Billboard vs. Tekashi 6ix9ine

5.18.20

Billboard Hot 100 vs. Tekashi 6ix9ine

The Billboard charts are praised by some, desired by some, and despised by others. Many rappers, such as Jay-Z, have shown their displeasure, or maybe just lack of caring for the Billboards Top Charts. For someone like Jay-Z, who went from topping charts selling physicals, to having the game really change in the midst of his prime with streaming services, this caused a disturbance in pulling Number Ones, such as his experience when dropping ‘Magna Carter Holy Grail.’ Great work, though.  

I ain't got a billion streams, got a billion dollars
Inflating numbers like we 'posed to be happy about this
We was praised in Billboard, but we were young
Now I look at Billboard like, "Is you dumb?"

Well, Tekashi 6ix9ine’s favorite word is dumb, and he feels similar to this quote right now. 

After 6ix9ine’s release from prison, he has been on quite the trolling spree on social media. There have been ups and downs trying to find peace in his new home, trying to find peace within this industry, within his circle, and quite honestly, probably within himself. Through the ups and downs, Tekashi 6ix9ine has still manage to have broken many records after releasing his latest single, ‘Gooba.’ After going on Instagram Live to announce the new song, 6ix9ine broke the record of over 2 million live viewers at once. He also broke the record for the most YouTube videos in just twenty-four hours. Currently, the video is sitting on YouTube at 186 million views in one week. 

With this, Tekashi 6ix9ine is aware he is pulling massive numbers, but skeptical what the charts will do knowing his character is not perceived lightly at this moment in time. So, 6ix9ine shares multiple Instagram posts suggesting an investigation going on with Billboard and how they are coming up with the Top 100 Chart for the week. Though the charts will not be released publicly until tomorrow, we all know where 6ix9ine stands on the charts. Outraged at the final standings and numbers, 6ix9ine comes in at third place, while Ariana Grande and Justin Bieber sit happily at number one. 

Though third is not a terrible place to debut, Tekashi 6ix9ine is not happy. Does he have a right to be unhappy, though? While exploiting Billboard describing this ongoing investigation, 6ix9ine explains that at the very last minute, Ariana Grande received an additional 60,000 units downloaded out of no where. Allegedly, the investigators concluded half of these streams came from just six credit cards. Interestingly enough, there is a four unit limit in which users can buy digital units. (Some consumers buy more than one to really support their favorites.) Not only is this strange, but Billboard apparently erased over 20 million downloads from what 6ix9ine had calculated from his own single. So, Tekashi 6ix9ine is blaming Billboard for manipulating the charts, and allowing artists to purchase their own number one hits. While Ariana Grande insists she received her number one fair and square, this does not seem to be the first time the charts have been questioned.

In the past, Spotify took down XXX Tentacion’s music from their platform because he had an open case of domestic violence. XXL had made public decisions to keep certain artists from the Freshman Cover when they had been convicted of violent crimes. There are certain situations where large companies need to make the decision whether or not they want to promote an artist and what they stand for, or are largely perceived as in the media. By playing someone’s music, or having them on an album cover, who allegedly beat their pregnant girlfriend, was an asset in a murder, or performed some sort of unethical and violent crime, you are supporting that person. In a similar situation, if you are playing the music and praising of a rat, does that make you a rat?

I think Billboard made a huge mistake here. I do not think Billboard is wrong for manipulating the charts so that Tekashi 6ix9ine would end up at number three instead of number one. Billboard is wrong because Tekashi 6ix9ine should have been taken out of the running completely. A brand as such should be aware that someone like 6ix9ine would call them out for potentially manipulating the numbers against them. Now, they will be in question every time someone speculates a different artist should have received the top spot. Why support 6ix9ine at all if this were to be the outcome? Doesn’t having him at number three still give him credit for outselling 97% of the others who made the chart? Billboard is still supporting the success of ‘Gooba’, whether he is number one, number three, or number ninety-seven. If they wanted to take a stand against the man, they should have removed him from the running, to refrain from associating the brand and his character. 

So, Tekashi 6ix9ine or Billboard? They’re both cancelled.