For obvious reasons, many doubted whether Nipsey Hussle would be able to sell 10 copies of his $100 mixtape, let alone 1,000. Well, it seems he made a quick 100K, so….
On The Evening Jones, I gave him all the credit in the world. The man built a core fanbase, and he showed what working hard for years can do when you sell music that the audience deems as authentic. The core base is the one that will follow you, the ones who feel rewarded for being there since the beginning and the ones who will even consider showing appreciation by paying $100 for a tape. They’ll keep you paid the longest. It’s the artist/performer/provider/whatever’s job to build the base. Let the corporations attract those on the fringes. They’re the ones who’ll really get paid from those folks, anyway.
This seemed like a step toward what rap needs above all else — a move back toward local sounds. Being local doesn’t even have to be about geography. The locality of one’s audience is a step in the right direction. Worrying about your fans is no different than worrying about your city. Either way, you’ll hear more edge and sincerity when folks go for what they know, rather than trying to get everyone. Sadly, too many people are enamored with bullshit. More people trying to hit it big means more bullshit, and their success creates greater incentive to create more bullshit. We really don’t need more bullshit out chea.
That said, after charging people a bill for something folks usually get for free, is it really cool to brag about pimping out your throwaways?
The reason I applauded Nipsey for this was I was positive he gave the folks something great. Why? Because you damn well better, if you’re gonna charge them $100 for the tape. To do otherwise would likely build resentment. Your fans don’t want to feel like sycophantic suckers, after all. They want to feel appreciated…especially after they drop half a paycheck — which, for many, it probably is — to show love.
Me? I’d be pissed if someone said “ha ha ha, I made a hundred grand off stuff I wasn’t gonna put out, anyway.”
I get bragging about the accomplishment, after so many people said Nipsey was crazy for doing this, that no one would ever pay that kind of money for a mixtape, let alone his. However, that reaction is very don’t-try-this-at-home.
We’ll see how Nipsey plays this, but I’d be inclined to do something extra for folks who paid the $100. Maybe let ‘em free to a show in L.A., or give them access listening sessions. Something to make them feel like what they clearly want to be — close to the movement.
Because see, if you’re going to sell such an experiment as a revolution, you might not want to talk about it like it was a money grab.
I love what Nipsey did. What he did after? Not so much.
