1. He's right. Kingdom Come, like other pop albums, isn't going anywhere without a radio hit or some other similar exposure (like a hit show on the Disney Channel). This should bring an end to the belief that the Internet has rendered terrestrial radio impotent. Nothing -- NOTHING -- sells albums like a radio hit, and it *still* is a prerequisite for a hit album. Before somebody rebuts by name droping Gnarls Barkley: They got a lift from the Internet, but radio played the heck out of "Crazy."

Is it any wonder labels will make a deal with the devil, if necessary, to get radio play? It's about impossible to top the charts without it. Beyonce and Fergie were slipping before they got a big push at radio. Then they climbed back up the chart.

Jay-Z's first week was aided by Black Friday, so that should be taken into consideration. It was going to drop. Had the first week not included Black Friday, the second-week drop would not have been as great.

Posted at 4:42PM on Dec 6th 2006 by Glenn

2. I enjoy your blog, lots of good stories - but this is a shockingly pedestrian and 'out of the loop' overview of Jay-Z's current sales situation, not to mention the current physical/digital music sales landscape in general.

If you HONESTLY think that an 81% drop means 'all bets are off' you're kidding yourself my friend.

And to compare Kingdom Come to Kevin Costner movies? *laughs directly into your face*

That statement made me lose a ton of respect for you and your writing.

However instead of sticking a spit up your ass and roasting you like you deserve I'll just let the story play out and hope you have enough journalistic integrity to do follow-up stories where you admit your wake for Kingdom Come was pre-mature and the product of Haterade consumption.

Yeah, I know. You are sitting back chuckling at this and feeling all self-important and secure in your personal opinions. But K.C. has only been out TWO WEEKS. Do you SERIOUSLY believe that IDJ will not get a significant return on their investment? Then you have disqualified yourself from being taken seriously when discussing the music business. ALL Hip-Hop takes a huge dip in the 2nd and 3rd weeks. Hova is most certainly BIGGER than the genre he claims but jigga PLEASE. This rekkid has legs and will be banging on radio months from now, JUST LIKE ALL JAY-Z RELEASES. :| The sales online and off will follow suit. That's a fact. Something tells me that on the day Jay gets his 5x platinum plaque, you won't do a write up on that... will you? (It's rhetorical chachi, back away from the reply button.)

This is simply a case of lots of people wanting to knock the king off the mountain. It's what people do, I get it. Just realize that when you go public with an opinion like this that you're going to get called on your B.S. You could have gotten across your point without planting your flag in a pile of poo. Oh well... :\

Also relying on Lefsetz and sHITS magazine for your data is always going to get you into trouble. Get a SoundScan account or find a friend who has one so you don't end up reporting figures that are off the mark.

p.s. I just checked the BDS, and radio looks solid to me. *gets my damn hands up*

Posted at 6:48PM on Dec 6th 2006 by Anthony

3. I'm sorry you feel that way Anthony. I'll make you this deal, if Jay-Z's album goes double platinum before March, I'll make a public mea culpa the likes of which you haven't seen since Bill boffed Monica.

For the record, I'm not the one who said "All bets are off", I was clearly quoting Bob Lefsetz, a well known music analyst blogger.

I am however, the one who compared Jay-Z's latest album to a Kevin Costner movie. I did so to make this point, they are both well respected professionals who've failed to meet sales expectations with a product they thought they had 'in the bag'. It's too early to call 'Kingdom Come' another 'Waterworld' but, it ain't 'Dances with Wolves', nor is it 'Volume 2'.

And, for the record as well, the _only_ Jay-Z album ever to go 5x platinum is Vol 2. The Black Album and The Blueprint 2 are only certified as 4x at the moment.

Posted at 7:04PM on Dec 6th 2006 by Grant Robertson

4. I'm aware of his RIAA certifications, thx.

Next time you're about to quote Lefsetz, you should think twice. Also your Costner analogy is broken.

I'll send you a reminder email at every million units sold. ;)

Posted at 8:44PM on Dec 6th 2006 by Anthony

5. who cares.jay z is rich beyond most of our understanding.what more his album is hip pop not hip hop.

Posted at 6:49AM on Dec 7th 2006 by dan

6. I'd work with Jay-Z anytime...flaggin' sales or not!

www.insanemacbeth.com
www.myspace.com/officialinsanemacbeth

Posted at 11:09AM on Dec 7th 2006 by Insane Macbeth

7. I guess the suburbs and celebrities finally realized Jay Z is WACK.!! Jay Z's album is boring. Bootleg version is probably not selling either!! Only one thing is interesting and its when he talks about the split of Damon Dash and him ( who cares about beyonce, dont get me wrong she is definately good looking). But i'll wait for the VH1 special to explain the split of damon and him!! LOL! Jay Z was not a creative person instead he was a great copy cat!! I guess this album exposed his non creative side.

Posted at 3:53PM on Dec 9th 2006 by wireless

8. Maybe the kids are starting to acquire musical taste and finally figured out that rap is stupid. One can dream.

Posted at 3:31PM on Dec 12th 2006 by sjmills

9. Hip-hop is dead! just like disco died, so is hiphop now dying. The only urban music still left that is half decent is R&B, but even that is only surviving by touring.

