sales

Travis Scott’s Attorney Claims Astroworld Report Was Issued To Hurt “UTOPIA” Sales

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Travis Scott’s new album UTOPIA is finally here, and it’s already seeing a lot of incredible success. Moreover, it’s the fifth biggest opening streaming day for an album in Spotify’s history. Obviously, it’s the biggest one so far in 2023. With over 128 million first-day streams, the album joins the ranks of Drake’s Certified Lover Boy and Scorpion, Taylor Swift’s Midnights, and Bad Bunny’s Un Verano Sin Ti as the platform’s largest album streaming debuts, standing behind all of those. In addition, this is double what his last album ASTROWORLD garnered day one on Spotify. Every song on UTOPIA landed in the top 19 of Spotify’s U.S. chart.

However, allegations emerged that the final police report on the 2021 Astroworld Festival tragedy came out on the same day as UTOPIA in order to hurt these sales. Furthermore, these came from Travis Scott’s attorney Kent Schafer, who remarked to TMZ that this is no mere coincidence. For example, he explained that the rollout led specifically to this date, and that they informed people of such Also, he denied claims that the Houston artist was responsible for, or aware of, deaths and injuries at the concert. After this news broke, representatives for the “DELRESTO” MC issued a statement to the publication responding to these conclusions.

Read More: Travis Scott “Utopia” Credits: Drake, Beyonce, Westside Gunn, The Weeknd & More

Travis Scott Putting Up Huge Numbers Already

“The timing of the Houston Police Department report’s release, coinciding with the launch of Travis Scott’s highly anticipated album, is anything but coincidental,” they expressed. “Travis Scott and his team were, as anticipated, fully cleared of any wrongdoing associated with the Astroworld tragedy by a grand jury based on the very report released today. It is outrageous that HPD has chosen to resort to tactics that attempt to discredit Travis and his team, casting doubt on how the unfortunate events at Astroworld actually transpired while deflecting blame from their own critical failures.

More Impressive Streaming Accomplishments For UTOPIA

“Travis’s commitment to his audience’s safety and well-being is well-documented,” the statement continues. “As reported countless times, he actively stopped the show three separate times. Contrary to the HPD report’s inaccuracies, the concert did end at the exact time communicated to Travis. Meanwhile, Houston police officers present at the event did not intervene during the unfolding situation. They were observed throughout the show standing by idly, buying merch and even filming the concert in its entirety. We encourage the Houston PD to make peace with the fact that Travis Scott and his team were found innocent of any wrongdoing and to focus on what really matters – making sure tragedies like Astroworld never occur again under their watch.” For more news and the latest updates on Travis Scott, keep checking in with HNHH.

Read More: Kid Cudi Says Joint Album With Travis Scott Is Back In Production

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Mac Miller Sells Over 1 Million Album Units In The U.S. In 2023

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Mac Miller remains one of the most beloved and celebrated rappers-slash-singer-songwriters in the world. Moreover, news broke that the Pittsburgh MC’s catalog just reached over 1 million album unit sales in the United States in 2023. Of course, a large part of this success might be owed to his 2013 album, Watching Movies with the Sound Off, turning ten years old recently– which was commemorated with a tenth anniversary edition. However, fans still spin the rest of Mac’s catalog to keep his memory and legacy alive. With trends like these, surely his work will continue to inspire and resonate with listeners for generations to come.

Furthermore, fans got a few special surprises on Watching Movies‘ tenth anniversary repackaging. The most obvious of these is an original version of the opening track “The Star Room,” featuring a different instrumental using the same sample as the version that Mac Miller released first. In addition, Ear Sweatshirt graces the track with a brief but fitting vocal appearance. What’s more is that the vinyl edition contains an exclusive bonus track called “The Quest.”

