Billboard dodged a lawsuit from angry rap producer DJ Khaled who was deeply hurt when his album, Father of Asahd, failed to debut at No. 1 on the charts last week.
Khaled reportedly planned to sue Billboard after the entertainment company disqualified 100,000 digital downloads because they were “bundled” with purchases of Awake® Energy Shot drinks.
Khaled was upset after Billboard claimed the bundle promotion was not pre-approved. But sources told The Blast that the DJ got approval before running the bundle promotion.
Khaled, who boasts nearly 20 million followers on social media, promoted his album and the Awake® Energy drinks heavily on social media.
Father of Asahd sold 136,000 album-equivalent units, of which 34,000 were pure album sales. The album landed at number 2 behind label mate Tyler, the Creator’s critically-acclaimed album Igor.
According to Page Six, Khaled’s lawyers fired off a letter to Silvio Pietroluongo, SVP of charts and data development at Billboard. The lawyers threatened a lawsuit after Billboard disqualified 100,000 downloads.
A source close to Khaled’s camp told Page Six, “When Khaled’s team tried to appeal, Billboard refused to budge.”
Khaled’s label, Roc Nation is also displeased by the so-called “bundles” adopted by Billboard that encourages artists to sell digital downloads paired with merchandise to artificially boost sales.
According to the NY Times, “About half the 39 titles that topped the charts last year were sold as part of ticket or merchandise ‘bundles.'”
Desiree Perez, chief operating officer at DJ Khaled’s label, Roc Nation, criticized the concept of bundles, calling the practice “confusing and demeaning to art.” She continued, “We’re obviously not fans of bundling, nor should anyone who cares about artists making music. But our hands are being forced by Billboard’s desperate, last-ditch effort to keep streaming from eliminating what’s left of music downloads.”
On Monday, Khaled celebrated after Billboard moved Father of Asahd to No. 1 and dropped Tyler’s Igor to No. 2 on the albums chart.
Last week, DJ Khaled threw a jab at Tyler, suggesting no one listens to his music.
On Saturday, Tyler ‘liked’ a tweet by user @fearofroya that reads, “Khaled’s album is like when someone has a trash ass outfit but every piece is designer so they think it’s fire.”
Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty Images
Get over it big boy
Eyes tired of hearing about clubs and how much dope you all sold. Death to the music industry that has our generation in bandage and under a spell to fill up prison cells! All of your wealth will be destroyed!
20 million followers and you only selling 100k albums smh the reach of social media is not what they make it out to be
Smoke and mirrors
Wow! People have real problems. Health and money issues. Abusive homes. He’s an arrogant Arab who has profited off rap enough! Notice how he married within his race…ethnicity…religion.or whatever. He didn’t marry a black woman. And I’m tired of seeing that damn kid.
J Cole spoke on this foolery
Mad annoying and egotistical.
He probably has African slaves hidden somewhere overseas
This us at the kid ?? https://media2.giphy.com/media/IGPGucxuesjWE/giphy.gif?cid=8fc3c8975cff04845641763849f23866&rid=giphy.gif
I will not put a cent in that fat pig’s pockets . All he does is use other rappers to make music. LMFAO, just yelling DJ Khaled is not cutting it. That pig can’t rap/write. #FOH and go babysit Ashad
Khaled reminds me of Jaafar in Aladdin. He pretends to be all cool with his black fan base meanwhile using his son to hypnotize us into buying his music.
Tyler music is the bomb , hands down
Big man baby threw a tantrum and they give him what he wanted…smh..
https://media3.giphy.com/media/dYge3ULm4IMwSargt2/giphy-downsized-medium.gif
I’m going to give it a whirl
Savage
Not working on me!
DJ Kalid is petti and i am so sick of his adlibs especially in that so hood song and he uses the N word wrecklessly. Wat a big fat man baby he is… ?
yes thought i was the only one seeing a man and a baby at the same damn time.
DJ Khaled has a tiny penis
https://media3.giphy.com/media/ZErLKZeoTlKNllt7e6/giphy-downsized-medium.gif
He should feel embarrassed he had to do all that bitching to get his album to #1 just a bunch of recylced—I mean sampled records ? what does he bring to the culture besides picking away at whats left of the carcass that was once hip hop?
is that the baby wrapped up in a tiny blanket on his lap???
I was so thinking that after typing my comment
I haven’t heard the whole album but his song Holy Mountain with Buju, Sizzla and dem is fiyyah.
I’m convinced Kanye west had to be “deactivated” so DJ Khaled can take over what he was already doing…sampling records ? except Kanye was actually good at it and produces and writes and has—well used to have anyways—some great visuals. Now all we have is a shell constantly under hypnosis by those witches ??
I see right thru his phony a$$. I think I was a teen when he dropped that song “We taking Over” with Akon and them. I knew from that moment that he was fake.
I miss Kanye so bad. I still bump all his music before Kim came along. College Dropout, Graduation, 808’s, MBDTF. Anything after that not so much.
Not working for me either! I put Khaled and French Montana in the same category and pay them no mind!
Facts. I can barely listen to his new shit without having to think about the klan of succubus witches
#1 based on a technicality Smh
LOL. I was thinking that his tantrums scream LD syndrome all day
Actually he has a valid point , I haven’t been a fan of his music for years but to be fair Tyler the creator also bundled albums and his albums counted , so Khaled has every right to challenge them for his garbage ass album.
Tyler’s latest album is trash , full of experimental whinny throwaways that didn’t make his last album which was also trash . Khaled managed to have every heavyweight in the game and still managed to put out a dud of an album. Number 1 or not , he should be embarrassed that he wasn’t able to push more than 160k albums
I thought he hada Mane Coon (long haired cat) in his lap..
