Jermaine Dupri is someone who has been in the music industry for many years. Overall, he has a wealth of experience and is qualified to speak freely about the rap game and how the industry operates today. In fact, Dupree recently attended the United Masters SelectCon conference in Atlanta, where he spoke with Steve Stout about the current state of hip-hop. It was here that he mentioned “Sexyy Red’s” album sales, noting that her numbers were indicative of the rap industry’s current woes.
For Dupri, album sales are currently low, but the artist is still being hyped and pushed to the forefront. “I came into the music industry in an era where if you sold 28,000 albums, you had no chance of walking into the building again,” Dupree explains. “N****s aren’t going to talk to you if you sell 28,000 records. There’s such a disconnect between people’s understanding of the streaming situation and what you’re actually seeing. […] I come from a time when numbers were 80,000, 100, 200, 800, 900.
Jermaine Dupree debates Steve Stout
During the conversation, Steve Stout proposed a counterpoint. In his opinion, album sales are low because streaming versions don’t make much sense. You need 1500 live streams to equal the sales of an album. That means 1.5 million streams for just 1,000 albums. This makes it difficult for artists to hit the numbers Dupree is talking about. That said, one has to wonder whether the equivalent unit measurements would change. As things stand, something just doesn’t add up.
Let us know what you think of this video of Jermaine Dupri in the comments section below. Do you think the industry is hyping the wrong artists? What are your thoughts on the way album sales are calculated today, especially when it comes to streaming sales? Also, stay tuned to HNHH for the latest news and updates from the music industry. We will continue to update you on all your favorite artists and their upcoming projects.
About the author
Alexander Cole is the current Editor-in-Chief of HotNewHipHop. He joined HotNewHipHop in 2018, initially as a sports and sneaker writer. During this time, he demonstrated expertise in Air Jordans, Yeezys, and all things Nike related. His favorite shoes are the Air Jordan 1 High OG, Air Jordan 4, Air Jordan 6 and the “Beluga 2.0” color Adidas Yeezy Boost 350 V2. Although his collection may not be the largest, he is always on the lookout for new styles. Speaking of sports, Alex is particularly interested in the NBA and NFL. No matter where James goes, his favorite team is the Kansas City Chiefs. As a Montreal native, the Montreal Canadiens hold a special place in his heart, even though they didn’t win a Stanley Cup in his lifetime. Alex also works for the Concordia Stingers, providing play-by-play and color commentary for the football, hockey and basketball teams.
