Is Kanye West's "Late Registration" A Flop?

For an album as big and ambitious as Kanye's "Late Registration", you would think it would have gone more than double platinum. Now, any multi-platinum record can be described as popular, but I wonder if you can consider "Registration" a commercial success.

Let's put Kanye's numbers in perspective.

He had the second lowest selling record out of the discs nominated for an Album of The Year Grammy. Even though Kanye is still selling, and will get a boost from his recent Touch the Sky video and award show performance, he'll probably never reach 50 Cent's "Massacre" numbers. Heck, even Game and Chingy wouldn't trade their 4x platinum debuts for Kanye's sales.

On the flip side of this math is the expense of "Late Registration". Clearing Ray Charles samples, hiring Jon Brion, and making good on a promise to create a video for each song must be budget breaking. Sure Def Jam gains prestige from a critically acclaimed artist like Kanye, but I bet Young Jeezy is a bigger earner in that camp.

Didn't Kanye himself reveal that this album has him $600,000 in the hole? Sounds like a flop to me.

Comments

[WJC]

No way is LR a flop. Minus those CtE skits, it's a sick album from start to finish.

[ron]

I'm not a fly on the wall of Jay-Z's office, so I can't see the #'s breakdown. But the first single "diamonds fr. sl." was not a hit, the second was 'Golddigger" hit, the third "Heard Them Say" debut on billboard charts in the late 30's then fell off the singles chart with two videos & help from a mainstream "cracker". He's only going to get one snipe against Bush & the government. The "Aids" statement in the song, most likley killed the record, no way the FCC is going make that fly. The new single, should have been the first single, Jay-Z gave it the green light because it will only help give Lupe mainstream cred. He's also executive producer on Lupe's debut.

[BigEd]

I don't think you can classify Ye's album as a failure because of the critical acclaim and 2 mill in sales. Still, there is no doubt that Ye ain't creating the money that artists like Jeezy are creating. Jeezy is a bare bones nigga with basic videos and minimal costs. He's earning big time while Ye might be barely breaking even.

[G Off]

Sometimes Ye pays for his own videos, so it isn't going against Def Jam's budget.

No one will sell 4 mill every time out (watch 50's numbers keep dropping with each release). Jay averaged 2-3 mil per album and he was dropping classics.

They did fuck up with Heard Em Say, but they were trying to crossover to the TRL crowd even more (I don't think it blew with that crowd like they thought it would).

Jeezy is on his 4th or 5th video (had one split video) and his latest video, "My Hood" is a Hype Williams joint so I don't think he is necessarily getting by on "basic videos and minimal costs".

Overall, I'm sure they are doing fine, plus they are building a career for Kanye as an artist, not just making the most money that they can up front. I bet Chingy would trade his second album's sales for Kanye's second album's sales.

[GL]

Jeezy is making more money because thug motivation was made my cte and then picked up by def jam, it wasn't an in house project and jeezy should get more points than kanye per album. the promotion budget they spend is probably about the same, neither one is doing anything really different than the other.

In terms of U.S. record sales, both Chingy and Games debut are 2x platinum. I use urbanconnects.com, but its down but rockonthenet.com will confirm this too. Very few albums break 2x platinum short of being a crossover record, and kanye hasn't really crossed over past his core demographic, you can argue with me, but if he did, and game and chingy didn't either, they would have sold more than 2x platinum apiece.

How can you say 50 cent has had a declining trend of record sales? Its two albums! One went 6x and the next 5x, not really a big sample to judge off of. The soundtrack is unique b/c its a soundtrack not a studio album and it wasn't promoted or created to be a LP. The sound in the GRODT soundtrack is really not pop music in the way the massacre and his first LP are.

Kanye's success is limited b/c if you really break the album down, its not really a mainstream album in the way 50 cent or Jay-z albums are. Kanye has really only had the strength of one huge radio single per album, and nothing to really carry it beyond that.

