Music News

Toronto Hip Hop Producer Would Like You to Buy his Album for $1,000

It’s not at the level of Wu Tang’s Once Upon a Time in Shaolin, the sole copy of which was sold to pharma douchebag Martin Shkreli, but it is a statement on the value of music. Heights, best known as a producer of hip hop in Toronto and beyond, has decided to release his new album, Incognito Mode at $100 per track. At ten songs, the full album will cost anyone $1,000. From Digital Music News:

‘I made my album expensive,” Heights explained.  “You cherish what isn’t easy to come by.”

Casual fans will never bite, of course, but they probably wouldn’t pay $10, either.  In fact, they’ll probably just try to get it for free.  And maybe that’s the whole point: by appealing to die-hard superfans, Heights is creating something that can truly elicit the support of his top fans.

[…]

And Heights wants to give them something special: according to the artist, the $1,000 album blends more than 500 different beats, and took more than two years to create.  Whether that justifies a $1,000 price tag is partly a theoretical discussion, but mostly a practical one.  Because practically speaking, even if a dozen people buy this album, Heights has probably beat his Spotify and YouTube earnings.

Of course, not everyone can afford the album, even die-hard fans.  With that in mind, Heights has chosen to hold a lottery once a month for anyone who wants the album.  The participant would be required to write an email to Heights stating the reason why they would like an album.  Heights will then choose from the participants entries and offer the $1,000 album to the selected person.

 

Alan Cross

is an internationally known broadcaster, interviewer, writer, consultant, blogger and speaker. In his 40+ years in the music business, Alan has interviewed the biggest names in rock, from David Bowie and U2 to Pearl Jam and the Foo Fighters. He’s also known as a musicologist and documentarian through programs like The Ongoing History of New Music.

Alan Cross has 38035 posts and counting. See all posts by Alan Cross

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