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I talked about this, briefly, in my "Five Things Bad Boy Needs to Do to Improve it's Online Strategy" write up. But, I'm inspired to tackle it more in depth now, thanks to the fact that people are unable to pre-order Donnie Klang's "Just a Rolling Stone" on iTunes, when it is being released in two days. The two other big releases of the week - New Kids on the Block and Young Jeezy - are both available for pre-order and, I'm guessing, have been for a while.
iTunes is the largest seller of music in the United States. Back in April, it was reported that Apple had surpassed Wal-Mart and, in January of 2008, held 19% of the market. This amounted to the market share of Amazon.com, Target, FYE/Coconuts, Borders and Rhapsody - combined.
In other words, handling business on iTunes is important. This is where Bad Boy is faltering. There are two key areas. The first, and worst, one is how they are working with pre-orders. It has been quite a while - so long that I can't even remember - since a Bad Boy album has been up for pre-order, weeks in advance of it's release.
What has been happening now, for far too long, is that a release gets added a day or two before or worse: the day of release! I can't even begin to imagine the amount of sales they are leaving on the table here. Again, iTunes is the largest seller of music in the U.S. So, when people want to pre-order an album, where do they go? Well, in the U.S., they go to iTunes more than anywhere else.
The internet has changed the way that people buy music. People don't go to the store the day of release, like they used to. Not as much, anyway. They pre-order it and have it delivered to them. When you make them get online the day of, you are losing out.
In doing so, you surrender a tremendous sales opportunity to promote pre-orders on your official websites, MySpaces, etc. You also lose the opportunity to promote an iTunes exclusive in the process. iTunes exclusive for pre-orders = more pre-orders = more sales. To not have albums up in advance for pre-order - at least weeks in advance, more if you can swing it - represents a fundamental break down that has to have been affecting the first week sales of Bad Boy albums.
The second part is tied to how they release singles on iTunes. This was covered in the article I mentioned before. However, the idea is that, if Bad Boy "leaks" a single on MySpace or through a record serving agency, it should be up for sale on iTunes before that happens. Not doing so turns away people who want to spend money, but it can also have an effect on album sales on iTunes.
The proof of this is in the fact that 52% of Lil' Wayne's first week sales for "Tha Carter III" were through iTunes "Complete My Album" feature. Fifty two percent. More than half! Now, some of those people would have still bought the album. But, it would be crazy to assume that they all would have. Sell those singles. Even if you are not sure they will make the album. Then, on the singles that do, offer iTunes customers the ability to complete the album. And then you'll have more sales.
It's not hard to see how, if Bad Boy just made a couple of adjustments in their iTunes and music release strategy, coupled with the promotion of the availability of singles and albums, for pre-order, they would stand to reap a substantial sales gain.
With music sales in the state that they are, it's imperative that the full power of iTunes be harnessed.
D-Dot's MySpace blog has a download link for his new mixtake, "Appreciate The Hate: The Madd Rapper Chronicles Volume 1." The front and back covers are below. It features a few tracks with Bad Boy artists:
"Gun Shots" featuring Ness and Aasim
"Live From the BBQ" featuring Diddy, The Notorious B.I.G., Ness, Black Rob and Aasim
"What You Gonna Do?" featuring The Notorious B.I.G. and 50 Cent
In the video above, Diddy appears with Chase N. Cashe and Hit-Boy, Co-CEOs of the Surf Club, a music production company.
The video indicated to me that Bad Boy may have entered into some sort of formal relationship with them, perhaps a production management deal. But, the duo is already signed to Polow Da Don's imprint, Zone 4 Inc., and is simply working with Bad Boy on some upcoming projects, according to Cashe, who I spoke with shortly after watching the video. "We're working with Diddy on material for multiple projects," he said.
When asked if there was a deeper connection, he indicated there was one, but declined to go into detail. "The connection is deeper, for the world to be surprised."
Beginning this week, we will start tracking Bad Boy placement on all Billboard album and single charts in the U.S.
Albums
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
50. "Day26" by Day26 ("Pace Setter," up from 73).
53. "Metropolis: The Chase Suite (Special Edition)" by Janelle Monae (down from 20).
