Do Streaming Numbers Matter In SA Hip-Hop?

If you’re a South African music fan that spends time on Twitter, chances are you see the updates from the account @2022AFRICA that reports on Spotify streams and charts. 

With the large number of major drops from the likes of Kelvin Momo & Stixx, 25K, Usimamane, Tony Daymane, Elaine and a whole lot more, @2022AFRICA has been busy. 

To a point where some Hip-Hop fans and artists felt some type of way. They express that paying attention to numbers takes away from the art. 

Sales have always been a subject for debate in all of music. Which is understandable, because high sales don’t always mean dope music. What differentiates music enthusiasts from passive listeners is looking beyond popularity in judging the quality of music. Fair. 

However, while we shouldn’t obsess over numbers, we can’t ignore them either. Artists share links to their work for fans to stream (or download). It would be weird for those streams to not be acknowledged. After all, for the most part, streams are a result of fans making a choice to listen to an artist without any middleman (unless it’s on editorial playlists). 

Low streaming numbers don’t mean an artist is lesser but we can’t not celebrate high streaming numbers especially considering how far South African Hip-Hop has come and what it’s always been and continues to be up against. 

Usimamane’s debut album breaking streaming records is a serious W for Hip-Hop and Usi himself. That means the culture is growing and makes a strong case for brands to spend money and get artists and their teams paid. 

It’s a matter of striking a balance. Streams are not the sole barometer for measuring an artist’s worth. Numbers do not lie, they don’t tell the full story but numbers play a huge role in an artist’s social currency.