By: Amanda Anderson-Niles
Rapper Kendrick Lamar has another studio album on the way, and he recently stopped by Hot 97 to dish on his new music and his incredible success in the music industry thus far.
Interestingly enough, he got real candid on album sales and revealed he feels black people don’t support their own artists enough nowadays.
He says:
“We’re in a music game where black people don’t necessarily support the artist like they like should. Period. And you wonder…they don’t buy the music. Because we don’t believe in it like we should. And then you wonder why country artist Taylor Swift can go out here and do these numbers because they believe it. And not even making it a numbers game. They wholeheartedly believe in what she’s doing.
“And not just saying for myself. But for the other artists that doing they thing and new artists that’s coming out…have they on lane. Make that connection. Don’t make it all about the money or about the dollar…how many singles you can sell…how many albums. Make the connection some way. Make people say, ‘This is Hip Hop. This is our culture. We stand by it. We gon believe in it.’ Rather than jumping on the next artist when they feel like you don’t have the hottest song on the radio no more.”
Check out the video below. It’s a really good interview.
And I agree with him 100%. I make it a point to support black artists I really enjoy. I go to concerts, I buy albums and I support their other hustles because I know how hard it is out here when you don’t have white privilege. We have to support our own more than we do.
I’ll take it a step further and say we need to have the same mindset when it comes to black businesses. If we don’t support our own, who will?
He’s right. The only black people who can sell music now is Beyonce, Rihanna, Jay Z, Kanye, Weezy, Drake and Nicki. That’s it. Smh.
Yeah but you can add K Dot to that list too. And what do all of those people you named have in common? They have a fan base. If these artists actually took the time to develop fans and not just be trendy they could sell albums too. Even Erykah Badu can still sell out shows and she hasn’t put out an album in years. I think that is what Kendrick meant about forming a connection with people.
This is the truth. I stan for Rih and the Navy doesn’t play around. When she drops an album, we cop it. When she drops some lipstick, we buy it all in the first hour. That’s what fans are supposed to do.
King Bey all those people also are crossover artists and have white fans. And we all know they buy music in a heartbeat.
Drake is Jewish and biracial. He was always going to sell off that alone.
I think you may be right.
Give me that dack Kendrick.
LOL the hell.
LOL. Sometimes you just have to be ratchet and tell it like it is.
True. That just caught me off guard because the topic is so serious and that was so…random.
He’s not lying but he has nothing to worry about. His next album will go platinum easily.
I’ve been saying this and people don’t want to hear it. They want to blame the artist and say artists need to make better music but Taylor Swift sold over a million in a week. And her music ain’t quality either. Just support your people man. If you don’t, they’ll just come and take over like Iggy and Macklemore did.
Exactly and that’s why I give people the side eye when they say they don’t support Rihanna because she can’t sing or dance, etc. like Madonna wasn’t out here killing hoes and going platinum and couldn’t sing or dance either!!!! We require our artists to jump through hoops before we support them and that’s dumb as hell.
Well said. Love me some Kendrick. I can’t wait for the new album.
He is definitely correct in what he is saying.
Did he lie though?
And this is why I’m a fan. Speak that truth Kendrick.
Amen.
Yea let me make it a TOP priority to take care of MILLIONARE evey body dont have the money for concerts or ablums the farthest ill go is having their Pandora station and downloading their music im not bout to buy jack Iwill support and say yes download that song but he can do me a favor and support the people buying his stuff I love bey but have not bought a album since 2004 however does that mean I dont support her uh no I have a regular job a mortgage a new born daughter and husband um support US we need it this is straight crazy since 2012 hit all I hear and see is black people this and black people that what the hell can I do word of mouth not good enough ill stick with my oldies
Umm you’re taking care of millionaires every time you go to a grocery store, pay your rent/mortgage, pay student loans, put gas in your car, buy baby food, buy diapers, pay your power bill, and basically anything else you pay for. Welcome to capitalism. So yeah, your excuse is weak. Just say you don’t support black artists because you don’t want to.
Lol I knew a person like you will respond lol taking care of a CELEBRITY IS NOT APART OF MY LIFE! did JESUS say so no mam however bills is apart of my life its reality I cant get over that no matter what thats a way of life im not a fan if I like a song I will download but im not buying unless I need it its too many free ways to get things thats my point sweet heart dont go ahead lets be clear a CELEBRITY
Whoa, you’re so mad you needed to use another name on here to respond? It’s not that serious. You said you don’t buy music because you don’t want to support a millionaire, and I just simply reminded you that every time you spend money, you’re essentially supporting a millionaire’s lifestyle. Now you come back and change it to celebrity, but it’s all the same thing. Either way you slice it you’re still giving your money to someone who is financially better off than you. Again, welcome to capitalism.
True. The only people who avoid supporting the rich are the homeless because they have no money to spend.
