Fans were both shocked and excited when news broke that A$AP Rocky’s anticipated debut LongLiveA$AP leaked a nearly month before its January 15 release. Now, in a recent interview with XXL, the man who signed Rocky to Polo Grounds Music/RCA Records speaks on the unexpected leak.
Bryan Leach, founder of Polo Grounds Music, said that he was worried about the effect that the leak would have on the LP’s overall sales. Still, Leach believes that the overwhelmingly positive response to the project has been a silver lining and that listeners will still decide to support it financially.
“From a business standpoint, we tried to control [the leak] as much as we could, and also pay attention to the signs. From a personal standpoint, it was a gift and a curse. I was disappointed that it leaked so early, and I was concerned about whether that would affect us,” he said. “I think the word of mouth was great. I think people appreciated the body of work. I’m glad that what leaked was not super rough demos and shit like that. A lot of the comments have been, ‘I downloaded it; I’m still buying it.’ Again, that speaks to Rocky’s core. They don’t want no bootleg shit. They want the real deal. It’s like, ‘Yeah, I download shit for free. But I also buy what I like.'”
He added, “I still have faith. That’s not just shit-taking. I think this is a new world. This is the new way that shit works. Even if it never leaked I would have had to cross my fingers on January 15. Maybe I’ll cross two fingers instead of one.”
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Make sure to check out DX’s own review of A$AP Rocky’sLongLiveA$AP.
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