F*** The Middleman.
Jonah Berger, a marketing professor at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, authored the book "Contagious: Why Things Catch On." In the book, he tells the story of a Philadelphia restaurant that sold a $120 cheesesteak. The restaurant owner faced a lot of criticism, but the marketing campaign ultimately drew massive attention and was successful.
After being introduced to this book, Ermias Joseph Asghedom, professionally known as Nipsey Hussle, was inspired by the story and created the "Proud 2 Pay" campaign. Hussle aimed to empower artists and not give money to label executives. The campaign was centered around his upcoming mixtape "Crenshaw," for which he created 1,000 physical signed copies and sold them for $100 each. The tape would also be available for free download online, just like all his other mixtapes. The music world was divided on whether Hussle was insane or a genius.
On October 8, 2013, fans lined up down North Fairfax for Hussle’s Crenshaw pop-up shop. In under 24 hours, Hussle sold all 1,000 copies and grossed $100,000. The campaign was a success, and even Jay-Z reached out to buy 100 copies. Hussle placed a bet on the scarcity model and cashed out.
HELLA INSPIRED.