Read More: Madlib Previews Mac Miller & Freddie Gibbs Collaborations

Mac Miller’s U.S. Album Sales In 2023

 

 
 
 
 
 
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Also, in relation to Mac Miller’s enduring catalog, the I Love Life, Thank You artist has some more releases on the way. For example, there’s his highly anticipated and mythical collaborative project with the legendary producer Madlib. Maclib was thought to be just the stuff of legend, with the beatmaker himself initially suggesting that it wouldn’t happen. Most recently, though, he said that he was “finishing up” the tape, so hopefully it’s an amazing testament to Mac.

Meanwhile, during our interview with him, Lil Xan spoke on the late great’s impact. “The cr*zy thing about Mac is he unknowingly- millions of kids he’s affected,” Xan stated. “I mean millions of people he’s affected, obviously, in a positive way with his music. But, from 2009, man, his music has just helped me in every situation that I’ve been in in life.” On that note, stay up to date on HNHH for the latest news and updates on Mac Miller.

Read More: Mac Miller’s Top 10 Albums/Mixtapes: Ranked

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Young Thug’s Updated First Week Sales Projections Drop

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Young Thug’s new album Business Is Business has been one of the most talked about releases of 2023 so far. Much of that has to do with his current situation in the ongoing YSL RICO trial. Many expected that public drama to turn into big sales numbers for Thugger. An earlier projection expected the album to sell around 110k in its first week. That debut would have made it the second biggest debut for a rap album this year behind Lil Durk who did 125k in his first week. Now, an updated projection has dropped the album’s expected sales down to just 87k.

That is a VERY significant drop in sales for Young Thug. Part of what makes that so interesting is how close it brings him to fellow YSL rapper Gunna. Gunna’s new album a Gift & a Curse debuted at #3 on the Billboard 200 and sold 85k in its first week. The two albums have frequently been compared following Gunna’s reported snitching as a part of his YSL plea deal. Some saw Gunna’s 85k as underwhelming since it’s Gunna’s lowest debut yet. Now, Young Thug seems to be headed for similar numbers with his new album.

Young Thug’s Sales Dip

One way Young Thug could swing the narrative of the album’s dip in sales is by having a hit song. The track that seems to have the most potential for that is “Oh U Went” with Drake. Just this morning video his social media of Drake filming a music video for the song in Memphis.

The original projection for Business Is Business saw Young Thug challenging for the #1 spot on the Billboard 200. Country singer Morgan Wallen has owned the top spot with his album One Thing At A Time for months. Now with the updated sales projection, he’s expected to remain on top for at least another week. No rapper has debuted at #1 on the chart in 2023, largely because of Wallen’s dominance. What do you think of Young Thug’s updated sales figures? Let us know in the comment section below.

Read More: Joe Budden Prefers Gunna’s New Album To Lil Durk’s And Young Thug’s

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Gunna Thanks Fans For The Success Of His New Album

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Gunna’s new album a Gift & a Curse dropped last week and while it wasn’t as successful as some of his previous works it still performed well. The record sold 83k in its first week which was good enough for #3 on the Billboard 200. He also charted 11 of the record’s 15 songs in the Hot 100. Three of those tracks landed in the top 50 and one even debuted inside the top 20. Compared to the numbers that most other rappers do those are impressive. Gunna thought so too and took to his Instagram story to thank fans.

In the video, Gunna posted many of the record’s accomplishments are listed. It was the number-one hip-hop album in the US during its first week. It also had the highest streaming debut of any album to come out the same week. Interestingly, it’s also the biggest first week for a rap album with no features since 2021. Underneath the video, Gunna keeps it brief with his caption. “Thanks to My Fans ILY” the text underneath the video reads.

Gunna Thanks Fans For Streaming His Album

Some fans felt like a Gift & a Curse underperformed since it was his lowest-selling major release yet. Others were quick to point out that the album’s lack of promotion and singles certainly hampered its commercial potential. Some even went as far as to say the album exceeded expectations given the circumstances. Of course, those circumstances also include Gunna’s recent brush with allegedly snitching as a part of his plea deal in the YSL Rico case. He’s been publicly criticized by former collaborators like Lil Baby and Lil Durk.