82. "Welcome to the Dollhouse" by Danity Kane (unchanged).
Top Heatseekers
15. "Metropolis: The Chase Suite (Special Edition)" by Janelle Monae (down from 2).
Top Heatseekers (South Atlantic)
6. "Metropolis: The Chase Suite (Special Edition)" by Janelle Monae (down from 1).
Songs
Hot Singles Recurrents
6. "Damaged" by Danity Kane (down from 5).
Hot 100 Recurrent Airplay
7. "Damaged" by Danity Kane (unchanged).
Pop 100
26. "Damaged" by Danity Kane (down from 25).
Pop 100 Airplay
20. "Damaged" by Danity Kane (unchanged).
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
64. "Since You've Been Gone" by Day26 (up from 69).
81. "Lost" by Gorilla Zoe (a new high, up from 87).
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay
64. "Since You've Been Gone" by Day26 (up from 69).
Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop
36. "Since You've Been Gone" by Day26 (up from 39).
Hot Dance Club Play
39. "Damaged" by Danity Kane (down from 35).
Former Bad Boy artist Jerome (real name: Jerome Childers) is now on MySpace, with five tracks posted. I've verified it's legitimacy with Mr. Childers. For more on him, check out the interview I did with him in March of 2007.
Thanks K. Haynes for the tip.
Yesterday, we reported that The Notorious B.I.G. and Ness would featured on D-Dot's upcoming mixtape, "Appreciate The Hate: The Madd Rapper Chronicles Volume 1."
Through a press release put out through MySpace bulletin, he's announced that it will also feature Aasim and Black Rob.
50 Cent, Redman, Maino, Red Cafe, Papoose, Wais P, Joel Ortiz and Missy Elliott will also be featured.
Jake Paine of HipHopDX.com reports on a new mixtape that D-Dot and Statik Selektah will be releasing. It's called "Appreciate The Hate: The Madd Rapper Chronicles Volume 1" and it will feature The Notorious B.I.G., Ness and others.
Faith Evans' book "Keep the Faith: A Memoir" has been released.
I have a copy and I'd recommend that any big Bad Boy fan pick it up. She shares a lot of stories, from her perspective, on the early Bad Boy fans and that whole era. I definitely think fans will find it interesting. I've read a good portion of it and, for the most part, I think it was well done, for what is essentially a tell all book, I suppose.
This book is not an autobiography of Faith Evans. This is a book where Faith tells what she did and saw while she was with Bad Boy, around Diddy and Biggie and everyone in that situation. It starts right around the part where she met Diddy and it ends right around the part where she left Bad Boy. There are tales of her recording her album, of Biggie's infidelity, of the night she spent with 2Pac and much, much more, including drama with Lil' Kim, Mary J. Blige and Missy Elliott.
The 2Pac excerpt will likely garner a lot of attention. While wondering where her own judgement went, she recounts what happened on the infamous night she recorded a hook for 2Pac and what happened afterward. 2Pac had promised her $25,000 and did not pay it. He had her come up to his hotel room to get it, in an effort to get her in bed. She refused, he got angry and claimed that that was what she had wanted. According to Faith, 2Pac never paid her as promised.
She paints Diddy as the demanding, details driven boss that most paint him as, but it comes out as a fair depiction. Someone has to be the boss and it becomes clear that he did a lot for her and offered her a lot of good advice and lessons. She notes, more than once, how she didn't agree with something he did at the time, only to find out later that it was for the best.
There is one particular exchange that may stand out for some. It has to do with the MTV VMAs performance of "I'll Be Missing You." Suffice to say, if Faith had had her way, it never would have happened. Or, at least, she wouldn't have been there. She relays the following telephone conversation:
"Puff, I'm not ready," I said.
"You not ready?" he yelled. "What the f*** are you talking about!"
"I'm still trying to get my s*** together."
"Look. We here. And we gotta live. We have a hit song right now and we need to perform it - together. If you not ready, get ready."
"It's not that simple-"
"Faith, listen to me," Puff said in a low voice. You want to give up on your career? Fine." His voice began to get louder and louder. "But you WILL NOT f*** up my s***. DO YOU HEAR ME?"
