Despite obstacles to listen to Vultures 1, it still debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart dated February 24 — becoming West’s 11th-career No. 1 album and Ty Dolla Sign’s first. Vultures 1 accumulated 148,000 equivalent album units in the United States during its first week, according to Billboard and its Luminate data service.
Kanye West and Ty Dolla $ign have absolutely been through the wringer this year given the chaotic rollout of VULTURES 1 and the absence of its promised sequel project. However, it turns out that there’s still another chapter in the bizarre VULTURES saga, as the album is no longer available on Spotify. You can still listen to some singles like “CARNIVAL” and “TALKING,” but the LP as a whole disappeared for unexplained reasons at press time. We don’t know if this has to do with its distribution deal, sample clearance issues, or Ye and Ty’s plans to only stream their material via the YZY app.
This was already the planned release method for VULTURES 2, so we don’t know if this VULTURES 1 removal means that Kanye West and Ty Dolla $ign’s next collaboration is in jeopardy. Still, it’s possible that the album will just reappear on Spotify in due time, as had already happened when the album dropped in the first place. As for other streaming services, it seems like Apple Music still has it up, so that suggests this is more of a distribution issue with Spotify in particular. Still, that’s just speculative, and there’s a big chance that we will never find out for sure.
Also, this is curious because Kanye West seemingly announced that VULTURES 1 would be his last album, since he claimed to retire from music recently. Nevertheless, as with all things Ye, this didn’t really last long, as Rich The Kid announced that he would have a new feature on his new album Life’s A Gamble. Maybe this is just a promo stunt or another plea for attention, but it’s easy to presume that the Chicago artist just doesn’t have the same relationship to music that he used to. It was only a matter of time, and we’ll see how true his words are.
Meanwhile, perhaps this VULTURES 1 removal will have an impact on the duo’s planned Korea listening event for VULTURES. Whether or not Kanye West and Ty Dolla $ign shelve their collaborative series, that wouldn’t close the door on new Ye music for the rest of time to begin with. So maybe we’ll see the album back on Spotify tomorrow morning… or users on the platform will never bump “BURN” again. It’s all a mystery in Ye’s world right now, and maybe a break is more reasonable than outright abandonment.
The American public is more invested in the ongoing Drake-Kendrick Lamar beef than the upcoming presidential election. Unlike the upcoming presidential election, however, the Drake-Kendrick beef has a clear winner. Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us” ostensibly ended it, but the “Not Like Us” victory lap is relentless.
Now, even Siri has chosen a side — emphasizing the certified loser of this rap rapture.
HipHopDX’s Jeremy Hecht recorded himself asking Siri to play Drake’s Certified Lover Boy on Spotify, and instead, Kendrick Lamar whispers, “Psst, I see dead people,” which is the intro to “Not Like Us.”
As is my journalistic duty, I also asked Siri to play Certified Lover Boy, Drake’s September 2021 album, on Spotify, and Siri played “Not Like Us.” However, the second time I tried it, Siri did play Certified Lover Boy, so it would appear that Siri’s pettiness is limited to one attempt — or Spotify corrected the glitch. Hilarious, nonetheless.
“I mean, love Drake, love Drake, you always could play him,” DeRozan told Fox 40’s Sean Cunningham in response to whether Drake songs can be played during his games with the Sacramento Kings, his new team. “Kendrick’s been a friend of mine — family, damn near family for a long time, for a while. We from the same city, grew up damn near in the same neighborhood. So, it’s always been there. It hasn’t always been publicized, but that’s basically family.”
It goes without saying that Drake’s had a rough go over the past few months. Luckily, that doesn’t appear to have impacted his impressive streaming streak. Reportedly, the Toronto-born performer was the most streamed rapper on Spotify in the month of June, and it was far from the first time. He’s been the most-streamed rapper on the platform every single month of this year, which is certainly something to brag about.
While Drizzy’s fiercely loyal fanbase isn’t at all surprised by his latest feat, some social media users were skeptical that he’d be able to pass up Kendrick Lamar again. After all, he just recently unveiled an eagerly anticipated music video for “Not Like Us,” and performed a slew of hits at his Pop Out show in LA.
Needless to say, it looks like his viral feud hasn’t done much to hinder the success of his music. If anything, it’s likely to have boosted it, as he’s got more eyes on him than ever these days. In this case, that’s a good thing for the “Family Matters” artist. Unfortunately, however, that also currently makes him a magnet for criticism. Earlier this week, for example, he took to Instagram with a few black-and-white shots of himself sipping on a cup of tea, prompting outrage from social media users.
While some simply mocked him for the dramatic photoshoot, those paying close attention to the feud have been waiting for him to address Kendrick’s latest moves and were quick to ridicule him for failing to do so right away. What do you think of Drake keeping up his streaming streak in June? Are you surprised or not? Did you think he would be dethroned by Kendrick Lamar? Share your thoughts in the comments section down below, and keep an eye on HNHH for more updates.
