mind in less than 2 weeks...
He sounds ass-hurt.
Kanye >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Can
The Krautrock scientist hath spoken.
^^ Haha! I saw a box of german records today but alas no kraut or prog in sight, just german polka tunes for days. I cried.
Better know that
That doesn't make it shocking. Unusual compared to general trends, sure but look at what else is out there: Fergie's album hit #2 the other week and it's been out for a year. Nickelback just went past 5 million albums and their CD is two years old. There's always going to be exceptions to the rule and Kanye and 50 are two of the biggest rappers out there with national appeal. Them selling well isn't surprising considering the sales records on their LAST respective albums.
I just find this idea that the "numbers must be inflated" to be spurious. I'm sure there's always some inflation but if Def Jam had the resources to make Kanye's album look significantly bigger than his reported numbers really are, why didn't they do that for, say, Jay-Z's album? An album that had huge hype behind it and was being touted by the PRESIDENT OF THE LABEL. It just doesn't make sense to suggest conspiracy theories for Kanye and 50's numbers. Even if they were inflated by, say, 20% (which I would find rather unlikely), it still would have been a huge week for everyone involved.
I like Just Blaze's take on it:
"If you look at the numbers, compared to the majority of sales this year, one point is strongly proven. PEOPLE WILL STILL BUY GOOD MUSIC. There are songs I like and dislike on both albums, but theyre were both solid albums, and better than most that came out this year. It doesnt matter who sold exactly what, but between Ye, 50 and the Country Guy, almost 2 million records were purchased last week. More than some label???s entire hip-hop rosters sold in the past 12 months. Now granted of course there was a huge hype machine behind 2 out of the 3, but at the end of the day, people don???t always feed into the hype machines, as we all know, and they aren???t as stupid as we generally assume the masses to be."
Is that the overall tacky white guy opinion or just yours?
- spidey