Last week Gunna’s label mate Young Thug released his new album Business Is Business. Young Thug is still in the midst of his own trial and mentions snitches directly in a lyric on the new album. Since it came out fans have been debating whether or not it’s a shot aimed at Gunna. What do you think of Gunna’s new video thanking his fans? Let us know in the comment section below.

Read More: Young Thug verses Gunna: Which Album Is Better?

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Gunna’s “a Gift & a Curse” Sells 83k In Its First Week

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Gunna has been in the news a lot recently for reasons that don’t have that much to do with his music. Consequently it can be easy to forget that Gunna just dropped his first new album in over a year last week. The album sports 15 tracks and no features and generated 83k sales in its first week. Almost all of those sales came from streaming and it puts Gunna with artists like Lil Durk and Karol G for the best-selling rap albums of the year so far. The 83k is a somewhat significant bump from the 78k the album was originally projected to do a few days ago.

Some fans have pointed out that this is the lowest first week’s sales for a major Gunna release yet. Previously, his lowest debut, 2019’s Drip Or Drown 2 sold 90k. Although that seems condemning at first many fans were quick to point out logical explanations for the slip. The clearest purpose for the dip in sales is likely the album’s lack of promotion. Gunna has largely been absent from any social media for over a year, which is the primary channel for most artists to promote their music. The record was also released very shortly after its announcement and lead single. Those tighter release schedules and lower promotions have caused lower sales for many artists in the past.

Gunna’s First Week Numbers Are In

For the past few months, Gunna has faced allegations of snitching from all sides. Two former collaborators of his, Lil Durk and Lil Baby both reportedly called out his actions. That resulted in him appearing to unfollow both on Instagram this morning. Alternatively, Gunna might be dealing with shade from someone even closer to him.

Young Thug’s brand new album Business Is Business features lyrics calling out snitches. Subsequently many have interpreted it as a shot at Gunna. Other fans online argue that the song was recorded long before his plea deal. What do you think of Gunna’s first-week sales numbers? Tell us in the comment section below.

Read More: Young Thug Versus Gunna: Which Album Is Better?

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Metro Boomin Previews Music With Future Following “Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse” Soundtrack Success

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Metro Boomin recently unveiled his highly-anticipated soundtrack to Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. First-week sales numbers prove that fans couldn’t wait to get listening to the LP. The project has sold 60,363 copies in its first week, with 3,079 coming from pure sales, putting him at #7 on the charts. The soundtrack features several high-profile features like 21 Savage, A$ap Rocky, Nas, Lil Wayne, and more.

He also made a cameo appearance in the new film, which he told Variety was “fun” for him earlier this month. “It was another door to open,” he told the outlet, “to peek through.” Metro Boomin explained, “Whether there is some more opportunities to do things like this in the future, it just makes a light bulb go. But it wasn’t difficult to integrate.” He also revealed that the cameo “was just so surreal,” claiming that he’s a “lifelong Marvel and Spider-Man fan.”

Read More: Metro Boomin Reacts To His Cameo In “Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse”

Metro Boomin Teases New Track With Future

Metro Boomin also just teased a new track he has on the way with one of his soundtrack collaborators, Future. Though he claims that the song is still in the works, fans at a recent performance had the honor of hearing it live.

Earlier this month, he revealed that a collaborative album with Future would be his next project. “So now that the soundtrack is out… when’s the album with Future,” a Twitter user asked the producer. He told the fan that the collab would be “Next up.” Metro Boomin first teased the collab in March in his cover story for FLAUNT magazine. He discussed performing alongside the rapper during his One Big Party tour stop in Atlanta. “Oh, that was fire,” he said of the performance. He later told the outlet that a collaborative album between the two of them would “definitely,” come out at some point this year. “I would bet on it,” he shared, “I would definitely bet on it.”

