One Mic wrote:EminemBase wrote:People buy albums that they want to own. This notion that leaking early seriously damages the sales of truly great albums is not one I believe.
Of course it will somewhat but if the album is THAT great, his fans will want to own it and therefore buy it any way. Leaking only badly damages the sales of shitty albums (like BISD).
All the current situation is now doing is forcing artists to work harder for sales. Which is a good thing. Because once the labels figured out the public's perceptions for a while, selling records became WAY too easy. Ramping up trends and plummeting the quality of genres.
Now the power is more in the hands of the artist, with this new age. People like B.o.B. And the labels hate it. But those who EMBRACE change and work with it are the ones who will succeed. Trying to reverse the inevitable and fight leaking head on at this point is dumb.
B.o.B??
That guy flopped
Only sold 80k first week for his debut studio album, with strong /successful singles to aid it aswell.
Even Relapse:Refill outsold that in the first week (140k), which was little more than a re-released album just 6 months after Relapse
B.o.B didn't flop at all man.
Eminem only sold 250k with his debut, The Slim Shady LP back in early 99'. Back when trends were still rampant, when CDs still sold like shit and he was a gigantic talking point. Especially within rap.
So considering B.o.B didn't have close to that intense hype, has built himself up from online promotion and mixtapes and released this album in the US only as a pretty limited release under a joint venture - To sell 80k first week, in 2010, is good and definitely not a flop.
I'm sure his second album will sell a lot more now. Sure, he had a number one single but it takes a long time for the public to catch up and become fully acustom with artists. Usually takes that first album or two to really break them in to 'most' people. And comparing it to Em's or Jay's albums is silly no offence. Because B.o.B is brand new to the public, those two are considered living legends. Of course they'll outsell the shit out of him. He ain't gonna sell in their region.
Kid Cudi for example sold 104k copies first week. And he arguably had more hype and promotion. Especially being on Kanye's label. Regardless of that though, I wouldn't care if B.o.B flopped hard, I love his music. He's an incredible musician, adept / poetic lyricist and he will work magic with the many genres he blends. Guy will go very far. I don't care about sales. Just music.