Way back in February, when it was being downloaded at ridiculous rates, TC & I kept saying that Drake should’ve found some way to sell that tape. And now it’s finally gonna happen. While there’s no doubt that Drake has proven to be marketable among the mainstream set, he needs to let this one be.
After singlehandedly catapulting him to stardom, Drake’s critically-acclaimed mixtape, So Far Gone, will be repackaged for an official re-release.
According to MTV News, the disc will fundamentally be the same as the original, but will now include a previously unreleased record, “Fear,” stuck onto the album’s end.
“I recorded it when I did So Far Gone,” Drake told MTV.com about the song. “The first verse and half of the second verse I had gotten through. But then I just stopped because it was getting eerie. It was getting where I didn’t know if I could [finish it].”
It’s one thing trying to convince people to buy an album that’s supposed to be a retail release. It’s a whole ‘nother thing to ask people to buy something six to seven months after you gave it to them for free. Especially when your only offering one new song to the equation. Isn’t that what iTunes is for? So Far Gone was chock full of bangers (some which could’ve been held for his debut album,) but it has to be let go.
Taking a wild guess, I’m sure his label has something to do with this mixtape hitting retail. All they see is “Every Girl” & “Best I Ever Had” getting major spins and adulation from fans across the country. They understandably want to see a return on their investment. But what happens when the revamped So Far Gone only sells 100,000 to 200,000 copies? Does the label chalk that up as the market for this mixtape already being saturated or do they think that all of Drake’s hype won’t translate into sales?
It’s a good question, and one Drake really shouldn’t want to find out at this time. Let his label throw their weight behind Thank Me Later believing the sky’s the limit in terms of sales potential. I mean, Drake felt comfortable enough to let his release come in 2010, so why couldn’t he just leave this mixtape as is?
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“It’s a whole other thing to ask people to buy something six to seven months after you gave it to them for free. Especially when your only offering one new song to the equation.”
My thoughts exactly.
drake is the great experiment – can a nigga who got crazy buzz on the net really make it in the public eye. i truly think the future of niggas getting deals the way he did lives or dies with his success – or lack thereof.
he looks like the weasel from ice age
…but houstinatlantavegas is my shit, son!
no hormones.
@ khal
Agreed. I was just thinking about that today. Drake’s mainstream success or failure will set the trend for future internet dudes. I think he’ll do just fine though. He’s got the ladies buzzing like no other, which usually signifies success. And once the “Successful” video drops with Songz, it’s a wrap.
Everyone’s an experiment in translating internet hype to sales. Slaughterhouse is a test subject for the underground set in the same vein as Drake.
true, but the industry is fucked up. they know slaughterhouse aint doing shit. drake has (had?) potential to do something bigger.
Record labels are so fucking backwards that its ridiculous.
Drake will sell. I predict 200-250k, even though most living breathing rap fans already have it.
I say 50K
Drake will sell. I predict 200-250k, even though most living breathing rap fans already have it.
I say 50K
==================
Total or first week? It’s either gonna make a killing… or not a shilling (c) Kanye Omari
Total or first week? It’s either gonna make a killing… or not a shilling (c) Kanye Omari
===========================
I can’t see it selling 50K considering the amount of people who already have the tape on their hard drives. Dude missed his window to make some bread. He shoulda been selling this tape months ago.
months are the new years.
I dont hope for failrue for anybody but he just doesnt appeal to me….. I mean he’ll always have that radio presence but he’ll never have me stunned enough…. to consider him over local rappers n any metro… He should wait for some growth….
ill download the real release too!
drake needs another hit…if he wants to move units off his album…we’ll see?
This is what will happen, the label will release the Drake mask in conjunction with the CD and all the little children will wear the mask in time for the premier of his new music video, this halloween.
The children wearing the Drake masks will sit in front of their 52 inch Simsang fat screen televisions, and the label will trigger the microchip at the back of the mask, which will trigger a kinetic action inside of the children’s bodies.
This in turn will turn their heads into mush and stuff like snakes, bugs and other creepy crawlies will come spewing forth from their heads and the masks.
So basically here’s the ethos, we’ll give it away for free right now, but you’ll pay for it later on.
I think this is actually very smart..u would be suprised at the amount of people that still don’t know this project is a free mixtape and are looking for it at Target..plus theres still a lot of females that just want to pop a Cd into their RAV4 and go…
It’s a can’t lose for the label. They’re putting out, and making money off of, an album that they didn’t spend a cent on to record and already has been marketed. True, most fans have the album (or at least singles) already. But, don’t take it for granted that there are plenty of people—wherever they may be—who don’t; and won’t figure out how to snatch music off the Internet for another few years.
