The first-week sales are in for Tekashi 6ix9ine’sTattleTales album and the Brooklyn rapper fell well below expectations.
Billboard reports the album debuted at No. 4 with roughly 53,000 equivalent album units earned, netting 6ix9ine his third Top 10 album. Of the 53,000 units earned, 32,000 of them came via album sale, most of which supported by various merchandise and album bundles. According to Akademiks, Billboard had reportedly disqualified over 100,000 of 6ix9ine’s merch bundles, knocking initial projections of TattleTales becoming his first No. 1 album.
6ix9ine recently discredited bundles in regards to album sales, calling out the likes of Travis Scott and more.
“Everybody was against me,” 6ix9ine told Billboard. “Radio blackballed me. Playlists blackballed me. I feel like Billboard was mad because I said, ‘How can you still buy bundles?’ You think if I buy some lip gloss right now and I bought a Travis Scott album, is that fair to all the hardworking people who worked on their album?”
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Billboard had previously announced they were no longer counting merchandise bundles with sales but didn’t give a hard date as to when the change would be enacted.
The low sales for TattleTales even prompted longtime 6ix9ine fan and associate Akademiks to label the project “a flop.”
6ix9ine’s troubles in getting interviews with certain outlets has been well-documented. The Breakfast Club hesitated to grant him an interview following his April release from prison and have yet to do so. Joe Budden, however, isn’t being as diplomatic as Charlemange, Angela Yee and DJ Envy in regards to 6ix9ine.
Joe Budden Refuses To Interview Tekashi 6ix9ine, Calls Him 'A Little Manipulative Fuck'
During a recent episode of The Joe Budden Podcast, Budden vowed he wouldn’t be playing 6ix9ine’s games.
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“Now, it becomes crystal clear, as it did for Gillie,” he said. “You’re not looking to expose something. You’re looking to expose something next to someone that’s official. You’re looking to expose something next to somebody that didn’t fuck with you. That’s called you’re looking for a co-sign. Wow, this little manipulative fuck. Back to manipulating.
“The fucking Billboard projections come out. Durk ends up moving his album, didn’t want to be associated with that mess. The projections are lower than what it would take for an artist to travel with nine and 10 security guards everywhere he goes. See, that’s the part the public doesn’t really decipher. It’s not who flopped and who didn’t. It’s what comes in versus what’s been spent.”
