Do you think Hov doesn't want to drop another album because he's afraid his sales will brick?

[THE 101]

I've been thinking this recently in lieu of the new Nas.

I know if he dropped another album he's gonna have some nefarious scheme on deck to boost them numbers. I know he doesn't want to go out like these other legends.

I don't even know what a Jay-Z album looks like in 2023...does he chase hits? Does he just drop an album for the cultue? Hov Drill album?

 

[Tupac in a Business Suit]

Nah I really thinks it’s because he’s afraid to be outsold by Boosie in the south.

 

[I'm Blackman]

Yes

Jay is very calculated [not a diss btw, it's the reason for his success]. Part of his calculation is the image of success. Now don't get me wrong Jay has been very successful by almost every objective metric. But he does work to curate the IMAGE of success. He has since day 1. Again it's smart because he leverages that image to make more money...rinse and repeat.

So I couldn't see Jay doing what the Lox, Nas, Ghostface and other 90s acts are doing...dropping an album and "the world doesn't stop" for a minute. Those acts and others (face, lupe) have dropped projects just for the love and to support other things.

Nas doesn't need record sale money neither does Jay. The difference is I think Jay cares about how that would look. That, the fact he's 50 plus, incredibly rich...are what keep him from doing it I think.

I think if drops (because he would do it right...media, leverage relationships, etc) he would do 100K the first week. Maybe I think that because I'm and Jay is one of the goats. I dunno. All I'm saying is I would love passion projects from Jay...just don't think that's him.

 

[Alvin]

I've been thinking this recently in lieu of the new Nas.

I know if he dropped another album he's gonna have some nefarious scheme on deck to boost them numbers. I know he doesn't want to go out like these other legends.

I don't even know what a Jay-Z album looks like in 2023...does he chase hits? Does he just drop an album for the cultue? Hov Drill album?

yep lmao! left when 50 cent came out bc his team was splintered and he didn't want to take that L. Came back because his biggest rival was someone under him (kanye) his other rival idolized him (wayne) same with Drake and J. Cole. Last few hov releases, he has partnered with Sprint/Samsung so that they will buy 1,000,000 in sales so that's "platinum"
I mean the man is 50 plus, but the way he spins things is so crazy that it's one of the highlights of his career.

 

[Controversy]

He doesn't want to be seen as just a rapper...and when he does rap, he has to be inspired

Him being inspired to drop a whole album is a tall task bc he's chasing cash

If he finds some corporate custies to make it worth his while, he'll drop an album tho

You already know he's been listening to the KD & Magic series thinking about what he would do differently from

 

[MaxBundles]

Uhhh no....he's not dropping cause he has nothing else to prove. He will and already is gonna go down as a top 5 rapper of all time and he doesn't even have to rap another 16

 

[Westbama Heartthrob]

Uhhh no....he's not dropping cause he has nothing else to prove. He will and already is gonna go down as a top 5 rapper of all time and he doesn't even have to rap another 16

In other words, he's washed

 

[THE 101]

Uhhh no....he's not dropping cause he has nothing else to prove. He will and already is gonna go down as a top 5 rapper of all time and he doesn't even have to rap another 16

Bob Dylan out here dropping albums at 80 years old breh.

Scorsese dropping classics at 80.

No excuses.

 

[HARLEM AL]

Yall nikkas about to make me defend this nikka. Between this thread and goofy ass boosie thread.


But this thread confirms why I hate nas fans almost as much as I hate 2pac fans.

 

[Street Knowledge]

Jay hasn’t done less than 100,000 the first week so a solo album since he was Independent. What does a “brick” for Jay Z look like?

 

[Iverson_64]

I think it mainly is writer's block like he said on that Kevin Hart podcast. I mean...Jay basically was inspired to write 4:44 because of the cheating scandal. But he and Bey both reconciled and 4:44 was an anomaly subject matter wise for him so he'll have to take his time with it.

That said, I do think the sales aspect does play a role too. MCHG and 4:44 needed the Samsung giveaway stimulus to sell as well as they did. If Hov tried to pull that off again for his next album, he would get clowned to oblivion for pulling off that stunt.

I do think Jay could go number 1 again but, unless he gets Bey/Rih/other pop star on the lead single, he's likely going to be in the 100-150 K range just off the strength of his absence which is fine but won't fit his persona of being the "top dog."

Jay used to brag about his sales and having platinum albums all the time until Everything Is Love flopped. Then, Hov started saying "We used to praise Billboard when we was young" as if Jay wasn't still praising Billboard as a grown ass man.


Jay could surprise me though. It's been 6 years now and he definitely has some hype off his recent batch of features. And I personally could care less if Jay "flops" or not as long as he's giving us more 4:44/RD/Blueprint level music. But Jay's years of bragging about his sales and "checking the scoreboard" will come back to haunt him if he does.

 

[CrushedGroove]

He may not be as inspired to drop an entire album. Not that he lost his hunger, but probably isn't willing to sacrifice his other endeavors to do it. Or...he hasn't found that right person/people, like Nas and Hit brought it out of each other.

 

[Nostalgic]

No. There's necessarily nothing else for JayZ to prove.

Unless he drops another 4:44-esq or a 5%er Hov (Which we got on A Written Testimony) type album there's nothing new Jay-z could rap about we've already heard.

IMO I don't want to hear another Jay-z about.

Paintings (Art)
Ace Of Spade
How much money he has.
How rich his family is.
How many albums he sold in the past.
Him comparing himself to Micheal Jordan.

 

[Cladyclad]

I think it mainly is writer's block like he said on that Kevin Hart podcast. I mean...Jay basically was inspired to write 4:44 because of the cheating scandal. But he and Bey both reconciled and 4:44 was an anomaly subject matter wise for him so he'll have to take his time with it.

That said, I do think the sales aspect does play a role too. MCHG and 4:44 needed the Samsung giveaway stimulus to sell as well as they did. If Hov tried to pull that off again for his next album, he would get clowned to oblivion for pulling off that stunt.

I do think Jay could go number 1 again but, unless he gets Bey/Rih/other pop star on the lead single, he's likely going to be in the 100-150 K range just off the strength of his absence which is fine but won't fit his persona of being the "top dog."

Jay used to brag about his sales and having platinum albums all the time until Everything Is Love flopped. Then, Hov started saying "We used to praise Billboard when we was young" as if Jay wasn't still praising Billboard as a grown ass man.


Jay could surprise me though. It's been 6 years now and he definitely has some hype off his recent batch of features. And I personally could care less if Jay "flops" or not as long as he's giving us more 4:44/RD/Blueprint level music. But Jay's years of bragging about his sales and "checking the scoreboard" will come back to haunt him if he does.

444 sold 262k its 2nd week
Didn’t have a traditional first week being it was exclusive to Tidal and gave away 1 million. Not to mention it was the 2nd most bootlegged album that year only behind Drake. The album double platinum now. Mind u jay z never had an album that launched day and date with streaming. 444 got on Spotify years later. 99% of artists would flop without Spotify. But not Jay

Jay easily doing 250-400k

Being 444 didn’t have a first week

Jay last lowest selling first week was in 1998 with vol 2. The was the last time he sold under 400k first week. 25 years ago

 

[DontEemTry]

Maybe he's more self aware now. Realistically, it's kind of weird to see a billionaire rappin and tryna sell records like he needs the money.

I think it would be cool if he dropped a free album with no promo, no videos, no tours. Just a collectors item.