While artists like Kendrick Lamar, Rick Ross, and Nas saw flourishing record sales in 2o12, by releasing damn good albums (the aforementioned made our Wired 25: The Top 25 Albums Of 2012 list), a host of rappers weren’t fortunate enough to enter the same winner’s circle. This year a notable amount of Hip-Hop’s well-marketed and name brand acts had projects with lackluster performances at retail. Accepting defeat, or in this case, for your album to flop, must be a tough pill to swallow.
Some unsuccessful projects weren’t bad albums, but somewhere along the line things just didn’t click. Proper promotion was a factor at times, a few were a product of terrible timing and others were simply God awful. Each scenario can be found in the second installment of our inaugural 2012 Hip-Hop Wired Struggle Awards, the dreaded “Album Flop” award, otherwise known as “The Double Wood.“
See who made the list on the following pages.
PREVIOUSLY: The “Where Is Your Album?” Award aka “The Detox” [2012 HHW Struggle Awards]
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Photo: Tumblr
10. Slaughterhouse – Welcome to: Our House
Slaughterhouse only made this list because they were expected to do better than a measly 52,000 first week. Say it with us guys: “We can can do better.”
9. Obie Trice- Bottoms Up
If skills sold truth be told Obie Trice would be one of Hip-Hop’s PTPs, prime time players. Unfortunately, that didn’t translate to sales.
8. Ja Rule – Pain is Love 2
Looks like a 50 Cent ether comes courtesy with a 10 year expiration date. Check your labels kids.
7. Prodigy – H.N.I.C. 3
The legendary M-O-B-B’s fans are known to come through for Prodigy and Havoc, respectively. The dunn-dunns must have missed the memo this time around and P’s first week sales of 4,000 copies says it all.
6. Diggy Simmons – Unexpected Arrival
On paper, Diggy should have won. The young MC had well produced singles, a likable personality, and women 18 and under love him. The paper lied.
5. Xzibit – Napalm
It had been six years since X to the Z’s last album, unfortunately that meant entering the charts at #140 with 3,200 records sold. His lowest ever. That ain’t fire.
4. Waka Flocka Flame – Triple F Life: Fans, Friends & Family
“Round of Applause” was the soundtrack for countless winning nights in gentleman’s clubs and parties both near and far. Unfortunately, win nights for us don’t move units off the shelves for artists.
2. Nicki Minaj – Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded – The Re-Up
You knew things were going to be suspect when the YMCMB Barbie started copping please before the album dropped. After 36,000 sold the first week, it left the charts the next.
1. Kreayshawn – Something About Kreay
Kreayshawn is exactly what we said she was; more one hit wonder than diaper dandy. Men lie, women lie, numbers don’t.
