Fred again did 8,000 streams in the first week and sold out four arenas in six minutes: Lil Yachty on the difference between marketing hip-hop and electronic music [Video]

Lil Yachty has spoken about the difference between marketing for hip-hop and electronic music, noting how hip-hop tends to be more “fast-paced” and reliant on social media.

The rapper, whose collaborative album with James Blake Bad Cameo arrives later this week, tells Apple Music’s Zane Lowe that one thing he realised while promoting the record was how different things work in the urban community compared to the rest of the music scene.

• READ MORE: Moby is frustrated he can’t release more music: “I only release about 2% of what I make… 98% of it is collecting digital dust”

“For instance, [Blake] may not have 700,000 likes on a picture, but he can always count on a show to sell out,” says Lil Yachty, who boasts 12.1 million followers on Instagram — nearly 20x Blake’s 677k.

“In hip-hop, it’s all about your first-week numbers; It’s very fast. Fast-paced marketing and fast-lived content. Versus any other genre [where] it’s a gradual grind, a gradual uphill battle.” …