That nigga Ice cube sells 22, 000 in first week ( or should I say , WEAK ? )

[Triple OG Rapsodie]

All I'm saying is, when some artists into today's game don't sell, people jump all over them for it.

I specifically remember people saying Ultimate Victory wasn't good & one of it's reasons was because it didn't sell lol. Same goes for Joe Budden's Padded Room & the Slaughterhouse album. I recall somebody saying it for Jay Rock & Bishop Lamont too. "Oh those guys will never sell".

Now Ice Cube drops an album, does awful. A hundred-thousand copies worse than his last album & people are acting like "Oh, no big deal, it's Cube. Cube is the man. Doesn't matter what he does".

& I've always had a thing where I feel that people just defend 90's artists for the fact that most of you grew up on it & feel some type of loyalty to it. & loyalty is a form of bias.

I'm not saying Cube didn't sell because the album sucks. I'm not denying the fact that he had little to absolutely no promotion. It was set-up to do poor numbers regardless of how good the content was. It's just, people are playing it off like it's "not a big deal" & some people even said those are "good numbers". Where I know for a fact if this was a Game album or Ya Boy or J. Cole & sold 22K copies, people would like "God damn, that's terrible". But Cube gets some legends pass & it disgusts me.

The album is mediocre, and I'm assuming that's why it sold poorly. And most people on here thought it was disappointing so not sure where you're coming from. Not that sales has anything to do with quality, but your first reply here was to bring back a Slaughterhouse relevance argument from over a year ago and saying things that aren't even true. I'm just sayin....

[Detox Is A Myth!!!]

I'm not saying Cube didn't sell because the album sucks. I'm not denying the fact that he had little to absolutely no promotion. It was set-up to do poor numbers regardless of how good the content was.

Ok.  I think we are talking about two different issues, so let's go our separate ways in this thread.  I'm sorry to bring you into this, because you and I aren't addressing the same topic of conversation.  But in response to the part of your post that I quoted above, I am saying Cube's album didn't sell well because the album sucks.  Again, he made an album for non-hardcore Cube fans, regardless of the b.s. he says in opposite in interviews.  And history shows that if you turn your back on your fanbase, they will turn their backs on you (hello, Snoop).

Raw Footage sold ok because it had a great single "Gangsta Rap Made Me Do It," which was both sociopolitically-minded and enjoyable.  A great single for Cube and one that his fans could support.  Laugh Now, Cry Later -- I'm still shocked that that album sold so well.  He was lucky to be able to ride the Lil' John gravy train when that fad was in motion.  Plus, it had the feel of a comeback, because Cube hadn't dropped an album in a long time, so his fans went out and copped it because they were curious and hungry for new Cube, regardless.

I think this idea that an artist needs to have good promotion is anachronistic in this day and age, especially with the Internet.  All the Cube fans know that he has an album out called I Am the West.  Is there anybody out there who would be a good candidate to buy I am the West but don't know that it exists?  I don't think so.  I think everybody who would buy the album knows that it exists.  The thing is this: In the age of the Internet, good word of mouth is essential.  Not everybody is going to take the time to illegally d.l. the album, but nearly everybody has access to the Internet and can read other fans' poor reviews of I am the West when it leaks and conclude they're not going to buy the album as a result.

I am the West has bad word of mouth -- that's negative promotion, and that's what has hurt Cube's sales numbers.  Again, it comes down to quality.  If this were a true album for Cube's hardcore fanbase, word of mouth would spread like wildfire around the Internet and people would go out and buy the album.  It's not because of lack of promo that Cube's album isn't selling -- it's because of bad word of mouth due to the album's poor quality.

Just my analysis.

[T-o-m]

Internet kills the sales, and it will kill the artists too soon, when they feel their are done with it.

[Mr. O]

All I gotta say is: Cube is outdated.

[Nutty]

There was more of a buzz right around the time he dropped "I Rep That West"......think he waited to long to drop the album IMO and the buzz died down

Plus album not as strong as his previous two.

[acgrundy]

Sales hardly has anything to do with quality of an album.  Look at these crooked I groupies on here...they are gonna buy anything he is involved with no matter what...good or bad.  Cube's fanbase that he built during the 90's just simply doesn't buy albums anymore.  I didn't even download the album (I plan to later, but just not really that excited about it).  Even if it was a classic album, I still wouldn't buy it.  I own enough albums.  I grew up in the hey day of westcoast rap, when cube was selling millions...I have bought plenty of albums.  I'm sure most cube fans feel the same way.

The lil kids that were not even alive when NWA was around...they just will never understand.

[J$crILLa]

i bought a copy- not bad but not great

[Dre-Day]

I'm not saying Cube didn't sell because the album sucks. I'm not denying the fact that he had little to absolutely no promotion. It was set-up to do poor numbers regardless of how good the content was.

Ok.  I think we are talking about two different issues, so let's go our separate ways in this thread.  I'm sorry to bring you into this, because you and I aren't addressing the same topic of conversation.  But in response to the part of your post that I quoted above, I am saying Cube's album didn't sell well because the album sucks.  Again, he made an album for non-hardcore Cube fans, regardless of the b.s. he says in opposite in interviews.  And history shows that if you turn your back on your fanbase, they will turn their backs on you (hello, Snoop).