[posta child]

He will be a flop. He doesn't act like "black" enough. Tips for Kanye. Get shot. Shoot at other blacks. Rap only about cars that that people in the hood would have to get by illegal means. Also, rap about laying hoes that would put more kids on welfare. This will make the "suburban kids" happy. Which will ensure radio/video play. Fill the stereotypes. Quit being so damn positive damn it.

[str8frmJoburg]

I still maintain that College Dropout was groundbreaking and LR was somewhat of a disappointment! I can't really comment on the numbers. Plus i'm not in the States and I don't think most ppl have even heard of Young Jeezy here! BUt sounds like he doing well for himself, he's on every1's lips!

[R Hova]

Since when do numbers dictate the sucess of an album?

BEP probably pushes more then most of Def Jam... should we be loving them for it?

[Spoken]

Is Kanye West's "Late Registration" A Flop?
taht 600 thou hes talkin about ca, eout his own pocket..he pays for his own vidoes the only thing he isnt paying for is the re-issue of late registration which shlould be hittin stores in early may..plus 50 cent chingy and game sold more than kanye because they sell them selves out and posion there own people with nonsense such as shott somebody sell crack get laid
while the white man saves his money goes to school and gets paid..those artist are a racist dream...note all white america isnt racist but the majority are so dont take offense..but kanye has made the unpopular popular so for the message he brings double platinum is a bunch...

[dusty bottoms]

That's the silliest thing I think I've ever read...What are you talking about "white man"? I used to like Kanye when he was a producer for mos and kweli, now he's just an arroagant prick who bitches all the time about stupid ass awards...He's no where near common or even jay-z lyrically so he needs to take a few steps down off his high horse and shut the f#@k up..

[The Dirty Dutchman]

Is it me or is Kanye starting to seem a lil sweet nowadays?
Nah but seriously, he's not built to carry his own weight in the industry. This man is a talented producer and a half assed MC, and as he has in he past will continue to make money producing hits for other people.
Its a shame he rang up a bill for a little fame.

[King Bull]

George Bush doesn't care about black people. Kanye doesn't care about being mainstream he makes music he thinks sounds good. In his eyes LR is not a flop, but everybody would rather by Jeezy or Jay-Z.

[David]

As far as sales, remember that U2's and Gwen Stefani's albums were released 10 months before, and Mariah's was released 4 months before.

Matter of fact, singles from Gwen's album were getting play back when Kanye's singles from his first album were still getting play, in the summer and fall of 04 (Workout Plan particularly).

So I don't think it's really a flop, especially if you are trying to compare it to Mariah's monster of an album, which really has ridiculous legs.

[Propaganda Life]

It's not necessarily a flop as such but it can be seen as one I guess considering the ratio of money spent to money made off the album.

Either way the album was a big old bag of average and I'm struggling to understand what was so special about it. There were plenty of better albums last year.

--
http://peaceandpaper.blogspot.com/

[Cierra Middlebrooks]

Here we go again trying to define good music by soundscan. First off I would like to say that the album of the year should of been COMMON's "BE" in the first place. Late Registration was a good album lyrically, I don't think it deserved album of the year but not because of album sales. When is the hip-hop community going to learn that when it comes to skills on the mic, soundscan should not have an effect on someones talent. Think back to 1996, "Reasonable Doubt", some considered it to be Jay-Z's best album, but during the year of its release how many albums did he sell ? Don't knock Kanye for low sales knock down some of these artists putting out pure garbage,Mike Jones, and going four times platinum.

[Johnson]

Kanye should be praised for daring to be different and not going with the stereotypical gangsta approach. LR isnt a flop, 2m is good numbers and id rather have LR on my name than any of 50's or Chingy's commercialised, meaningless crap. He's not the best MC, he can't freestyle, but his lyrics have more meaning than any of 50's or Ludacris.

