If it’s one thing Kanye West is going to do, it’s turn a profit from his brand.
After hosting his second listening event for his forthcoming album, the “Donda” rapper reportedly did numbers at the Mercedes-Benz Arena in Atlanta after pulling in $7 million in revenue from his in-person merchandise, according to Billboard. This is also the same amount that West’s YEEZY x GAP puffer coat reportedly made in one night.
More than that, the second global livestream on Apple Music generated more than 5.4 million views, topping his recent record-breaking number of 3.3 million total viewers from the previous album event. West’s streaming numbers are so impressive, they’ve managed to rival that of Twitch — amounting to more than double of the streaming platform’s current livestream record — as well as the 2020 Primetime Emmy Awards, which had an audience of over 6.1 million people across the U.S. tune in last year.
The rapper’s mysterious album rollout has caused such a frenzy on social media, Billboard reports that his listening party has generated over 1.1 million tweets at its peak, surpassing the kind of Twitter activity from the 2020 MTV Video Music Awards. Though it’s unclear whether a third listening event will be held for “Donda,” so far the numbers are proof that fans are eager to see and hear anything that West is up to.
Even as fans continue to await the release of the highly-anticipated “Donda” album, West has other moves happening in the background like his YEEZY x GAP collaboration. As previously reported by AfroTech, the partnership line could net $1 billion in sales from its first year alone, according to a prediction from Wells Fargo.
The bank’s projection reportedly stems from the success of sales of items like the aforementioned limited edition blue puffer jacket, that retailed for $200 and sold out fairly quickly. This is also happening before the first batch of items have officially shipped out, so when the line officially drops we’re sure to expect some outstanding sales numbers.