Kendrick Lamar has one of the biggest hits in the entire world right now with “Not Like Us.” Overall, the song is everywhere and it is pretty hard to escape. However, some are fatigued by it while others were simply never amused. That said, the vast majority of hip-hop fans love the song and have been bumping it since its release on May 4th. At this stage, there is no denying just how catchy the song is, and its various Spotify records showcase what a huge hit this really is.
Interestingly enough, some have been questioning the validity of these Spotify streams. DJ Akademiks has been the main internet personality bringing these questions to light. There is this narrative that Kendrick Lamar and Spotify were in cahoots to bot streams to make the song appear bigger than it actually is. While many brushed these allegations off as ridiculous, others took them very seriously. Well, it appears as though DJ Akademiks sought to get to the bottom of things.
In the clip above, you can see that Akademiks fessed up to talking to his connect at Spotify, directly. During their conversation, the connection claimed that Spotify was not botting streams and that they never would. “I talked to my man from Spotify. […] Them Kendrick streams is real,” Ak said simply. For those who already believed Kendrick was botting streams, this probably won’t move the needle. However, for many others, this is all they needed to hear.
Let us know what you think about this response from Spotify, in the comments section down below. Do you believe that this is the last we will hear about the botting allegations? What did you make of Akademiks bringing up these allegations, in the first place? Additionally, stay tuned to HNHH for the latest news and updates from around the music world. We will continue to keep you informed on all of your favorite artists and their upcoming projects.
Drake is still mad at Kendrick Lamar over their beef, and he has made that very clear with his Internet presence after the battle wrapped up. While K.Dot filmed a music video and hosted a West Coast celebration as his victory lap, Drizzy’s idea of a triumphant parade is shady IG stories and captions, voting in online polls about the best diss track from the feud, and most recently, some comments on Trainwrecktv’s Kick stream last night. “hey pragmatic can we take it back to 2022…” he apparently wrote in chat. “can you backdoor Eddie like Spotify backdoored the streams for that one song from that one guy.”
Of course, many took this to reference Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us,” which has faced various accusations from Drake’s supporters of using bots to push fake streams. However, many of these claims have either been debunked or dismissed, as fans have brought up how the Mustard-produced banger is number one on Apple Music and how you apparently can’t bot on that platform. As such, these theories remain purely speculative, although it’s pretty likely that both artists benefitted from bots and fake streams to some degree. After all, even though neither MC probably ordered this, their supporters and fans can take matters into their own hands.
For that reason, discussions around fake streams and botting turn more innocuous by the day as it becomes clear that these songs would’ve been massive successes either way. Also, this whole thing doesn’t really matter as much as the beef itself, and both Drake and Kendrick Lamar are finding it hard to move on from it. The 6ix God just released two summer bangers that even one of his biggest haters proclaimed as smash hits. But it seems like it’s not enough for him.
Nevertheless, we can’t really know how this situation will conclude, or to what extent bots and fake streams assisted “Not Like Us” or a track like “Family Matters.” Drake will likely continue to engage in some social media shots against his opponent, and Kendrick Lamar… Well, we have no idea. There are album rumors that could manifest or come and go with the wind. Will we still see botting accusations if it drops?
So, when can the Hotties listen to Megan in its entirety?
What Time Is Megan Thee Stallion’s Megan Streaming On Spotify?
Megan Thee Stallion will release Megan on Friday, June 28, so you can expect the album to become available to stream on Spotify, Apple Music, and all DSPs at 9 p.m. PT on Thursday, June 27, and midnight ET on Friday, June 28.
In case you missed it: In late May, Spotify CEO Daniel Ek shared a statement in which he described the “cost of creating content” as being “close to zero.” His comments were more likely about the barrier to entry being lower than it has before than it was about devaluing or underestimating the resources is takes to create music. Still, what he said rubbed people the wrong way.
Today, with the cost of creating content being close to zero, people can share an incredible amount of content. This has sparked my curiosity about the concept of long shelf life versus short shelf life. While much of what we see and hear quickly becomes obsolete, there are…
That includes Deadmau5, who caught wind of the quote a few days ago and wrote on Instagram, “Incorrect. The cost of creating content was 25+ years of my life and much of those proceeds going to your company you complete f*cking idiot.” In response to a comment about hating Spotify, he responded (as NME notes), “I feel that, I’m about to pull my catalog from these f*cking vultures, enough’s enough.”
In the comments, Dutch DJ Leroy Styles went long outlining some of the costs involved with making music:
“This is crazy. It’s almost zero or a couple of zeros!!
Here’s a breakdown of some of the costs.
High-Performance Laptop for Music Production
For a high-performance laptop suitable for music production, consider models such as:
Apple MacBook Pro 16-inch (M1 Max, 64GB RAM, 2TB SSD): Around $3,499
Dell XPS 17 (32GB RAM, 2TB SSD): Around $3,000
Razer Blade 15 Studio Edition (32GB RAM, 1TB SSD): Around $3,999
Total Estimated Cost
Adding up these costs, assuming no sales or discounts:
VST Plugins:
Omnisphere: $499
Komplete 14 Ultimate: $1,599
Waves Mercury: $7,599
UAD Ultimate: $4,999
EastWest ComposerCloud X: $239.88/year
FabFilter Total Bundle: $899
iZotope Everything Bundle: $1,999
Soundtoys 5 Bundle: $499
Arturia V Collection: $599
Slate Digital All Access Pass: $179.88/year
Total for Plugins: $18,910.76 + $419.76/year
And then your time making music. Recording Studio Time:
Professional studios can charge from $50 to $500+ per hour.
