Foota Hype On Shenseea’s ‘Alpha’ First Week Sales: “This Is Embarrassing”
Foota Hype has criticized the first-week sales performance of Shenseea's new album “Alpha” as “embarrassing,” citing that her 5.3 million followers on Instagram are “not genuine.“
The “Dollars and Sense” producer started an Instagram live session on Thursday (March 24) by stating that he likes the “Sure Sure” singer and that “aside from her music,” he admires her because he understands her struggle and “how far she has come from.”
“Dat still nuh teck weh from di fact seh shi a do bare foolishness, seen,” Foota Hype then said.
Shenseea's debut album, “Alpha”, released on March 11 by Rich Immigrants in association with Interscope Records, sold 4,900 units in its first week through sales and streaming, with 800 pure album copies.
Foota Hype made the argument by pointing out that there was no sales figure to go along with the number of followers on Instagram.
“Tell mi if dis add up. Tell mi if dis mek sense! 5.3 million followers equal to 5745 sales in the first two weeks. Dat add up? Dat meck sense?” he asked as if dumbfounded.
“Dem numba yah meck sense to di amount a followers weh yuh have? A year and a half ago, mi come tell oonu seh views and followers, do not make you a star! Now if you have 5.3 million followers and outta dat, 40,000 nuh guh buy yuh album, via stream or nuttn at all. Mi naw si no numbas weh a seh 40,000 buy yuh album. Hard sale a 845?” Foota Hype questioned the ratio between Shenseea's album sales and Instagram followers.
“Then how you have 5.3 million followers? Memba mi discuss dis already enuh. Rememba mi tell oonu seh no ‘views artiste' an no ‘followers artiste' cannot talk to me… No way you can have 5.3 million genuine followers an ongle sell dis! Da following yah nuh genuine. Cause it is proven in yuh sales,” he asserted.
Foota Hype then tried to convince the “Lick” entertainer that he wasn't trying to make her feel terrible, but he expressed that she should take his remarks in stride and use them as counseling.
“This is not disrespect; this is reality, and I said it before: Shenseea, you are a very popular girl, very popular artiste. You are not yet a superstar! An Shenseea do not take this as a disrespect. Its comin from somebaddy weh actually care fi yuh,” Foots Hype stated.
“Yuh si if yuh nuh face reality, yuh a guh get f-ck! Alright?” he added.
When comparing the Romeich Entertainment performers, including the now-departed Teejay, Foota Hype remarked that Tarrus Riley was the biggest, followed by Ding Dong and Teejay, with Shenseea at the back end, despite receiving the “most promotion.”
“Romeich Entertainment is a nice camp or was a nice camp. Cause it a deflate… Nice package a artiste… Shenseea, right now, is the most popular. And it depends pon a which region yuh guh. Cause certain region don't even know who name Shenseea. Certain region dem nuh know Ding Doing either. Certain region a Tarrus dem know; dem nuh know Teejay eeda. When yuh a talk bout reach inna some region, Tarrus is di man,” he said.
He also claimed that at events, there are certain songs that must be played by selector, which all three of her label-mates have had in the past but Shenseea is yet to attain.
“Shenseea, yuh don't have even one a dem song deh yet inna yuh life. Yuh do not have a must-play, done-di-dance song inna yuh life. You do not have one a those songs. So, you are talked about, you are trending, but you don't have the main ingredient yet weh fi cause yuh fi sell di record dem,” he remarked.
Foota Hype reiterated that he had nothing against the Romeich Entertainment team, but that he wants them to “do the right thing for Dancehall and Reggae music,” even if they don't like him.
“This is weh mi a try seh to oonu an oonu a seh people badmind. It nuh have nuttn fi do wid badmind. It is di reality. You do not even have one a dem song deh weh dance haffi done when it play,” the Calabar High School old boy said.
“So yes, yuh looks a carry yuh… yes, yuh figure a carry yuh. Yes, you are talented; we are not saying you are not talented. You are talented, but you have not embarked on one of those blessed songs weh meck anyweh yuh guh inna di world and Dancehall play, it haffi play else di dance done, promoter kill yuh, fans fling bakkle,” he continued.
“Reality is, you have songs that play, zeen? You do not have any song weh haffi play. Is a difference in havin song weh play, seen. Yuh have song weh play; yuh have song weh wi like, but wi nuh haffi play,” he added.
Foota Hype also stated that Shenseea has received a high level of exposure than any other Jamaican musician. He claims that if Ding Dong had released an album without any collaborations or advertising, the “Flair Is In The Air” deejay would have acquired more album sales because of his “street credit” and fame.
“Nobody in the space right now has been promoted like Shenseea. Nobody in the space have a budget spend pon dem like Shenseea. Nobody,” he said.
“Fi di money weh oonu spend and di promotions weh oonu do, an di interview dem weh oonu guh pon, and di shoulders weh oonu a rub, shoulders wid, Khaled, Puff Daddy, Tyga, Savage 21, Drake – this is embarrassing. This is embarrassing, zeen!” he added.