And if the label did spend all that money to sign him, they’re going to squeeze every dollar out of him they can.
Aqua said it all…
Any sales = bonus cash for the label and Drake.
52 inch Simsang
LOL
wtf is a drake?
I can see 200K in sales for this joint… on the real, I’ll buy a physical copy just because it deserves a purchase. There aren’t too many albums out these days that are that good. If you don’t buy this one, you ain’t buying anyone else’s either.
Rappers don’t have “medical”. This is gonna help pay for those ACL repair fees.
drake will sell more than loso, it’s a minimum. but yea i see more 250k
to me, and maybe that would be not enough, who knows ?! if his first solo iz dope, with the buzz and promotion (videos/guests) that can be the new sensation (in charts). let we see soon
http://img8.imageshack.us/img8/1116/noname1v.jpg
http://img7.imageshack.us/img7/2272/nonamejei.jpg
Those are pics of about 50 Run This Town singles at Best Buy… that cost $2, and a Make Her say single with Day N Nite and the Crookers Remix… that costs $5 at FYE.
And we wonder why labels are failing. SMH.
As far as So Far Gone, depending on how much it is I might buy a physical copy.
this thread has some quotatable comments
“Does the label chalk that up as the market for this mixtape already being saturated or do they think that all of Drake’s hype won’t translate into sales?”
That will be interesting to see. I sit on the fence — part of me says leave it alone, let it be, the other side realizes that there are a lot of people who aren’t net saavy and don’t know how accessible this tape is — I know it’s crazy to think that some people still hear things on the radio and head straight to the store and/or iTunes to buy it.
As for the those pics of singles: WTF, when did they start making CD singles again. Wow.
Im gonna buy it because its his first hard copy of something ya know almost like a piece of history for this kid
Fans or Gate Holders
What is it to anybody that something that was once free is now to be purchased, music is always free, we put value on it, when we decide to purchase, everyone does not download music, some places in America do not have DSL and still mostly use dial up, those people are not downloading songs, people on the coast need to realize that everything is not as you would like it to be, Middle America, there is a reason why people can pander to them and say all types of crazy things and they run with
Everyone is not on the Internet all day, TSS, they just are not, the College kids yes, they got TL Lines and all that, Northeast, yes we have the companies, Southwest, yes they have the resources, but everybody, people in so many states have no idea about alot of things, let alone the Internet, please stop the bias
People will buy Drake CD, people are quoting saying 100k-200k max, do you not get that 10k is a win for a FREE CD, 10k, 100k means he dame near recouped his 1 million advance, 100k at 5 wholesale is 500k, the label may have put 25k into marketing, if that, so there recoup is no more than 100k the rest will be split between, the labels and whatever percentage they agreed upon and they way the deal was worked out, he may see 300k off every 100k sold (from this album, it was completed, no label leg work to overcharge for) he sale 250k of an album that was free, that is a win, does Rick Ross, Fab, Maino, Jadakiss or anybody else that released an album this summer have 250k sold, if so great if not, the kid that is the next to blow, the kid that hit you with the free mixtape, Jimmy, the kid that is on all the best songs (admit it-that Jay joint not withstanding) has created a new model,
give it out free
tour like heck
get on everything smocking
sign a great deal
shoot some videos for those callabos
sell the thing I originally gave you free
Catch Up
LISTEN……………WHATEVER IS MADE OFF THIS EP IS A JOOOKE TO DRAKE AAAAND THE LABEL……….IF THEY PUSH MADD UNITS IMAGINE WHAT THEY ARE IN FOR WHEN DRAKE DROPS A FULL LP?
BASICALLY ITS A VERY INTERESTING, VERY ODD BUT POTENTIALLY INCREDIBLY PROFITABLE “TEST” SO THAT THE LABEL CAN SEE WHAT KIND OF MARKET THEY ARE DEALING WITH….
IMAGINE IF THIS OUTSELLS FOR EXAMPLE KID CUDI’s ALBUm…..DRAKE HAS A CHANCE TO MAKE HISTORY!!!! I MEAN REALLY FUCK NIGGAS UP IF PPL COME THRY AND SUPPORT….I KNO I WILL
IM ONLY COPPIN’ CUZ MY NIGGA PRODUCED “UPTOWN” WIT BOI 1DA SO I GOTTA MAKE SURE HE GETS HIS ROYALTY MONEY