Producer Fees:
Producers might charge per track or hour, ranging from $300 to $10,000+ depending on their reputation and experience.
Session Musicians:
Rates can range from $50 to $500+ per hour or per song.
Mixing and Mastering:
Mixing engineers typically charge $200 to $1,000+ per track.
Mastering can cost between $50 to $500+ per track.
Equipment and Software:
Purchasing or renting instruments, microphones, and recording software can range from a few hundred to several thousand dollars.
Promotion and Distribution:
Digital distribution services (like DistroKid, TuneCore) can charge $20 to $50+ per year.
Marketing campaigns, including social media ads, can range from $100 to $10,000+.
Miscellaneous Costs:
Travel, lodging, and other incidental expenses can add up.
Overall, the total cost to produce a single song can range from a few hundred to tens of thousands of dollars, while a full album can cost significantly more. My 1st album has cost me 18k euro.
And don’t forget your time!!”
Ek responded to the original wave of backlash in early June, writing, “I understand how it came across as very reductive and that wasn’t my intent. Just to clarify – my original point was not to devalue the time, effort, or resources involved in creating meaningful works, whether it’s music, literature, or other forms of creative expression. […] The significant drop in the cost of creation tools (microphones, laptops, cameras) has led to an unprecedented explosion in the volume of what people are able to produce.”
Obviously seeing the feedback to this one and wanted to respond. It’s clear I was far too vague in the post, including with my clumsy definition of content. I understand how it came across as very reductive and that wasn’t my intent. Just to clarify – my original point was not to… https://t.co/kMR0zE17Ay
Metro Boomin is the most famous producer in hip-hop at the moment. He kicked off the Drake vs. Kendrick Lamar battle, scoring a number one single and dropping a viral instrumental in the process. Both of his studio albums have gone platinum. He even dropped an acclaimed soundtrack to a Sony superhero film in 2023. He’s a recognizable brand, which is why he wants to make control over the distribution of his music. Namely, the use of digital streaming services.
Metro Boomin took a screenshot of a X (formerly Twitter) exchange on June 24. The screenshot was in response to a question about “industry math.” It broke down, in simple terms, how little an artist actually makes from an album when it’s uploaded to DSPs. “A fan needs to stream an artist’s music 20 times a day for a whole year for that artist to make $25 from that fan,” the tweet read. Metro Boomin not only co-signed the tweet, but made a big announcement. He told followers that these paltry streaming profits are partially why he’s going to stop putting albums on streaming. “This is why my next album probably be the last one streaming,” he wrote.
The producer didn’t specify what his next album will be. The announcement could pose issues for DSPs like Apple Music and Spotify, though. Metro Boomin and Future dominated the Spotify charts with their joint album WE DON”T TRUST YOU in March. Forbes reported that the duo occupied half a dozen of the top 10 spots on Spotify’s U.S. charts. The biggest song, “Like That,” beat out the second place entry by an impressive 400K streams. This announcement comes a year after Metro Boomin decided to sell part of his publishing catalog to Shamrock Capital for $70 million.
Metro is mindful of his worth, but he’s made a point of avoiding “cash grab” trends. He spoke on the importance of maintaining a quality brand during an interview with Variety. “I feel like people can just tell I care,” he asserted. “At a time when everybody has their hand out — like, ‘Let me do this for cash; let me make a dance for TikTok’ — you can hear all the details and thought behind my music.” Only time will tell if the producer sticks to his non-streaming plan.
The price of everything seems to be going up, and it seems that way because it’s true. Now, though, Spotify has introduced a new “Basic” plan that is now its most affordable premium offering.
What Do You Get With Spotify’s New ‘Basic’ Plan?
The announcement post from Spotify says, “Enjoy the music streaming benefits of your Premium plan without the monthly audiobook listening time. Starting at $10.99/month for eligible users.” As for what the Premium plan offers, the post relays, “Enjoy offline and ad-free music listening anytime, anywhere with unlimited skips. Your plan gives you 15 hours of audiobook listening time per month from our subscriber catalog of over 250,000 titles. $11.99/month.” So, as stated, Basic offers all that except for the audiobook element.
As TechCrunch notes, this new plan comes just weeks after Spotify upped the price of the Premium plan from $10.99 to 11.99. With the introduction of the Basic tier, Spotify for $10.99 a month is back on the table after a brief absence.
As for when the Basic plan will be available, it actually is right now, as it’s currently an option on the Spotify Premium page.
The available Spotify tiers seem likely to undergo continued change beyond this. Last year, there were reports that a more expensive premium subscription is in the works.