"FINE!" I said. "I'll do the show."
Of course, she went on to do the performance, as she indicates, which proved to be iconic. There are different ways to take that exchange. I suspect some will take it as Diddy being selfish and I can understand that. But, you have to wonder, if Diddy doesn't shove her back into the spotlight and make her start performing again and make her take part in what ends up being a historic performance - where is she now? I'm not saying she wouldn't still be a successful artist, but again, there are different ways to look at that situation.
As the book nears it's conclusion, she recounts the day she left Bad Boy, what led up to it and how she approached Puff. She asked that he let her go, and he did. The book ends with an epilogue that takes a quick look at where things stand today.
In all, a very interesting read. You have to take it for what it is. It's not the gospel. She's a human being, recounting conversations from as long as fourteen years ago. Memories fade. But, it's an interesting look at how she saw things from that era and remembers them happening. If you are interested in the book, you can buy it on Amazon.com.
The Billboard 200
115. "Metropolis: The Chase Suite (Special Edition)" by Janelle Monae (debut).
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
20. "Metropolis: The Chase Suite (Special Edition) by Janelle Monae (debut).
73. "Day26" by Day26 (down from 71).
82. "Welcome to the Dollhouse" by Danity Kane (up from 85).
91. "Greatest Hits" by The Notorious B.I.G. (down from 86).
Pop 100
25. "Damaged" by Danity Kane (down from 19).
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
69. "Since You've Been Gone" by Day26 (down from 61).
87. "Lost" by Gorilla Zoe (down from 84).
In his interview with Clizbeats.com, Donnie mentioned that Diddy had asked him to work on his upcoming album.
Singersroom reports that Danity Kane, Day26 and Donnie Klang will be hosting MTV's TRL today (Tuesday). Danity Kane and Donnie Klang will be hosting on Wednesday and Day26 will be hosting on Thursday.
EURweb.com reports:
Vibe's September 2008 issue features a tribute to late rapper Christopher "Notorious B.I.G." Wallace (aka Biggie) as part of the magazine's 15th anniversary "Juice" issue. On newsstands today (Aug 19), the issue includes an exclusive first-look at the cast from the upcoming B.I.G. biopic "Notorious," due for release on Jan. 16 by Fox Searchlight. As part of the fashion feature, Vibe re-creates its memorable October 1995 cover featuring Biggie and his wife Faith Evans in the back of a 1968 Cadillac DeVille. To celebrate the rapper's legacy, most of the magazine's exclusive photos - styled by veteran Vibe Fashion Director Memsor Kamarake - were shot on St. James Place in Brooklyn, NY, the site of Biggie's childhood home.
The cover for the issue is up on the Vibe website and it mentions that there is an interview with Diddy included, as well. It's not clear if this interview is just a general interview or if it is related to Biggie, however.
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
71. "Day26" by Day26 (down from 70).
85. "Welcome to the Dollhouse" by Danity Kane (up from 72).
86. "Greatest Hits" by The Notorious B.I.G. (re-entry).
The Billboard Hot 100
45. "Damaged" by Danity Kane (down from 40).
Pop 100
19. "Damaged" by Danity Kane (unchanged).
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
61. "Since You've Been Gone" by Day26 (down from 58).
84. "Lost" by Gorilla Zoe (a new high, up from 89).
While a new Dream is in the making, members of the old Dream appear to be getting back together for a new group.
Melissa Schuman's MySpace reveals that Diana Ortiz has joined her and Ashley Poole in Lady Phoenix, a new girl group that will reunite 3 of the original 4 members of Dream. Or, at least, the group that released the first album. Lady Phoenix also features Tiffany Brouwer.
The group's MySpace lists them as "Pop / Blues / Big Beat" and their influences as Ella Fitzgerald, Michael Buble and Peggy Lee.
Back in July, we reported that there would be an auction on October 1 featuring a watch worn by Biggie. More details are now available.
According to the auctioneer's website, the Biggie watch is a yellow gold and stainless steel Rolex with a
diamond bezel. Quite possibly going a little overboard, they call it "his first prized possession."
