"I’ve got to sell how many albums?"
50 Cent talks a lot of smack about other artists’ record sales to the point that he now must chart higher than other recent successes to be considered a success. Though he doesn’t have to beat his previous numbers, since rap cd sales are on the decline, he does need to beat recent numbers by major stars and he does have to debut at no. 1 or he’s a failure by his own standards.
For the moment, let’s sidestep the issue of 50 Cent’s abject failure in the singles arena.
Whose numbers do you think 50 Cent needs to beat to be considered a success in the terms by which he has defined success, i.e. overwhelming dominance of the marketplace?
First Week Sales from ’06 & ’07:
Jay-Z’s Kingdom Come – 680,000
T.I.’s King – 522,000
T.I.’s T.I. vs. T.I.P. – 468,000
The Game’s Doctor’s Advocate – 358,000
Nas’ Hip Hop Is Dead – 355,000
Young Jeezy’s The Inspiration – 352,000
Ludacris’ Release Therapy – 309,000
After talking about Jay-Z’s album sales as being a disappointment [in a radio interview I once heard], I feel 50 Cent needs to beat 680,000 in his first week out to be a success in his own terms. I don’t think he can do it.
There’s no way 50 can beat that. First off, Jay-Z (no matter what you think of Kingdom Come) had one thing to his advantage that 50 Cent doesn’t have: Retirement.
People wanted to know what Jay would return with. And that alone added a few thousand albums to his first week sales, in my opinion.
Oh, and what’s the name of the 50 Cent single again? Yep…. exactly.
You’re probably right that setting Jay-Z as the standard is unfair since Jay-z has so much going for him as a pop culture entity.
But your comment on the 50 Cent single, whichever one you mean [lol], points to the fact that 50 won’t make whatever numbers he should, not that my standards are unfair.
So what’s a fair number?
I think T.I.’s numbers are an aberation of sorts…there was a huge lack of new product in the market place when his CD dropped artificially inflating his 1st week totals (new artist don’t count until album #3). Let’s see what the drop off will be next week (70+%). Its his worst work to date no question…50 will have disapointing #’s because rap is trending lower and will continue to do so until Gold is considerred all they can do (18 months away or so). Also, didn’t Kanye do about 803K first week on his last go around? 50 Cent is the last “Supa Thug” rapper in this dying era of LCD Rap. There’s just too much of a grass roots movement to get away from the N,B,H’s rap ignorance from the youth to support it…Good Ridance! This decade will go down in History as the worst era for Black Music ever!
I think T.I.’s numbers are an aberation of sorts…there was a huge lack of new product in the market place when his CD dropped artificially inflating his 1st week totals (new artist don’t count until album #3). Let’s see what the drop off will be next week (70+%). Its his worst work to date no question…50 will have disapointing #’s because rap is trending lower and will continue to do so until Gold is considerred all they can do (18 months away or so). Also, didn’t Kanye do about 803K first week on his last go around? 50 Cent is the last “Supa Thug” rapper in this dying era of LCD Rap. There’s just too much of a grass roots movement to get away from the N,B,H’s rap ignorance from the youth to support it…Good Ridance! This decade will go down in History as the worst era for Black Music ever!
Most of the big rap albums of the last couple of years have dropped off rapidly in the following weeks after their debut. A better comparison would be the first month or quarter but this approach provides more immediate satisfaction!
Kanye was big but that was ’05. However, Graduation’s on the way.
T.I.’s numbers an aberration? [snicker]
Yeah, and the whole damn South is outlier data! Get back to me on that one and we can compare whose album dropped the hardest, the quickest cause none of these guys stayed in the top 10 for long.
Jay-Z’s dropped surprisingly fast as I recall.
But let’s set Jay-Z’s Kingdom Come, T.I. (either/or) and Kanye West’s Graduation as a “zone of achievement” and see what that does for 50 “Vitaminwater” Cent.
I would just like to say I would really never read reviews of any sort but I must say listening to you lot makes me feel quite ill. I’ll give you a bit of advise. The main thing you should learn how to do is not to respond to everything a person does to you. Even when the most seemingly frightening people assail you the fear comes totally out of yourselves, YOU INVENT IT. If you don’t like something, BLOCK IT OUT. If you do learn this, the revenge that wells up inside of your soul will calm and you may eventually become likeable people.
Interesting. Wish I knew what you meant exactly but that’s cool.
50 said it himself, Jay-Z is his only competition.
We’re just holding 50 to his own high standards.
Actually, Kanye did 980k with Late Registration
That was in 2005 which is why I left it off though it’s definitely worth keeping in mind.
get out of here…This album is about to shock the world both in quality and in album sales just because its mafuckas like you who don’t have any faith in this nigga..gaurenteed hell do GRODT numbers or close!!
Whoo, I want some of what you’re smoking!
We’ve heard a lot of sucky singles so the quality aspect seems quite doubtful.
In terms of numbers:
http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/search/google/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1855140
“Only 50 Cent’s “Get Rich or Die Tryin’” (Shady/Interscope) has performed stronger this year, as it sold 872,000 copies and 822,000 copies, respectively, in its first two weeks of release.”
Ain’t gonna happen.
The first week could well be incredibly strong but even Jay-Z didn’t get a good second week.
http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/search/google/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003493371
“After debuting at No. 1 last week, Jay-Z’s “Kingdom Come” descends to No. 6 with a whopping 80% sales decrease to 140,000.”
There may be some more surprises but good luck shocking anybody.
bra 50 cent the shit rite now i get money a hit 50 sellin aleast 800k or 900k hands down
mna whats yo number and stop argueing man yhall all is great its just how the people fell
Recent events have resulted in a situation in which 50 Cent’s Curtis has to beat Kanye West’s Graduation for 50 to be considered a success.
That battle will pretty much wipe out any of the other comparisons we’ve discussed.
i aint a fifty fan or nuthin, but i no he’s more likely to go platin his first two weeks out. Not because da album is sik, but jus cos he’s 50 cent.
50 is gonna beat 680k with ease.Jay is my man but dude been puttin out garbage.It seems like since that angie martinez interview with styles p 50 been trying to get gutta again like for instance “i get money” and that new akon track “ill still kill”.If he can get back to that hungry nigga on the grind like that.No one can see him dude is on a diffrent level than everybody except Jay but jay gettin old he need to get married and take care of his seed that lil nigga look just like him .At least 50 takes care of his seed
Showing up all smiley smiley at that show in New York with Kanye, Jay-Z etc. certainly didn’t suggest gutta.
But then when Jay-Z showed up last round in street wear everybody acted like it was normal after all his grown man talk.
I don’t understand fans so who knows?
I’m still betting on Kenny.
FIFTY……AKA…..F150….. FERRARI.,,,Formula 50…call him what you please but 50 is very smart when it comes to marketing. He probably will be the first billionaire rapper. His tactics are clever in making his dollars increase. Also, this so-called battle is doing nothing but giving a boost to the sales as a whole for the hip hop community so really no one is losing. IF 50 sells then Kanye’s will sell….point blank. It is what it is. this is like a main event, if you really want to know who will win then you have to purchase both to see for self, which you are adding to their sales stupid.
No need to call folks stupid especially since you’re just cutting and pasting stuff out of a google news search.