Jay Z cannot sell out a stadium-Bomani Jones on Toure

[Piff Perkins]

Waiting for someone to explain how Jay can sell out a NY stadium but not LA. Please provide logic beyond "Jay is from NY, not LA."

I'll be bumping this thread in November when Travis sells out SoFi btw. You know who else can sell out SoFi? Drake. You know who could probably sell out SoFi? Kendrick.

 

[King Harlem]

Waiting for someone to explain how Jay can sell out a NY stadium but not LA. Please provide logic beyond "Jay is from NY, not LA."

I'll be bumping this thread in November when Travis sells out SoFi btw. You know who else can sell out SoFi? Drake. You know who could probably sell out SoFi? Kendrick.

Kendrick during this last tour. Did 4 days in LA at the Crypto Arena and sold just over 50,000 tickets for those 4 days (sold about 98% of the tickets/about 12,000-13,000 people per show). Those numbers are amazing.
The capacity at SoFi is 70,000. They would need to sell an additional 20,000 tickets.

 

[Bolzmark]

I’m sure BILLIONAIRE Jay is having sleepless nights over whether or not he can sell out stadiums 27 years into his career

 

[Piff Perkins]

Kendrick during this last tour. Did 4 days in LA at the Crypto Arena and sold just over 50,000 tickets for those 4 days (sold about 98% of the tickets/about 12,000-13,000 people per show). Those numbers are amazing.
The capacity at SoFi is 70,000. They would need to sell an additional 20,000 tickets.

Depends on the show. A lot of concerts block some seats for the stage design, which allows you to reduce seat totals. Kendrick and most arena tours do this.

For instance, Taylor at Arrowhead Stadium:


Her stage basically cuts off an entire eastern corner of the stadium, plus some of the middle. Arrowhead has nearly 80k capacity and she sold 55k tickets.

https://www.kansascity.com/kc-city-guides/things-to-do/article276593036.html

Essentially, 30% of the capacity was taken up by the stage (and other areas that are blocked). Could Taylor have sold it out with a smaller stage? Of course. She could probably sell out every ticket in a 100k capacity stadium. Back to hip hop though...SoFi has an official capacity of 70k (it can be extended to 100k for special events). If Travis, Kendrick, etc had a stage design similar to Taylor's taking up 30% of capacity, that leaves you with about 49k total available seats. Which is what Kendrick did in three Crypto Arena stops last year, as you pointed out.

This is why I'm shaking my head at some of the arguments in here about Jay. You don't think 50k people would show up for a Hov show in a major urban city like LA? The reason big rappers don't do stadiums has less to do with selling them out and more to do with the costs/time involved. Why do SoFi when you can do Crypto three nights in a row like Kendrick. Or like Drake did Kia Forum four times, plus Crypto two times.

 

[nyknick]

only pop artists can sell out stadiums

Metallica is on a stadium tour currently.

Waiting for someone to explain how Jay can sell out a NY stadium but not LA. Please provide logic beyond "Jay is from NY, not LA."

I'll be bumping this thread in November when Travis sells out SoFi btw. You know who else can sell out SoFi? Drake. You know who could probably sell out SoFi? Kendrick.

I think the logic is that it's a hook to hype it up. easier to make it an event. Selling a one-off stadium concert might not be a problem but good luck then doing it in Arlington, Detroit, Minneapolis and so on.

 

[No1]

Drake is currently on tour and it's for arenas rather than stadium. That's the biggest artist of the last 2 decades.

If he can't do it, no rapper can.

(this isn't a Drake support post. I am not a fan. At all.)

Drake can. He purposefully chooses not to because he says he doesn't think it's the right fan experience. Just look at all the multiple shows he's doing in these cities and it's obvious that he could.

 

[King Harlem]

Depends on the show. A lot of concerts block some seats for the stage design, which allows you to reduce seat totals. Kendrick and most arena tours do this.

