Kanye vs. 50… Bonafide Rivalry or Marketing Ploy?
Today, on the sixth anniversary of the worst act of “terror” on American soil, I find myself preoccupied with the record sales of two of Hip-Hop’s most 
notable artists. With both Curtis - Cent and Graduation – West, released on the same day, once again the record executes have pitted two Hip-Hop brands against one another in an attempt to boost sales. Ingenious!
What better way to tap into the tightly clenched wallets of the masses use to illegal downloads and bootlegged CD’s. Play up the David versus Goliath saga and watch the dollars roll in. This strategy has proven true in the past, but it has also proven fatal with the assassination of Hip-Hop mavericks Biggie and Tupac.
50’s thug appeal versus Kanye’s prep is the perfect match up. With record sales at an all time low, record execs must prove that music is worth paying for. 50 cent has said that he will retire if Kanye West sells more records than him. By Wednesday, we will find out if the world will be out another thug lyricist.
Technorati Tags: Kanye West, 50 Cent, Record Sales, Hip-Hop, Music Marketing, Graduation, Curtis, Beneath the Brand, Kelliann McDonald
Filed under: Industry Gossip, Industry News, Music Marketing
Both Kanye West and 50 Cent are incredible artists, but I will not be surprised to see Kanye win. Kanye seems to be more likable and acceptable by the majority of rap listeners. His lyrics are more relatable than 50’s lines and many others rappers in the industry. The one thing that these two artists have in common is that they are both talented individuals. With their marketing strategies, it is obvious that these two gentlemen went after the big lump sum for their records. Their marketing strategies force their audience to support them in a race that was purposely designed to bring a return on their investments. Brilliant!
I don’t see this “rivalry” even close to being in the same light of Tupac and Biggie - especially with the gang connections that were prevalent there.
This one is all show - 50 Cent has made millions by being an antagonist and creating some drama around himself to generate free publicity - he is smart. He knows that it doesn’t matter what people say about you as long as they are talking about you because he knows how to make money from that ‘talk’.
50 Cent and Kanye are smart businessmen - E! was showing a clip where Kanye visited 50 before the MTV VMAs in 50’s suite and they behaved like good old friends - the rivalry is a ploy and is good for the music because they have challenged each other creatively.
My money is on Kanye though 50 Cent will be right on his heels with sale. They will probably be buying up their own albums to skew the numbers as well - they have the money.
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