I don't know what it is but that seems to be the norm with most independent rappers today. You hear the album and there's other songs that could've been used as a single to create more excitement. Gibbs and Al did that for Alfredo 2. Roc Marci does that a lot. Conway just did it. Etc...
I haven't even played the snippet that's just a general observation.
Because they’re not chasing hits or charts. They’re choosing singles indicative of who they are as ARTISTS.
Nas has been doing this since Streets Disciple. You Know My Style & Virgo were obvious singles but Nas went with Bridging The Gap (A song I love) and Just A Moment (another song I love)
Hip Hop Is Dead- the obvious singles were Black Republican, Let There Be Light, and maybe Play on Playa and Hustlers. Nas went with the title track and Can’t Forget About You
Untitled- first single was Be A ****** Too, which ended up not making the album. Second single WAS the obvious choice, Hero.
Life is Good- Obvious singles were You Wouldn’t Understand and Summer on Smash. Nas went with Nasty, Daughters, and Da Don. The final single, Cherry Wine, was a great choice between commercial and artistic
Lost Tapes 2- Obvious singles would have been Lost Freestyle and You Mean The World. Nas went with Jarreau of Rap (Skat Attack) and No Bad Energy.
And so on and so forth.