Rick Ross says steady *Set In Stone* streams beat padded debuts after 50 Cent mocks his album sales and a Detroit crowd.
Rick Ross is answering 50 Cent’s empty-seat joke by using Set In Stone sales to add fresh fuel to their endless feud.
50 Cent posted a clip Tuesday that seemed to show open seats before Ross performed in Detroit, then told him to “focus on the wings.”
Ross says his crowd stayed with him past opening week, while padded numbers can fall faster than this old feud ever fades.
“As I said on my story yesterday, 22,000 the first week, 20 the second week. Those drastic falloffs, guys, that you see with a lot of those other artists is when the numbers are inflated. The bots, to me, the new flex is no bots. Keep it genuine.”
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Ross said his figures came from a two-week report showing 63.5 million streams, which his team valued at about 42,500 album units.
The public chart tells a different story because Set In Stone debuted at No. 39 with 19,000 units on the Billboard 200.
That was the lowest chart peak of Ross’ 12 solo albums, giving 50 Cent more ammo for their 17-year war.
“I used to never even know when my album was first week. I didn’t even care about that. When they said Teflon Don, it came out. I did, I want to say 187,000 copies the first week.”
Teflon Don opened with 176,000 copies in 2010, so Ross’ memory added 11,000 units to what was still a much bigger debut.
“And for example, if those numbers not inflated, why can’t these same people with all these followers sell other products outside of the music? Why that sneakers can’t sell? Why their alcohol can’t sell? Why this can’t sell? If you genuinely gotten a gazillion people that could do this with your music the first week, why everything else you do outside of music is unsuccessful.”
The pitch had a true Ross taste: music, liquor and money, served while 50 Cent checks his rival’s receipts without being asked.
Their feud began in 2009 and has lived through lawsuits, diss songs, money jokes, restaurant insults and enough posts to wear out several thumbs.
50 Cent wrote Tuesday that Ross “CAN’T FAKE IT FOREVER,” keeping the door open for more jokes after both men finish counting this week’s numbers.
