Since it is more and more difficult to make a living in music business, here is another way to do things during these tough times. Nipsey Hussle, a Los Angeles rapper, has released his album online for free, as so many other musicians do it, but there is a twist: if you want a physical copy of ‘Mailbox Money’, you will have to pay big bucks: what about $1,000?
And so far it’s working for Hussle as he has sold 60 copies of it!
‘It surprises me,’ he said to the Guardian. ‘As much as I believe in it. Every time I get a transaction, I get a text on my phone, and I’ve been hitting them back. The feedback and the connection I have with these people help me understand the psychology of the person paying $1,000 for some songs that, realistically, you could download for free.’
Wow, so some people are still very attached to physical objects? But who are those people? When I can get a free download, I don’t even consider getting the CD, but Hussle has some big ideas on the subject: ‘The highest human act is to inspire. Money is a tool – it’s the means, not the end. [Inspiration is] the metric that dictates whether or not a project is a success. It’s more realistic than trying to aim for radio play, or trying to satisfy an A&R, or the other gatekeepers on these platforms. I don’t even know how to create with those things in mind. But if you tell me the goal is to inspire? That makes my job a lot easier.’
Inspire, fine but these people have to be die-hard fans! I can understand buying a CD, but for $1,000? It’s ridiculous!
I have to say that there are a few surprises coming with the CD, like an invitation to a private listening session for Hussle’s next album, but still, it is amazing he is selling any at this price. And this is not the first thing it is happening, in 2013, he put 1,000 copies of his album ‘Crenshaw’ up for sale at $100 each, and he sold everything, Jay Z even bought 100 copies of it!? Why? Does he want to resell them and make profit? It was a very greedy thing to do but at the same time it served Hussle very well.
This new business is a great step forward for this ex-gang member – he was for a time a member of the Rollin 60s Neighbourhood Crips gang – who grew up in a very tough LA neighborhood. But he is a very smart guy, who is even well aware that the sale tactics could overshadow the music itself: ‘I’m not worried,’ he said. ‘People buy into ideas. ‘Think different’ is more iconic than any Apple product you buy, and “Just Do It’ is more iconic than any shoe. The reason it doesn’t bother me is that I know musically where I’m going, and I know about the quality of music that I’ll be making next.’
So $100 for the first one, $1,000 for this one, how high can he go? ‘For the record, that isn’t the plan right now,’ he answered to the question. However he wants to keep releasing his music for free on the web, ‘Digital music is abundant, and it’s going against the laws of nature to charge for something that is ubiquitous. It would be like charging for air.’
Have you ever heard something like this? Of course he is doing all this without any label: ‘The labels aren’t letting us live,’ he added. ‘They’re not letting artists own anything! We’re going to end up 60 years old without a pot to piss in – no catalogue, no mailbox money, no residuals. We’re supposed to be in control. We’re supposed to own this shit. Unless you don’t have the mental capacity to do so, but that doesn’t apply to me.’
Obviously, this guy has enough mental capacity to trick the system and make lots of money.