Kweli beats Swizz!?!
this producer will move units
As reported by SOHH who provides Soundscan for us cella dwellas with no account - Talib Kweli trumped Swizzy by 20,000 copies.
I don't know what's crazier:
1. the fact that with all those marketing dollars spent on One Man Band Man that he lost to Kweli. BET commercials. SOHH and alliphop tags
2. That Kweli beat him with no radio play (that I know of in my ignorance) compared to 'Money In The Bank'
3. and no video play
4. That Swizz only did 40k. Blacksmith and Warner have to be happy with Kweli's 60K
5, The complete inability to parlay Swizz's monster year of outside production into personal success. Wait a minute. Didn't that happen to Skateboad P and Timalam (Timbaland). Maybe these producers are latent human brands with way less visibility outside of industry circles. Maybe those producer advances and publishing checks are so sick they don't care. (Swizz uses a chopper to get back and forth to the city so we know he ain't broke.)
I really thought Swizz was gonna be a sleeper
Well I guess this does prove there is something to these inteligent backpackers (jaded major label A&R drones).
Is the okayplayer/brooklynbodega/sandbox/hiphopsite demo that strong still.
Stronger than the too sexy for my shirt demo of Fader/Pitchfork/whatever 'now' blog
That's Common and Kweli. 1 and 2 respectively albeit in weak weeks.
Labels: hip hop, music business, swizz beatz, talib kweli
posted by Wes at 10:26 PM
3 Comments:
The label dropped the ball on swizzys release. They severely undershipped and pretty much fumbled retail on all fronts. Especially with that extremely late iTunes placement (Yesterday). That was the error, that is why kweli outsold. The sales and the buzz are not matched up at all.
August 31, 2007 4:09 PM
Thanks for the info. is this inside information or specualtion?
Was it undershipped? or was there no excitement at retail?
August 31, 2007 4:14 PM
I wouldn't say "inside info", but common knowledge among insiders. And I mean ...The executive that was in charge of retail should be fired if he already isnt. No presense at retail whatsoever on a relatively weak week for someone who had 2 of the biggest songs this summer? Not to mention producing countless bangers. This summer was undoubtedly his. And the fact that his stuff was not available on itunes until yesterday afternoon is just bonkers. Label dropped the ball completely.
August 31, 2007 4:34 PM
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