Posted at 3:58AM on Dec 14th 2006 by Kareem

10. It's ok HATERS. Lets check the self made multi- millionaire's track record. 10 platinum plus records. Creating a 300 million dollar empire and getting paid 10 million to run an even bigger one. You suckers are just simple minded fools. This is a comeback and Jay Z has not missed a step. His song and career reflects everything black men should stand for in america. His elevation from street thug chasing cars and jewels to grown man making and breaking careers, turning down million dollar deal. If thats not remarkable, If hip- hop isn't the sing most infuential element in america ( oil thing aside...get it) then what is. GET BACK TO REALITY! It's Grow or die and hip hop is gonna grow with Jay Z its leader. Down goes the southern clowns you guys love to see making a mockery of our lives and music. In come the intelligent breed of young entrepeneurs that will inspire and encourage us to apply our energy to positive thing to win this game. "Mama I made It"- Jay Z

Posted at 12:36PM on Dec 14th 2006 by Charm Brown

11. Hip-hop preaches abuse and degredation of women. Go jaysee!! Beat that bitch up!!

Posted at 7:32PM on Dec 15th 2006 by Steve

12. fuck all yall comparing wether the music is good by the sales. if you like you like it and if you dont you dont. the point is that someone likes it and there is also a business side to it and j is a business man so fuck off and let him handle his business damn!!!!

Posted at 2:32PM on Dec 19th 2006 by William Degree

13. fuck all yall comparing wether the music is good by the sales. if you like you like it and if you dont you dont. the point is that someone likes it and there is also a business side to it and j is a business man so fuck off and let him handle his business damn!!!!

Posted at 2:38PM on Dec 19th 2006 by William Degree

14. fuck all yall comparing wether the music is good by the sales. if you like you like it and if you dont you dont. the point is that someone likes it and there is also a business side to it and j is a business man so fuck off and let him handle his business damn!!!!

Posted at 2:42PM on Dec 19th 2006 by William Degree

15. fuck all yall comparing wether the music is good by the sales. if you like you like it and if you dont you dont. the point is that someone likes it and there is also a business side to it and j is a business man so fuck off and let him handle his business damn!!!!

Posted at 2:41PM on Dec 19th 2006 by William Degree

16. u guys are stupid , Jay-z album is great and it will definatly go double platinum before March.....he's the best

Posted at 3:15AM on Dec 21st 2006 by alex theodore

17. I don't think the cd is pop at all. It's just not gangsta. If you listen to the cd you would get the vibe of it. Basically, a 37 year old can't rap about the same shit as a lil wayne (gay ass). I like the craft that he displays along with the music. Basically, the way the cd is put together it's something that hasn't been done before. It's a grown up rap album and I'm sure there aren't very many people under 25 that like it. He knew when he made this album that it probably wouldn't push like his others. Sounds like he wanted to set a new trend and make good music instead of making what the mass seems to want. Get past the numbers and listen to the album.

Posted at 12:10PM on Dec 21st 2006 by JG

18. Jay-z is now double platinum,still no follow up.

Posted at 11:43AM on Dec 26th 2006 by Qunizell

19. jays drop only seems so huge becauce his first week numbers were so huge .when u consider that jay-z usually debuts at 400k first week and then drops to 150 k second week and still goes multi plat then u will realise that this album aint a flop.add that to MAJOR internet leak three weeks before the album dropped (it was EVERYWHERE FROM MYSPACE TO UTUBE TO EVERY ILLEGAL DOWNLOADING SITE)and yet jay still dropped the album without moving the release date .
u say jay needs hit but looking at the radio and singles charts show me what u got is the biggest single of jays career barring the hardknock life single.

u also forget that this is the ipod age .a time when records dont sell.a time when artist like outkast who sell ten million copies cant even go gold.

the era when new york mcs dont sell either
and in the midts of all this jay is at 860 k in two weeks .his numbers will hold steady at about a hundred a week till it hitys triple plat.i promise.u .he still has single to release.30 something ,anything,hollywood and beach chair are all gonna get him to 4 x plat .dont ever doubt jay-z .and should his numbers falter i guarantee that jay will rereleas ethew album with a new bigger single.he is a hustler who never takes a loss.thats what i love about him

Posted at 12:44AM on Dec 28th 2006 by absalom

20. I feel like it is premature at the moment to qualify Jay-z's album as being something of a flop. I think his strategy is to try to get the pop audience with some club music that has a catchy hook and beat. There are a lot of people who don't listen to the lyrics and just go off the beat. Subsenquently,he comes back with something that his true audience feels and his community could relate to, maybe one of his songs he feels passionate about. Therefore, that's why sales drop. A lot people don't understand some of his profound lyrics and they steer away from copping the album; that may be the result 81% drop. I'm almost positive he's gonna throw that following single like bait and as a result everybody is gonna bite again.

Posted at 12:19PM on Dec 30th 2006 by Jose