Selling Rap Beef

In the past three weeks an event in pop-culture much like that of the mid ‘90s. In 1994 it was Tupac and Biggie fighting for the biggest name in rap, and today it’s Drake and Kendrick. This event is not traditionally related to sales, but tying sales concepts into this rap beef if possible. 

Marketing is a huge part of business as an artist and producer. Being able to deliver value to your customers while also filling up your pockets is the name of the game in the rap industry. Drake is one who knows this best. His flashy appearance, insane car collection, and diamond necklaces market  him as the “king of rap.” He lives that out in every way from his Instagram to his music videos. No one has been able to touch his level of fame and his quantity of streams. On the other hand there is Kendrick Lamar. Born in Compton, raised by his mother, what some would call a true representation of “rags to riches.” His fame is much different than drakes. He makes music for people who feel the same way as him, for those who are pushed aside by the system but still make it. 

With all of this to say, selling in both of these artists’ lives is what puts food on the table. The battle for most streams in one day on spotify was under Drake’s belt for years because he and his team understood what people wanted and were able to deliver. Amidst this rap beef Kendrick found the real need from the people. A hard hitting west coast beat, mixed with blunt, captivating lyrics that get the people going. Drake continued to use his old model for hitmaking which is not what the market was looking for. A change from fruity rap, to deep cutting bars is what captivated the market and gave Kendrick the label of “The king of rap” and the most streams in one day.