Early projections show Nas “Magic 2” to do around 15-20k first week

[Starburst]

People really need to stop speaking on sales.

Premier said it best, "When I saw the fans start talking about first week sales, I knew something was wrong with Hip Hop". It's corny, unless you actually work at a damn label. The culture needs a shift. Badly.

Unfortunately, there are no other universally recognized metrics used to determine how good an album is. It will always be determined by how good it sells.

 

[Awesome Wells]

Unfortunately, there are no other universally recognized metrics used to determine how good an album is. It will always be determined by how good it sells.

That's definitely not an indication of how good an album is.

 

[Dwight Howard]

@Ziggiy

You were clowning gunna for selling 85k, come spin this

 

[Starburst]

That's definitely not an indication of how good an album is.

That’s a personal opinion. As I said there are no universally recognized metrics other than sales. If you like an artist you will take the time to listen to the music etc, but in the grand scheme of things, folk will judge how well an album is based on how much it sells.I’m sure you have seen this several times here.

 

[I'm Blackman]

Fools really in on some “Waiting for Nas stans to spin this” steez

Negros we not tryna spin anything. We just happy he dropping dope/quality music.

Yall LOOKING to argue and for ways to slight the GOAT

This. I don't care how much he sells because I'm not Nas and I don't work for mass appeal. Im just happy when any artist I love (jay, Nas, cube, etc) drops music and I like it.

 

[ThirdAct]

It be nas Stan’s themselves

They do this all the time

Nas number 1 on itunes

He top 10 on billboard

Let’s have a streaming party

Eminem on the album

(20k sales)


Who cares? Nas Stan’s care if nobody else care lol

You obviously also care lol

 

[Ziggiy]

@Ziggiy

You were clowning gunna for selling 85k, come spin this

I said Snitches get sales. That wasn’t clowning him for selling that much that was clowning him for being supported whilst being a rat

 

[Supa]

This is something thats happened this year which I think they announced which kinda fukks the game up

They were talking on the Budden podcast a couple of months back about how Billboard/RIAA was trying to change some rules on physical purchaes/bundles which had been in the air since 2018. After the Travis/Niki shyt they started not counting bundles which is why you saw those montster first week numbers cool off. Everything was pending this year in terms of new rulings, which played a big part in why big albums were not dropping and why we didnt have any number 1s (Drake, Travis, ASAP, Nikki all holding off till they got the word). This now hurts any artists who have fans who wanna buy physical pruchases (Aka underground, older acts, niche R&B etc)
Basically the artist who will survive are the ones who stream high (And weather thats because of the labels have streaming farms or not idk though Ive seen stories on them like that Vice piece) so now you have what you have.

Plenty of underground artists eating just selling direct to consumer. There's ways to win outside of the system. Alc and Roc did like $50,000 in vinyl in like a day. Mach Hommy charges hundreds for vinyl and doesn't even put his music on streaming services.

For legacy artists the money is in touring, merch, royalties, and licensing. Nas has enough money coming in that he didn't need to profit of these albums.

 

[I'm Blackman]

That twitter chick is misguiding his fan base. They should be pushing buys instead of streaming. His fanbase is older. We have money. We dont have streaming time.

you know what's wild?Maybe I'm just but how the fukk do Android users buy digital albums? I wanted to support this, michael,and the black thought project...but where do people buy besides iTunes? on amazon?

 

[semicko82]

Unfortunately, there are no other universally recognized metrics used to determine how good an album is. It will always be determined by how good it sells.

 

[Ziggiy]

Very good point, the majors will win in that fight. But at the same time when you are independent you have to work harder at everything, including promotion. Even Curren$y announces projects more than a week in advance, has a video shot, etc.

It seems like with each album they shoot a lot of BTW stuff and we only see like 60 seconds of it. Why not drop a mini doc a couple weeks before album release, then a single 1 week before album release, then spend the days leading up to the album doing shyt. Hell have Nas interview Hit, or vice verse if they don't want to pay for shyt. Lot of low cost ideas to do this right/better.

I asked the plug chick about the documentary. She said they have the footage but Nas has to sign off on it. She said they’re working on interviews and the documentary but nothings a go until Nas says so.


I don’t think, judging from her responses, that cost is at play here (though it might be a factor its not THE factor) but whether Nas feels like these are good or worthwhile moves. She said Nas has deals in place with Netflix/Showtime/ Apple that they’ll let him do whatever he wants. He just goes based on feeling.

She also a video has already been shot for Magic 2 but wouldn’t say which song

 

[Ziggiy]

you know what's wild?Maybe I'm just but how the fukk do Android users buy digital albums? I wanted to support this, michael,and the black thought project...but where do people buy besides iTunes? on amazon?

Itunes is DRM free. If i’m not mistaken you can download music from itunes straight to an Android phone.

You can also buy the digitals straight from Nas website

 

[Mike Wins]

you know what's wild?Maybe I'm just but how the fukk do Android users buy digital albums? I wanted to support this, michael,and the black thought project...but where do people buy besides iTunes? on amazon?

Nas website got the physicals and digital copies up now. Or Amazon

 

[L. Deezy]

you know what's wild?Maybe I'm just but how the fukk do Android users buy digital albums? I wanted to support this, michael,and the black thought project...but where do people buy besides iTunes? on amazon?

I buy on Amazon. I stream off Amazon too

 

[I'm Blackman]

I understand her argument but my pushback is that when you look at the sales of other successful legacy or older acts, they prioritize album sales and activate their fanbases very well. As an example the Foo Fighters did 62k last month, 55k of which were physical sales. That same month, Dave Matthews Band did 44k first week, 40k of which were physical sales. Those artists spend more time promoting their albums and ensure their tours announcements align with the release window. They know their fans aren't super active on Twitter so it takes more time to get them up to date on things.

Expecting a predominantly older fanbase to stream makes no sense, and even less sense when they keep doing these surprise drops with no (or limited) promo, no single, no video. I don't get it. I'm not even sure they've done a sit-down interview where they're both present, which is mind boggling.

I'm a big Nas fan but I agree all of this. I'm a grown man with a life and responsibilities. I'm not streaming any album 24 7 to help an artist. I got a life and I don't consume music that way. Let me buy it and listen to it when I want.

Marketing is important. Im not on Twitter or social media often. If not for the coli I wouldn't have known this album dropped. I told my homeboy the new Nas album dope and he said what new Nas album lol?

Also I do wish they did more interviews just to talk about the music.