Marketing tactics have always played a role in commercial hip-hop success. For example, 50 Cent vs. Kanye West or when Kanye tried to upstage Drake last fall by dropping DONDA on the same day as CLB. But how do marketing tactics play out in underground hip-hop? Simply put, they play an even larger role because they must tap into niche audiences.
Last Friday on the last day of September – Rome Streetz of Griselda Records dropped his debut album – Kiss the Ring. It just so happened that Freddie Gibbs dropped his most recent project, “$oul $old $eparately” on the same day. Now, is that just coincidence or was this a marketing tactic?
Artists will almost always deny the fact that albums “happen” to drop on the same day. Overall, it takes more than just one person to make the mission complete. It is likely that the Gibbs collective caught wind of the Griselda drop date and tried to upstage the young New York artist.
For those unaware, Freddie Gibbs and Benny the Butcher [Griselda] have been beefing for a little bit now. It is unfortunate because they have shared many solid collaborations in the past. It is also unreasonable because what started out as a “weird tweet” spilled over into actual violence.
UPDATE: Freddie Gibbs and Young Jeezy have officially squashed their beef.
Marketers make their mark – it is what they do. For instance, when Nas dissed Jay-Z back in the early 2000’s it was one of the most volatile hip-hop feuds to ever occur. Since that back-and-forth – Jay-Z has put out a release to sabotage Nas’ numbers every time Nas tries to drop an album.
Might Freddie Gibbs pursue the same angle. Or is he even capable of doing so? Let us know which album you are rocking with more – KISS THE RING or $oul $old $eparately
FreshNewsNow 
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