The auction will also feature a princess and baguette cut diamond and platinum bracelet worn by Diddy, as well as jewelry from a number of other notable artists, including 50 Cent, Lil' Wayne, Jay-Z, Nas, Mary J. Blige and others.
A portion of proceeds will go to a trio of charities: Russell Simmons' Rush Philanthropic Arts Foundation, the Hip Hop Summit Action Network and the Diamond Empowerment Fund.
Via Deidre Woollard of Luxist via Nola Weinstein of Fashion Week Daily.
MTV announced today that the premiere of Making the Band 4, season 3, has been moved to August 19 at 9:00 PM ET. On August 13 at 9:00 PM ET, the time slot it was previously scheduled in, MTV will air a special called "Making the Band's Greatest Hits."
This special will feature some of the greatest moments from seasons past and will also preview the upcoming season. It will be hosted by Aubrey from Danity Kane, Donnie Klang and Robert from Day26.
This season, full episode will be added to MTV.com the day after they premiere. MTV.com will also feature exclusive rehearsal and backstage footage from the recent Making the Band tour.
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
70. "Day26" by Day26 (down from 64).
72. "Welcome to the Dollhouse" by Danity Kane (up from 75).
The Billboard Hot 100
40. "Damaged" by Danity Kane (down from 31).
Pop 100
19. "Damaged" by Danity Kane (down from 16).
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
58. "Since You've Been Gone" by Day26 (down from 57).
89. "Lost" by Gorilla Zoe (a new high, up from 94).
There isn't a bigger Bad Boy fan in this world than myself. Ask anyone who knows me or check out my Last.fm profile and you'll find that I am a huge fan. At the same time, as loyal Bad Boy Blog readers will know, that doesn't mean that I won't be critical when it's appropriate.
This is one of those times. Being critical is a good thing when it's constructive and that's what I am aiming for here. While most readers know me here as a blogger and fellow Bad Boy fan, managing online websites and communities is what I do - online strategy is what I do. I own the iFroggy Network, of which BBB is a part, and I'm the author of a book called "Managing Online Forums," which discusses strategies and tactics for managing online communities. It received advance praise from recording artist, and Bad Boy producer, Ryan Leslie, as well as Debbie Hammond, CEO of ClockWork Entertainment, Jordan McCoy's co-label.
Putting together my professional experience and area of expertise and my long history of being a Bad Boy fan and observer, I've come up with 5 things that Bad Boy can do right now to drastically bolster their online strategy, leading to more traffic, more sales, more money - more everything.
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Read More
Watch below for an extended trailer for "I Want to Work for Diddy".
Previously, we had reported that ClockWork Entertainment, who has worked with Bad Boy on joint ventures for Dream and Jordan McCoy, was attempting to put together a new Dream lineup. Jordan McCoy is the first member.
In speaking of ClockWork CEO Debbie Hammond, I was able to piece together some details. Assuming it comes to fruition, this new group isn't necessarily signed to Bad Boy - but, Bad Boy will receive a first look. Somewhere down the line, they are looking to promote the group through a movie.
Vincent Herbert, who has a long list of production credits (Mary J. Blige, Destiny's Child, Aaliyah, Toni Braxton, Total), and produced on Dream's first album, "It Was All A Dream," is on board for the project.
Though they haven't begun promoting auditions yet, they are accepting them. They are looking for girls around 18 years of age (or that look young). And, of course, you must be able to sing and dance at a high level. It'll be a 3-4 member group, so they are looking to add another 2 or 3 people.
If you are interested in auditioning, you should you post a video of yourself online and send a link to it to the ClockWork Entertainment MySpace or YouTube channel or the Dream MySpace or YouTube channel. Not all four - just one.
If they are unable to put together a group from the online submissions, they will hold formal auditions in Los Angeles. But, if all goes well, they'll look to hold call backs from the online submissions in Los Angeles, instead.
It's important to note that Jordan McCoy is still a solo artist signed to Bad Boy, trying to get an album out and trying to get a TV show. That hasn't changed.
Watch below.
Thanks Ricardo for the tip.
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