For instance, Taylor at Arrowhead Stadium:


Her stage basically cuts off an entire eastern corner of the stadium, plus some of the middle. Arrowhead has nearly 80k capacity and she sold 55k tickets.

https://www.kansascity.com/kc-city-guides/things-to-do/article276593036.html

Essentially, 30% of the capacity was taken up by the stage (and other areas that are blocked). Could Taylor have sold it out with a smaller stage? Of course. She could probably sell out every ticket in a 100k capacity stadium. Back to hip hop though...SoFi has an official capacity of 70k (it can be extended to 100k for special events). If Travis, Kendrick, etc had a stage design similar to Taylor's taking up 30% of capacity, that leaves you with about 49k total available seats. Which is what Kendrick did in three Crypto Arena stops last year, as you pointed out.

This is why I'm shaking my head at some of the arguments in here about Jay. You don't think 50k people would show up for a Hov show in a major urban city like LA? The reason big rappers don't do stadiums has less to do with selling them out and more to do with the costs/time involved. Why do SoFi when you can do Crypto three nights in a row like Kendrick. Or like Drake did Kia Forum four times, plus Crypto two times.

I agree.
Also, as a fan of live music (I've seen Jayz twice. Once in an arena and once in a stadium with Beyonce), the show is better for almost any rapper in an arena.

 

[No1]

Depends on the show. A lot of concerts block some seats for the stage design, which allows you to reduce seat totals. Kendrick and most arena tours do this.

For instance, Taylor at Arrowhead Stadium:


Her stage basically cuts off an entire eastern corner of the stadium, plus some of the middle. Arrowhead has nearly 80k capacity and she sold 55k tickets.

https://www.kansascity.com/kc-city-guides/things-to-do/article276593036.html

Essentially, 30% of the capacity was taken up by the stage (and other areas that are blocked). Could Taylor have sold it out with a smaller stage? Of course. She could probably sell out every ticket in a 100k capacity stadium. Back to hip hop though...SoFi has an official capacity of 70k (it can be extended to 100k for special events). If Travis, Kendrick, etc had a stage design similar to Taylor's taking up 30% of capacity, that leaves you with about 49k total available seats. Which is what Kendrick did in three Crypto Arena stops last year, as you pointed out.

This is why I'm shaking my head at some of the arguments in here about Jay. You don't think 50k people would show up for a Hov show in a major urban city like LA? The reason big rappers don't do stadiums has less to do with selling them out and more to do with the costs/time involved. Why do SoFi when you can do Crypto three nights in a row like Kendrick. Or like Drake did Kia Forum four times, plus Crypto two times.

Thank you for saving me the time.

 

[Pressure]

Luke fukking combs is doing a stadium tour. Sold out two days in Charlotte.

Of course Jay can sell out stadiums. End of the day it comes down to how many cacs want to see you.

 

[No1]

Artists that come to mind who can do stadium tours are The Weeknd, Beyonce, Bad Bunny, Taylor Swift, BTS

People who could do it in the past but I'm not sure can still anymore: Lady Gaga

Ed Sheeran and Bruno Mars could obviously. Any superstar rapper can do a stadium in major markets (LA, NYC, Chicago, ATL, Miami, SF): and by superstar I'm talking about like 5 people - Jay, Kanye, Drake, K. Dot, and Travis. Drake can likely also do it in Boston, Philly, etc.

 

[The Devil's Advocate]

Even the Hard Knock Life Tour were arena's.
Look it up: Pepsi Arena, Blue Cross Arena, Milwaukee Arena, Jacksonville Arena, San Jose Arena, Arco Arena.

Nah y'all got it.. I honestly hear stadium and think basketball stadium, football stadium, etc... People really don't differentiate like that even though technically it's right in the name

I got no wins here lol

 

[No1]

He’s right. Jay never been able to be that big in the public consciousness on his own to be able to do that. Now if he did some type of ”and all my friends” with Justin Timberlake/Alicia Keys/Eminem/Rihanna/Kanye (pre MAGA)/Coldplay/Linkin Park/Beyonce combo type deal I think you’d see that level of interest. But at that point that’s not even his show no more.

But Jay Z as Jay Z has done a better job telling you he was that big than actually being that big. Last time people really messed with him on a pop scale (which is true stadium status) was Empire State of Mind…one song. Everything else is basically the media telling you he invested in something and made some money off it or him and his wife keep being rich.