Raw Footage sold ok because it had a great single "Gangsta Rap Made Me Do It," which was both sociopolitically-minded and enjoyable.  A great single for Cube and one that his fans could support.  Laugh Now, Cry Later -- I'm still shocked that that album sold so well.  He was lucky to be able to ride the Lil' John gravy train when that fad was in motion.  Plus, it had the feel of a comeback, because Cube hadn't dropped an album in a long time, so his fans went out and copped it because they were curious and hungry for new Cube, regardless.

I think this idea that an artist needs to have good promotion is anachronistic in this day and age, especially with the Internet.  All the Cube fans know that he has an album out called I Am the West.  Is there anybody out there who would be a good candidate to buy I am the West but don't know that it exists?  I don't think so.  I think everybody who would buy the album knows that it exists.  The thing is this: In the age of the Internet, good word of mouth is essential.  Not everybody is going to take the time to illegally d.l. the album, but nearly everybody has access to the Internet and can read other fans' poor reviews of I am the West when it leaks and conclude they're not going to buy the album as a result.

I am the West has bad word of mouth -- that's negative promotion, and that's what has hurt Cube's sales numbers.  Again, it comes down to quality.  If this were a true album for Cube's hardcore fanbase, word of mouth would spread like wildfire around the Internet and people would go out and buy the album.  It's not because of lack of promo that Cube's album isn't selling -- it's because of bad word of mouth due to the album's poor quality.

Just my analysis.

but what about It was a good day?

the predator is his best selling album

[D-Nice]

I'm not saying Cube didn't sell because the album sucks. I'm not denying the fact that he had little to absolutely no promotion. It was set-up to do poor numbers regardless of how good the content was.

Ok.  I think we are talking about two different issues, so let's go our separate ways in this thread.  I'm sorry to bring you into this, because you and I aren't addressing the same topic of conversation.  But in response to the part of your post that I quoted above, I am saying Cube's album didn't sell well because the album sucks.  Again, he made an album for non-hardcore Cube fans, regardless of the b.s. he says in opposite in interviews.  And history shows that if you turn your back on your fanbase, they will turn their backs on you (hello, Snoop).

Raw Footage sold ok because it had a great single "Gangsta Rap Made Me Do It," which was both sociopolitically-minded and enjoyable.  A great single for Cube and one that his fans could support.  Laugh Now, Cry Later -- I'm still shocked that that album sold so well.  He was lucky to be able to ride the Lil' John gravy train when that fad was in motion.  Plus, it had the feel of a comeback, because Cube hadn't dropped an album in a long time, so his fans went out and copped it because they were curious and hungry for new Cube, regardless.

I think this idea that an artist needs to have good promotion is anachronistic in this day and age, especially with the Internet.  All the Cube fans know that he has an album out called I Am the West.  Is there anybody out there who would be a good candidate to buy I am the West but don't know that it exists?  I don't think so.  I think everybody who would buy the album knows that it exists.  The thing is this: In the age of the Internet, good word of mouth is essential.  Not everybody is going to take the time to illegally d.l. the album, but nearly everybody has access to the Internet and can read other fans' poor reviews of I am the West when it leaks and conclude they're not going to buy the album as a result.

I am the West has bad word of mouth -- that's negative promotion, and that's what has hurt Cube's sales numbers.  Again, it comes down to quality.  If this were a true album for Cube's hardcore fanbase, word of mouth would spread like wildfire around the Internet and people would go out and buy the album.  It's not because of lack of promo that Cube's album isn't selling -- it's because of bad word of mouth due to the album's poor quality.

Just my analysis.

See but that is the thing, alot of fans of Cube that I know and talked to did not know the album was coming out. I know a ton of people that really do not frequent the blogs and hip hop sites like most of us do. And if you think about it, that is a handful of sites. LNCL had commericals, videos on BET, I mean he said on his blog he did a show on 106 but that is a lil late in the promo game. The promo for this album was very shaky and throw together at best and just not planned out as well as his first 2 indie albums.

[westside159]

i bought all of cubes past albums , but I am west i just didnt care to buy or listen again to it . 
its not worth buying really .  just keepin it real   

[Muhfukka]

All I gotta say is: Cube is outdated.

[BiggBoogaBiff]

Oshay aint outdated, it just dont matter.  I think thats tha most honest accessment u kan make rite now.  Dude made an album called ``i am the west`` thru an Independent label, how big of an album did u think he wuz tryna make it?  he said what he had to say and kept it at that, Im sure we`ll get a new movie or sumthin next year.  Am I tripn or didnt Lottery Ticket just come out not too long ago too, I think sum ppl r just overreacting as usual.

[Mr. O]

All I gotta say is: Cube is outdated.

I thought it's da the truth.  Tired of his sorry azz with his shitty attitude saying "i'm the shit."

[The Predator]

An Ice Cube album release used to an epic occasion.

I Am The West South : B-budget, cheesy computer beats, dumbed down lyrics.

Cube used to take pride in his music, but this was a custard pie in the face of his fans.

[Mr. O]

An Ice Cube album release used to an epic occasion.

I Am The West South : B-budget, cheesy computer beats, dumbed down lyrics.

Cube used to take pride in his music, but this was a custard pie in the face of his fans.

more like he got creampied.