10 Excuses Rappers Make When Their Album Flops

Do record sales still matter? Of course they do, some argue. Others make sure to mention that with most artists making the bulk of their dough from shows and merchandise, record sales are the least of a musicians's worries. There's a reason most are now signed to much-maligned "360 deals." That said, when an album does flop, it's not unusual to hear the artist throwing up excuses as to why their project went double aluminum whether it's their fault or not.

So, stop us if you've heard these before. Here are 10 Excuses Rappers Make When Their Album Flops. Don't be fooled next time you hear your favorite rapper cop a plea for their low album sales.

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Asher Roth
Album: Asleep in the Bread Aisle
First Week Sales: 65,000

Asher Roth was unable to make the big splash he was hoping for with his 2009 debut album Asleep in the Bread Aisle despite having one of the biggest singles at the time in "I Love College." After the project debuted with only 65,000 copies sold, Roth said it was because of his label's decision to undership his album. "It undershipped," he said. "A lot of our following is digital as well, so it was hard to really gauge what they were going to do." Roth isn't the only rapper to use this line of reasoning to describe poor sales. Wale, 2 Chainz, and Kid Cudi have also called out their respective labels for undershipping an album.

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Angel Haze
Album: Dirty Gold
First Week Sales: 857

It's become commonplace these days for albums to leak, sometimes months in advance. It's now just an unfortunate part of the game. The irony behind this particular incident with Angel Haze is that she leaked her own album. The result: Dirty Gold sold just 857 copies in its first week. The 22-year-old rapper said her label expected a low sales figure based on the project being released in late December. "They said, 'Yeah, your first week sales are going to be shit but in the coming weeks we’ll see them increase and it’s cool.'" Name one person you know who's bought the album. We'll wait.

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Eve
Album: Lip Lock
First Week Sales: 8,600

Eve rode quietly into the sunset with her 2013 album Lip Lock. The album was her first in over a decade, and marked a drastically different sound from the former first lady of Ruff Ryders. "I knew the music I put on it and the singles I put out wouldn’t be on the radio," she said following its release. "I kind of did that on purpose. I wanted to make the music I wanted to make." Her core fan base was less than enthused by this musical change, which led to Lip Lock selling less than 9,000 in its first week.

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Soulja Boy
Album: The Deandre Way
First Week Sales: 13,400

Soulja Boy took it personal when his 2010 album The DeAndre Way sold less than 14,000 copies in its first week. According to the rapper, it was his record label that failed to market his album properly, first moving around its release date and then undershipping it to stores. "The labels out here, they don’t know what they’re doing," he said. "No disrespect to no labels, but I’ve got my ear to the streets." So we've heard.

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Nelly
Album: M.O.
First Week Sales: 15,000

In 2004, Nelly released two solo albums on the same day and was able to sell a combined 738,000 copies. Fast forward to 2013, and the veteran St. Louis rapper wasn't able to move more than 15,000 of his last project M.O. "Obviously some fans want you to remain the same as they remember you," he said after the sales results came in. "They want you trapped in their moment of life forever but you know the reality of it is that everybody changes."

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Maino
Album: If Tomorrow Comes...
First Week Sales: 18,000

Maino's 2009 debut album If Tomorrow Comes... should have been a special moment in the Brooklyn rapper's career. And it was... to less than 20,000 people. The project sold only 18,000 copies in its first week, which was a far cry from expectations. Maino responded by saying, "First off u can't measure me by [what] I didn't sell, [because] just a few [years] ago I was an inmate. So that's 18,000 people riding wit me." That's a great way to spin it.

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Diggy Simmons
Album: Unexpected Arrival
First Week Sales: 21,100

Diggy Simmons hasn't quite lived up to the expectations of being the son of hip-hop royalty. His pop-rap debut album Unexpected Arrival was just that, selling a little more than 21,000 copies in its first week. When asked about the low sales, Diggy Simmons explained his album would sell more over time as new fans started to pick up on his music. In a roundabout way, he also compared Unexpected Arrival to Jay Z's Reasonable Doubt and Bruno Mars' Doo-Wops & Hooligans. Interesting stance from the young rapper, though it's fair to say his prediction hasn't come true just yet.

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Kreayshawn
Album: Something 'Bout Kreay
First Week Sales: 3,900

Kreayshawn's debut album Something 'Bout Kreay bombed big time, selling 3,900 copies in its first week. This mark was one of the lowest ever for a major label artist, though Kreayshawn was quick to offer an excus..err, explanation as to why her album did so poorly. "If your lookin for physical copies of #SBK they are only @ Hot Topic and most have been sold out since the 2nd day it dropped so CALL AHEAD." That's right, her fans had to call ahead, just like ordering takeout. And just like takeout, they probably disposed of it rather quickly.

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Ghostface Killah
Album: The Big Doe Rehab
First Week Sales: 36,000

Ghostface Killah had some choice words for his fans when his 2007 album The Big Doe Rehab sold just 36,000 copies in its first week. "I got my first week SoundScan, and I didn't appreciate that shit," he said. "I got like 115,000 on the Myspace, and ya'll motherfuckers are still downloading my shit. I thought ya'll motherfuckers loved me." We all know that fans online don't directly equate to albums sold. If only Ghostface knew that too.

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French Montana
Album: Excuse My French
First Week Sales: 56,000

French Montana ain't worried about nothin'. Really. He certainly wasn't worried about the sales of his debut album Excuse My French, which moved 56,000 units in its first week. "I don't make money off CDs. I do shows. I do other things. So that don't bother me," he said. "It don't concern me because I'll keep working hard regardless."

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