You guys don't realize writing stuff like this makes you look like an introverted lame who doesn't go outside or one of those people who think their opinion of someone's music = how it is received in the world at-large. It actually makes me feel lame too because I'm still on a message board with you. BTW, the 4:44 was the highest grossing hip hop tour by a solo artist of all time at the time and he was by himself . If Jay Z went on tour tomorrow, the only hip hop artist who would have a higher grossing tour is Drake. But when you personally don't like a dude, you get to cherry pick facts that help you make your argument but make you look stupid to people who know better.

People are going to see 50 Cent tour an album 20 years old and you think a dude with 10x as many hits as him, who has not toured by himself in 6 years, isn't going to sell out everything .

 

[No1]

Ok, people have said a lot, but let's put out all the facts in here as one long thread:

Almost every rapper has done tours at arenas with the random exception of a stadium here and there. That includes Eminem, Kanye West, 50 Cent, and yes even Travis Scott. For one, it's easier to fill up arenas at 18-20k crowds max compared to stadiums where you need 70k. Having a partially empty stadium is the worst thing. It ruins acoustics and other stuff. Additionally, rappers can't bear the risk of weather impacting their stadium shows in ways that Beyonce & U2 can.

Second, while rappers have made more concerted efforts to utilize various theatrics, live bands, and other effects, they're nowhere in comparison to what would be required at a large stadium tour. That requires a whole separate type of showmanship and budgets often limited to the absolute GOATs. It doesn't always mesh with rappers.

Third, rappers performing at stadiums on a one-off/short-term basis (50 Cent, home/home tour, Eminem/Rihanna Monster tour) does not count. Also, festivals do not count. Those are entirely separate events.

Every Ye tour (Glow in the Dark, WTT, Yeezus, Pablo) were arena shows. Eminem's concerts have been all arenas (minus home/home and the tour above). Kendrick shows are arena shows.

Selling out arenas is difficult. You really need a diverse set of fans with heavy volume that simply don't exist for most rappers. Most rappers don't have hives like Beyonce or Taylor swift or even U2 and Pearl Jam have.

Okay, this I agree with. I thought the premise was could not sell out a stadium period. At the end of the day, rappers will struggle to sell out arenas simply because their catalog is not family-friendly. At stadiums you have parents bringing kids, you will see the whole family. Not many kids or parents are out there with the grand kids trying to rap those lyrics. Drake with all of his pop hits is the only one who could probably pull it off if marketed right to make it clear that this was a tour of just hits for the whole family.

 

[vdfebduderocks]

Okay, this I agree with. I thought the premise was could not sell out a stadium period. At the end of the day, rappers will struggle to sell out arenas simply because their catalog is not family-friendly. At stadiums you have parents bringing kids, you will see the whole family. Not many kids or parents are out there with the grand kids trying to rap those lyrics. Drake with all of his pop hits is the only one who could probably pull it off if marketed right to make it clear that this was a tour of just hits for the whole family.

Right - rappers can definitely sell out stadiums if it's a show or two (maybe 3). The reason for that is the scarcity of performing in a stadium will create that buzz. However, it's gonna be restricted to most likely NY & LA.

Also - I mixed up the wording between arena/stadium, but 100% agree with what you're saying regarding the family-friendly aspect. You have a mainstream audience that attend stadium shows. It's gonna be different. Additionally - and no offense to fans of hip-hop like us, but having 60-70k rap heads involves a whole other level of insurance and liabilities that stadiums may not want to deal with and artists may not want to bear. Summer Jam has this problem every year, but they're often forced to cut their shows off at a certain hour because of noise complaints and random stuff like that. I actually have a hard time trying to sell out tickets outside of the major metros. I just don't believe there are enough fans that would pay up.

Drake could potentially do it, but I don't think he has the true stage presence to translate his arena shows into stadium shows. For one, I think you have to definitely be able to perform everything without backing vocals (which he doesn't do) and I think you need songs that command that level of stadium music, which he doesn't.

 

[Playaz Eyez]

Great discussion amongst the 3 of them. We need more content like this. Disagreeing without yelling or attacking. Informed and intelligent but still fun and funny.

I watched almost the entire podcast/interview and it was a really good discussion.