Read More: Metro Boomin Pens Heartfelt Message On 1-Year Anniversary Of His Mom’s Death

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Soulja Boy Reveals Insane “Kiss Me Thru The Phone” Earnings

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Soulja Boy is someone who has had impressive longevity in the hip-hop world. Although he may not be pumping out hits right now, he still has a lot of fans around the world. Overall, he burst onto the scene with “Crank Dat.” As many of you know, he made this song popular thanks to some mischievous practices on Limewire. That said, he was able to follow up this success with some other big songs. For instance, he had another smash hit with “Kiss Me Thru The Phone” which almost went number one on Billboard.

If you remember, the music video featured a phone number that fans could call or text. As you can imagine, this number was inundated by his supporters and those who just wanted to troll. That said, Soulja Boy did not seem to mind it. In an interview with HipHopDX, Soulja explained how much money he made off of the phone number. According to the artist, the number was like a subscription service. With so many people calling the number, he was able to secure upwards of $100,000 USD per month.

Read More: Yung Joc’s Emotive Instagram Post Gets Support From Soulja Boy, The Game & More

Soulja Boy Secured The Bag

“Alright, let me tell y’all the real story,” Soulja Boy began. “Boom. So that number was like a fan line. So every time somebody called that number, I was getting paid off of that shit. It was like a subscription. You could text it or call it, so I was probably making like $100,000 a month off of that, just people calling that number.” Subsequently, he explained how the company that had the number went out of business. However, he is looking to get the number back in his possession.

Overall, this just goes to show what kind of marketing genius Soulja Boy is. Sometimes, it can be hard to monetize your music, especially in today’s day and age. However, he found the perfect way to capitalize on the ringtone era of music. Tell us your thoughts on these reported earnings, in the comments section below. Additionally, stay tuned to HNHH for more news from the music world.

Read More: Rappers Who Are The Biggest Gamers: Soulja Boy, T-Pain & More

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50 Cent Says That His Upcoming Tour Could Be His Last

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50 Cent says that his highly-anticipated Final Lap Tour could be his last for the foreseeable future. He’s putting on the world tour in celebration of the 20th anniversary of his debut album Get Rich or Die Tryin’. On Instagram Live, he revealed that he’s sold over 500,000 tickets in the week since announcing the dates.

“Because ticket sales are doing so well they’re adding new markets so the UK, North America, and possibly Australia will be in there,” 50 told his fans. “I gotta get to Africa. I got a lot of spots I gotta hit before I be done, because this is the Final Lap Tour.”

Read More: 50 Cent Announces Global Tour

50 Cent In Concert

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – MAY 06: 50 Cent performs during the Lovers & Friends music festival at the Las Vegas Festival Grounds on May 06, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Candice Ward/Getty Images)

He continued: “I won’t be running around like this no more. I gotta do my film and television stuff and got a lot of other things going on behind the scenes that I gotta work on. So I won’t be out touring as much as I’ve been touring… I’m having fun this time because it’s set up to enjoy myself, we not feeling pressure.”

For the Final Lap Tour, 50 will be performing a total of 64 shows across the globe. The trek will begin on July 21 in Salt Lake City, Utah, and see him travel across North America until September 17. At that point, he’ll fly over to Europe and perform in Amsterdam, Oslo, Zurich, Paris, London, and more cities. He’ll be bringing along Busta Rhymes and Jeremih.

50 Cent Updates Fans On His Future Plans

50 Cent recently discussed what fans can expect from the tour during an interview with USA Today. “It’s gonna be a whole new show,” 50 Cent shared of his upcoming concerts. “Sometimes out of habit, you go to certain records. People love other things on it, so I wanna make sure I touch those records before I don’t do those anymore.”

Read More: How 50 Cent’s “Get Rich Or Die Tryin” Defined An Era Of Hip Hop

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