In the face of the current economic climate and state of the rap music industry, some major retailers have chosen to price hip-hop music according to lyrical content, GIANT has learned exclusively. Under this new pricing system, rap music from the Northeastern and Western  parts of the country will retain their regular pricing due to the fact that their music is more lyrical, while music from the South will sell for only $1. Prices for Midwest rap albums will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.    

“Since Southern rap music contains no lyrical merit at all, we feel that we should price it accordingly. It’s similar to purchasing a vehicle. You pay more for the higher quality,” said Peter Stevenson, VP of Strategic Marketing for Onyx Distribution.

The strategy stems from retailers being left with boxes of CDs from one-hit wonders whose records stopped flying off the shelves once their buzz died down. The music pricing plan is expected to kick in this Fall, in time for Back-to-School season and continue on into the holiday shopping season. “We’re trying this first with rap music,” stated Stevenson. “If it’s successful, then we’ll apply it to other genres.”

For a complete listing of the new prices for upcoming rap albums, click here.