[sharonda]

I think if he comes with a 3rd album it won't be really to impressive to me and I don't know if I buy it.His cockiness is a turnoff and LR is just a CD part 2. And to a comment made above.BET cuts off all the videos that that seem "intellegent" , Like Tablib and Mos cause they think we all wanna hear bout partyin', hoes, being shot up and wack shit like that.Is hip hop suppose to be all about that?Its not appealing as it use to be.

[Fancyclown]

2 million, that's terrible sales figures, heart bleeds, how does he eat?

[mooremoney]

first off, late registration was not a flop, and if u idiots kno anything about music u wouldnt compare album sales to the depth of the music. And 2nd, if u kno anything u would kno that all of the late registrations beats were all throw aways that common didnt want to use for BE, which was probably the best hip hop album along with late registration. Kanye is the best around today and he will remiain the best in the game for a while, if u havent noticed he is the one makin all the hits right now

[mooremoney]

first off, late registration was not a flop, and if u idiots kno anything about music u wouldnt compare album sales to the depth of the music. And 2nd, if u kno anything u would kno that all of the late registrations beats were all throw aways that common didnt want to use for BE, which was probably the best hip hop album along with late registration. Kanye is the best around today and he will remiain the best in the game for a while, if u havent noticed he is the one makin all the hits right now

[OMANXL1]

I can't front on Kanye; LR was nice; I'm not mad about the numbers he put up; I'm glad he paid respect to one of the cats he got his style from.(RZA)

[k. orr]

He said he had to sell 1.7 million copies TO BREAK EVEN. Them crackas don't come cheap.

[Critical_Connection]

Whether you like Late Registration or not, it definetly isn't a flop. How can you say its a flop when it sold so many copies and nominated for so many awards?

[Hashim]

Critical, I realize how much it sold, however it also seems like a very expensive album to make. I'm talking flop, as in profit not art

[Olivier Weber]

Late Registration a flop? That's hilarious. It's the second biggest selling rap album of 2005 in the US behind The Massacre isn't it? If that's a flop, then every other reease is as well. Kanye sells internationally too (my guess: another million worldwide). He's got a sell-out world tour going at the moment. And yes, he has crossed over big time, but without compromising his artistic integrity. LR is beautifully produced, richly textured, bold album. Kanye's only weakness is his MCing, but the amazing production more than makes up for it.

[D-Double D]

kanye ain't nuttin like jay-z nor chingy. he's got it all man i bet ya the next albulm's gustto keep flyin high above these niggas.winning a grammy means u put all the work together in a respectful manner and u'll get what u deserve. u feel me.big up kanye u the man. all the way from SA.

[pimp]

I can't see how some one can say an album that had 2 mill in sales is a flop.

[RICHBOY]

HOW CAN YOU CLASSIFY LATE REGISTRATION AS A FLOP ? THAT ALBUM IS TEN TIMES BETTER THEN 50S ALBUM. FIRST OFF 50 HAS NO PUNCHLINES, ALL HE GOT IS HOT CHORUSES. KANYE WEST ALBUM SHOULDVE GONE ATLEAST TRIPLE PLATINUM BECAUSE THAT WHOLE ALBUM IS A CD THATS GUNNA BE BUMPED ON MY ITUNES ATLEAST 4 OR 5 TIMES A WEEK FOR THE REST OF MYLIFE

[Sleep]

Late Registration was not a flop financially or artisically. He sold 2 million in the US, probly another 1.5 million elsewhere, has a sold out world tour, had one of the highest selling ringtones(Gold Digger), won at the grammy's, and has the respect of every real MC in hip hop. Kanye is that dude whether u like his image or not. Numbers dont lie, and he is one of the most talented MUSICIANS in the industry

[connor stronach]

Late registration was never a flop it was a solid album with good traks from start to finish. Graduation vs curtis next huz gonna get better album sales there fiddy or kanye my moneys on fiddy slightly becos he pretends to be gangsta america loves that gangsta shit.