INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 15: Rapper YG performs onstage during the Rolling Loud Festival at Hollywood Park Grounds on March 15, 2024 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Scott Dudelson/Getty Images)
There’s a pattern emerging.
YG is a proven hip-hop talent. He’s been making acclaimed albums for a decade, and he’s been featured on several hit singles. Unfortunately, the rapper’s pedigree did not translate to success for his new tape, Just Re’d Up 3. The (seemingly anticipated) third installment in his series only sold 8K in its first week. A massive downturn from his last album, I Got Issues, which moved 13,800 units in 2022. Fans were pretty surprised by the drop off. A narrative quickly developed though, and it had to do with YG’s West Coast brother, Kendrick Lamar.
The social media consensus was that Kendrick Lamar should have used his considerable success to help promote YG’s album. YG supported Dot throughout the Drake battle. He was one of the artists who was at the Pop Out show. He also distanced himself from Drake, despite working with the Toronto rapper on two of his biggest singles. “Why didn’t Kendrick tweet or post YG’s album,” one Twitter user questioned. “Nobody find this weird??” Others took a more hostile approach, and claimed that Lamar used his West Coast peers when it was convenient, but failed to help them out in return.
Fans Think K. Dot Should Have Promoted YG’s Album
YG’s ‘Just Re’d Up 3’ sells 8k first week and debuts at #151 on this week’s Billboard 200 💿
It is the eleventh charting project of his career. pic.twitter.com/nNxNfCBcoI
— Hip Hop All Day (@HipHopAllDayy) August 27, 2024
“The Pop Out show did nothing for all these artists that danced on that stage,” wrote one irate user. “They all got used for personal gain by Kendrick and nothing more. Kendrick couldn’t even give them features or post their albums. ‘West Coast united’ but did nothing for any of them after. Clown show.” YG isn’t the first artist who has suffered low album sales after linking up with Dot. DJ Mustard scored his first ever number one single when he produced Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us.” Mustard bashed Drake in the media and happily appeared alongside Lamar in the music video. When it came time for the producer to drop his new album, though, it underperformed. Faith of a Mustard Seed only sold 18K in its first week.
Once again, fans were puzzled by Kendrick Lamar’s lack of involvement. The rapper didn’t contribute a verse to the album, nor did he bother promoting it on social media. It obviously isn’t Lamar’s job to do any of these things, but critics are beginning to piece together a narrative in which the Compton rapper provides the opposite of a Drake stimulus package. In other words, a Kendrick Lamar co-sign will not help album sales. Mustard crashed out on Twitter after his album numbers were released. He still managed to sell 10K more than poor YG, though.