Yes it's too much to ask for both because it's not the norm. For anyone. People are acting like white rappers are independently selling 300k left and right. Mackelmore is one dude who may or may not exist a year from now.
Fred.
Will There Ever Be A Black Rapper Who Will Sell 350k+ While Independent?
- Thread starter Tuc2DaBoot
- Start date
Yes it's too much to ask for both because it's not the norm. For anyone. People are acting like white rappers are independently selling 300k left and right. Mackelmore is one dude who may or may not exist a year from now.
Fred.
Un-AmericanDreamer
Simp City
In theory it's possible, they just need a fun catchy mainstream song (something gambino didn't have) and established fanbase and stand out from his peers. Macklemore is here to stay, 
I don't know why cats are so dismissive. He has a niche that a lot of rappers don't have
I don't know why cats are so dismissive. He has a niche that a lot of rappers don't have
Tuc2DaBoot
Pro
I'm not saying it's the norm. I'm just saying that if one artist can do it, another one can.
Nowadays, a lot of these rappers are just bored suburban kids with money. They can get the investors that a dude from the streets can not without a major. There's a difference here.
Tuc2DaBoot
Pro
You're telling me with the access to investors and financial backers these days, an indy artist can't basically run his career as if he's on a major?
sporticus
https://bit.ly/36fn72e
Unless you mixed, mastered and released the album yourself, there's no such thing as independent if you want to be technical about it. However, Macklemore is as independent as you're gonna get on the national stage. Splitting hairs doesn't prove anything.
macklemore aint going no where, he been rappin for like 10 damn years 
It's impossible to reach that many people without distribution from a major. If you're looking after everything else your self, and only outsource distribution, how are you not Indy?
I think Master P was selling big numbers before he was picked up. Cash Money too.
I think Master P was selling big numbers before he was picked up. Cash Money too.
Banks "HUnger for More 2" was independent through EMI -g-note
think it pushed arround 300k
think it pushed arround 300k
here we go again
LunaticVillage415
All Star
Someone pointed out Tech N9ne. He's the correct answer. And before someone says"but he never sold 350k"....incorrect. He's been making music for close to 20 years and is legit rich because of it. He owns the type of shyt (Bentleys, etc) that most rappers rent.
Another good answer is E-40. Hell, someone could probably do a whole thread on Bay area rappers.
Macklemore will mostly likely not be around next year. So the question becomes, would you rather go gold once or have a career for 20 years?
Fred.
Yes, Bay Area rappers do sell hundreds of thousands of records independently, BUT it happens over the course of their entire career rather than the span of a few weeks or months like mainstream rappers.
The difference is that independent rappers see almost every penny of every dollar they make. Rappers signed to majors only make a few cents off of each album they sell.
Add to that, taxes, promotion, high cost of high-profile celebrity rapper/producer features, 360 deals, hefty child support payments courtesy of groupies turned baby mamas (independent rappers tend to have down a$$ bytches who've been around before the riches) and good ol' fashion trickin all add up to eat up mainstream rapper's pockets.
http://www.refinedhype.com/hyped/entry/chief-keef-average-orthodontist
But back to the Bay Area. The Bay is one of the only places in the world where an artist can be huge locally but completely unknown nationally. People from the Bay support their own artists more than anywhere in the country. Although cities like Kansas city also keep Bay Area rappers alive and well-fed:
http://spingineer.wordpress.com/2008/12/06/history-of-pre-hyphy-and-non-hyphy-bay-area-hip-hop/
The Jacka, who was the number one selling rapper from the Bay at one point in time, easily has sold over 350K in his career. He has sold over 500K independently.
And much of his support came from outside the Bay. About 60% of the Jack's sales came from outside Cali:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Jacka
http://www.100grandonmywrist.com/2012/01/jackas-verdict-song-by-song.html
And it ain't for no reason either. Jacka is considered a legend in the Bay. The Jack Artist slaps:
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rSx1m9UOiK0"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rSx1m9UOiK0[/ame]
My old neighborhood alone has birthed such local sensations. Even some of the little known underground rappers in the Bay have sold 250K independently over the course of their careers. Case in point, Willie Henn from Fillmoe in San Francisco. Check the end of the video where it says he sold 250K units independently.
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z2SXqdxL0-0"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z2SXqdxL0-0[/ame]
At the end of the day, successful Bay Area rappers known how to hustle. They prove that Youtube views and being on MTV Jams don't mean sh!t and that you don't have to be a household name with lil crackas like Justin Beiber to make money.
And from what I've seen, independent Bay rappers are more likely to invest they money into lucrative non-Rap ventures instead of tricking it off. 
Yes, Bay Area rappers do sell hundreds of thousands of records independently, BUT it happens over the course of their entire career rather than the span of a few weeks or months like mainstream rappers.
The difference is that independent rapper see every penny of every dollar they make. Rappers signed to majors only make a few cents off of each album they sell.
Add to that, taxes, promotion, high cost of high-profile celebrity rapper/producer features, 360 deals, hefty child support payments and good ol' fashion trickin all add up to eat up mainstream rapper's pockets.
http://www.refinedhype.com/hyped/entry/chief-keef-average-orthodontist
But back to the Bay Area. The Bay is one of the only places in the world where an artist can be huge locally but completely unknown nationally. People from the Bay support their own artists more than anywhere in the country. Although cities like Kansas city also keep Bay Area rappers alive and well-fed:
http://spingineer.wordpress.com/2008/12/06/history-of-pre-hyphy-and-non-hyphy-bay-area-hip-hop/
The Jacka, who was the number one selling rapper from the Bay at one point in time, easily has sold over 350K in his career. He has sold over 500K independently.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Jacka
http://www.100grandonmywrist.com/2012/01/jackas-verdict-song-by-song.html
My old neighborhood alone has birthed such local sensations. Even some of the little known underground rappers in the Bay have sold 250K independently over the course of their careers. Case in point, Willie Henn from Fillmoe in San Francisco. Check the end of the video where it says he sold 250K units independently.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z2SXqdxL0-0
At the end of the day, successful Bay Area rappers known how to hustle. They prove that Youtube views and being on MTV Jams don't mean sh!t and that you don't have to be a household name with lil crackas like Justin Beiber to make money.
Exactly. I'm from KC. Back in the day you could see Mac Dre, C-Bo, random Bay rappers just walking through the malls here.
This thread is
because people act like you can't spend money unless half the world knows who are you. Independent money is long, mainstream exposure is more for the type of people obsessed with being that dude to rap fans.Fred.