Lol it was not on purpose trust I put my email in the name by accident cool your nerves sorry you feeling froggy is this better?
LOL.
It’s laughable that some black people will come up with a million reasons for why they don’t support their own (I don’t want to support celebrities, they’re rich so I don’t want to give them my money), but the idiots don’t see that your money is going to the rich anyway. So why not support your own people? Eh, forget it. Trying to make sense of stupidity will only make my brain hurt. And they wonder why black artists will break their necks to go mainstream.
I will support BY MOUTH ONLY if I can download a song for free why not? Who wouldn’t? I tell people aye go download that new song by kendrick no support is smaller than the other can I get credit fot that please lol Thats just the type of supporter I am I support my oldies who I love and feel worth buying songs thats too old to download my 60s 70s 80s 90s im not too much a fan of this new music I support I just wrote a essay on bey for her feminism got a A on too lol im just more of a laid back type chick im more focused on my family and JESUS no mads here
Babygirl you’re free to do whatever you please with your money. I just gave my 2 cents on it. It’s all good.
Of course “Im a grown woman I can do whatever I want”
-Bey
To let me love, you’re also a poor excuse for a brotha/sista/it whatever you are
I’m one of those people who still buys albums. I hope to own a business one day, so I get the importance of supporting other people I like and not stealing from them.
Well I’m definitely buying Kendrick’s album so…
I support those I like and buy singles. But let’s be clear it’s not a black thing. Many artists out here these days were ok with making our culture accessible to everyone. Not to mention when you used to buy whole albums it was only two songs that were great.
Lol right! A waste of funds I either lose or the cd get scatch up real bad then I be pissed like I should of just downloaded instead while its free…… im so cheap 🙁
NO, it is definitely a black thing. White artists still go platinum without a problem. The only black artists that can still go platinum are Rihanna, Drake, Beyonce and Jay Z. Y’all don’t see a problem with that?
I refuse to claim this “hip hop” music as part of my culture.. period. I do and have always supported what resonated with me in the different stages of my life. I don’t think it’s a black thing… Taylor Swift be singing that real!! I’ve yet felt disrespected by a Taylor Swift song.. that’s just me.. I’m grown and I decide what will go into my mind, body, and soul.
But Hip Hop isn’t the only music black artists make. R&b artists aren’t selling either unless they’re white. I’m white, and even I know there’s no reason Adele should sell more albums than Jill Scott and Erykah Badu. Why does Justin Timberlake sell more than Usher? That’s Kendrick’s point. And Hip Hop is diverse. Not all artists are making trashy music. Common is positive, yet black people don’t support him either. Black people don’t support each other at all. And it goes way beyond music. Y’all barely support black businesses. Also white artists can make offensive music and still sell without a problem. That’s where the phrase controversy sells comes from. And I apologize if I’ve offended you.
Taylor Swift was a country artist first which is the highest selling music genre. To say that black people don’t support their own is ridiculous and shame on Kendrick for going there. Most sells in music now a days comes from concerts, which sell out. So to have this argument about black doing this or that is stupid. I don’t download music period and I’ll be damned if I’m gonna be guilt tripped into being more supportive. Make great music and then people support
You’re wrong. The numbers don’t lie. Black artists are not selling as well as their white counterparts. Compare Tamar Braxton, Chris Brown, K Michelle, and Brandy’s last album sales to Katy Perry, Taylor Swift, Justin Timberlake, and heck even Macklemore. And look at Sam Smith’s album sales. Even Billboard did a piece recently on how terribly black artists are selling in comparison to their white peers. I get that I’m a white, so you’re in defensive mode, but the numbers show people are buying albums, just not black people. You do not support your own. Not even black businesses. And let’s not kid ourselves. Taylor Swift’s new album is garbage. It’s the worst music she’s ever put out and she still went platinum in a week. No black artist will ever do that again. Beyonce was lucky and she will be the last from here on out. Blame yourselves. And kudos for Kendrick for saying the truth. It needed to be said. Y’all will praise Adele over your own, when Jill Scott was putting out better music and being ignored by her own people. What a shame.
Beyonce was lucky? You tried it.
That’s not true. There’s plenty of black artists putting out good music and we aren’t buying their music. We have to do better. It just can’t be Beyonce, Rihanna, Jay Z, Drake and Kanye doing high numbers.
Some of y’all are denying what Kendrick said yet you’re also proving him right. Why do black artists need to make great music for you to support, yet the Katy Perry’s of the world can still go platinum with terrible music? That is what he is talking about. It’s not fair and y’all need to stop with these weak excuses. White people will always support their own. We don’t.
It’s just another copout. We don’t support those making good music either. We’d rather steal music instead. I don’t get down like that. I buy music from everyone I like. I can’t get with stealing and taking money out of someone’s pockets when they put in the work to make something I enjoy. It’s wrong.
I see no lies, Kendrick.