Wondering what happened between him and Weight Watchers? https://media0.giphy.com/media/cZFGHcoaKwqFa/giphy.gif
I thought he hada Mane Coon (long haired cat) in his lap..
Wondering what happened between him and Weight Watchers? https://media0.giphy.com/media/cZFGHcoaKwqFa/giphy.gif
I think its a cat https://media2.giphy.com/media/pgDHr5iiUx6fe/giphy.gif
I think its a cat https://media2.giphy.com/media/pgDHr5iiUx6fe/giphy.gif
Of course! The fatter he gets, the more nonexistent it continues to be https://media0.giphy.com/media/l41lMMzTCBvXqtEUU/giphy.gif
Yesssss
My husband has been using the Waze app with DJ Khaleda voice giving the directions and its pretty funny ???
?
The bundling sh|t needs to stop…energy drinks, & Tyler was doing lawn signs (as part of his bundle)…really?? Next it’ll be bras, panties & pinatas. Apparently Taylor Swift did this in 2012 with Papa John’s Pizzas. Pizzas…it’s s outta control. Artists/groups need to let their music stand on its it’s own merits damn.
Him and his hair plugs need to have several seats.
Wow, didn’t know Billboard was behind the bundling! I see they had no problem when Travis Scott got his number 1 slot!
I’m glad he called them out! But, this way of doing business (selling music) is shady AF!
This just cements that they can make “ANYBODY” they want a music superstar, and their erasure of black artists is so real, deliberate, sadly!
He has no talent he’s a over paid middle man
That’s because half of their “followers” as ghost accounts to make them look good lol. No one is selling record like that unfortunately, unless you’re Taylor “looks like a bleached weasel” or Adele (I’ve got a frog stuck in my throat)… though I like one or two of her older songs ?
That is my favourite gif ??????
I will give French that one song ,”Unforgettable “(that Swae Lee made hot, French can’t be considered a rapper to me, he sucks), other than that he’s also trash, living off a culture not his own.
They beeeeeen bundling since 50’s and 60’s.
It’s all a big game in the music industry.
*Tricks of the trade*
Hell the execs paid every single girl to be ecstatic the first time the Beatles came to America. They were told to lose their minds.
Industry has paid “fans”, payola, bundles, and it goes on as on.
Some music you KNOW you don’t like. But if they play it enough you will. Hmmmm…nothing new under the hot ?.
?…lmao!!
This is why nobody should trust the industry!!! Money can buy thee most untalented person fame and recognition..awards and fans and a #1 spot on some chart!! Str8 blasphemous! Most of all these signed so called artist are hot garbage and manufactured af!! ???
I think it may be a pillow.
I betchu this mofo was actually cry’n ? real tears behind this Billboard bullshidt. He’s over-hyped and overrated…his musik is trash. Asahd’s daddy needs to go sit his crybaby ass down somewhere.
I’m so sick of this fat f*ck ?
What has Khaled done for the black community other than opening the artery clogging fried chicken restaurants?
Kirk Franklin? LOL
Did we see results? He still looks the same to me… https://media0.giphy.com/media/3oEjHAUOqG3lSS0f1C/giphy.gif
That’s so weird to me that they merchandise is counted toward music sales.
Moved him to #1 ???!!! SMH
Its supposed to be earned I thought
but who am I ? …………. LOL
People still buy albums….???
And DJ Khaled sucks. The best description I saw of his album is “when somebody has a trash azz outfit on but every piece is designer so they think it’s fire.” ??
Same. I did like the ye album, surprisingly and kids see ghost was ???
I too am so sick of this M&M shape mofo
This just looks super-lame on his part. This is like when a girl isn’t good enough to make the cheer-leading team, so her mom shows up, yelling at the coach and threatening to sue the school for denying her precious daughter a place on the team. SMH
Khaled is a fraud. People stop buying this frauds music. Music that he really had nothing to do with
https://media1.giphy.com/media/HIXHjfOoFfLxK/giphy.gif
If he had to throw temper tantrums and threaten lawsuits to WIN…unfortunately he’s no winner! Just sad….
He doesn’t even rap…all he does is says “We da best” occasionally. He’s just like Quincy Jones who don’t sing a lick but, got albums…..Sit the hell down DJ Khaled with your whiny ass. You whined enough, now gone on with your #1 and take that annoying ass kid with you that you keep shoving down our throats.
LMAO @ the above tweet. PERFECT example given.
LMMFAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAO
??
These corny artist are cry babies & really gassed up thinking they soo good…now all of a sudden cardi post her daughter all the time.. ppl still not buying it
Wait so he didn’t even earn #1?
He just cried until they gave it to him?
Pathetic. How does he still have fans?
He done got on my last nerve
He was having a real belly laugh…lol!
Sound like some of my co-workers.
Travis Scott did the same thing to get the number 1 album over Nicki Minaj last year so I can believe it
Let anybody say anything about affirmative action for Black people again. This Middle Eastern man literally whined and used his money to get a #1. If any of us did this, we’d be accused of wanting special treatment.
Kirk Franklin is a writer, producer, composer and a musician. All those songs you hear and see him shouting on he wrote, produced, composed and arranged himself. Put some respect on his name.
100,000 digital downloads IS NOT ENOUGH!!! I remember the days when Michael Jackson sold 20 million CDs.
100,000 is nothing in downloads….NOTHING! These hip hop artists are fighting over NOTHING BIG.
So basically his little motto on snapchat is “We are #1” and he can’t afford to be #2. He bitched and bitched until he got moved. Now was it due to interest sparked cause he kept bitching? or was it due to a move behind the scene? This is why I don’t take A DAMN THING BILLBOARD SAYS SERIOUS. I listen to whomever I want and many of the artists I listen to aren’t on billboard and they make great music. I know who Khaled is due to him being on Snapchat, but not due to his music.
??