*Nelly used his Twitter account to lash out at his record label over weak sales of his new album “5.0.”
The rapper, whose latest studio set charted at number ten in the US with sales of 63,000, said his label Motown Records failed to promote the LP properly, after a string of fans tweeted him admitting they had no idea the record was out.
In a series of tweets, Nelly said: “A record deal is a 50/50 partnership! As an artist its your job to provide the record company with music that they can sell! [sic]
“Thing about the partnership is that in the public eye the responsibility is not 50/50! The artist is always the one who catches 90% of the blame. When a artist doesn’t deliver sufficient material they gets [their] budget cut for next album or worse dropped from the label!”
Nelly also revealed that his label sent out a limited amount of copies of the album, despite the success of his current single “Just A Dream.”
He continued: “So whose fault is it when a artist gives the label not only a #1 hit but there first top40 #1 in label history! Sell 2mill n singles n 2.5month?
“Who should be held responsible wen an artist has a history for selling records…but if folks say they didn’t even no wen the album came out?????
“Every1 luvs da album and say its crazy! So wen u hear folks say they didnt no it was out r there were hardly any in the store! WTF?”
“5.0″ marks the star’s lowest charting album, after his last five efforts peaked within the top three.
Nelly is with Motown now???
I didn’t know thast Motown was still viable…I think he should understand that if you’re music ain’t shit, nobody’s gonna buy it.
Nelly’s current single is HOT TRASH! This is from a person who likes Nelly too. Nelly has always been a garbage rapper, but he put out good party music. This trash he is making as of late has been terrible. He isn’t going to sell a shitload of records anymore. Nelly, just focus on your other ventures like you have been doing these past few years. You had a good run. *Waits for Mothership*
Cosign Al. I was not a huge Nelly fan but, I enjoyed dancing to his earlier tunes. You make some very good points in your comment. lol
Thanks babycakes. I try to be as truthful/realistic as I can. I’m glad you agree. I’m not a huge Nelly fan, but his music videos/party songs have been cool. I’m for anything that keeps the girls shakin’. This stuff he has out now is garbage, even for Nelly.
One time in Vibe magazine, somebody wrote in an editorial that Nelly must be a lunatic if he thinks he can rap. It was so funny. He’s hot and all but its a “rap” so find something else to do I guess.
Nelly, if people are dying to buy your cd, believe me they will find it somewhere on the shelf or online. I’m sure I can go to Walmart or Target and find your cd with no problem sir. I just dont want to invest my money in garbage just like that trashy clothing line you have.
Sorry, but I have to disagree about his clothing line. He did very well with that line & the jeans fit black women especially well. They’ve run there course just like his music has though.
I think part of the reason for the album failure is that Nelly has been off the radar too long.
I agree the marketing was not strong enough.
I’ve heard his new song. It’s alright. IT’s better than a lot of songs on the radio.
But I didn’t really know when his album was comign out and yes I’m surprised to hear its been released. There was really no press about it.
A couple of points to consider here. 1st ain’t nobody really checking for Nelly anymore any way. 2nd, Nelly is and always has been a weak rapper who just managed to be popular because of a few hits that he made that were popular party songs. Hammer was wack as fuck, but still made huge hits, but just like it went for Hammer your time comes & it goes quickly Nelly. 3rd, why complain when you sign to a label that does not have a track record/any track record for doing well with rap artists??
Nelly’s time has come & gone. He got over for years making music that was pretty-much for drunk partyers (especially white folk who would be all off beat dancing to his shit in the bar or club) and made millions off of it, but now nobody really wants to hear his shit. Place that on-top of a record label that can’t handle rap artists properly and you get nothing!!
Oh. My . Gawd. Ha ha!
Stick to singing. You suck as a rappa!
Another sobering reality is that we are living in a singles culture. Thanks to Steve Jobs, people can now only buy one or two songs they think they want off of an album without fully committing to purchasing a full length. Sad but true.
But Nelly, you are not doing yourself any favors here as Ms. Rhone wont be happy about your little disclosure.
Ok Al-B, I will expect for a man to say that. LoL!!! But it lacked quality and it was cheap looking.
Naaaw dude! “Blame” being…”irrelevent” in today’s game! Yo homie…you had a DAMN good run, now?, it’s time to become a….”producer”!
Nelly is played out, everybody is into Kanye, Wocka Flaka and Drake and others.
I can give you a whole played out list.
Don’t get me started.
by The Entertainment Truth