Bab 189: **Chapter 187: The Continued Chart Battle**
While Link was celebrating with champagne, Roc Nation, the label behind *The Blueprint 3*, also held a party at the Hilton Hotel to celebrate the album's top sales for the week.
However, Jay-Z wasn't exactly in high spirits.
Before the album's release, he had high expectations. He and the company had projected first-week sales of at least 800,000 copies, with a strong chance of breaking a million, setting a new record in his career.
But the actual result was only 458,000 copies.
For many top and mid-level artists, this would be an unimaginable number. For someone of Jay-Z's stature, it seemed rather mediocre, even a bit of a letdown.
The main reason for the shortfall was Link's album eating into part of *The Blueprint 3*'s market share. Without Link's album, *The Blueprint 3* might have easily exceeded 600,000 copies in the U.S.
Thinking about the young Link, Jay-Z's face grew darker as he puffed on his Cuban cigar, coldly observing the lively party. Seeing his wife Beyoncé dancing with Drake only darkened his mood further.
"Jay-Z, what's wrong?" Kanye West approached with a drink in hand.
"How do you feel about the album's sales?" Jay-Z asked.
"Sales champion, it's still impressive," Kanye replied.
Jay-Z shook his head. In recent years, the rap market had been very strong. Kanye's *Graduation* in 2007 and Lil Wayne's *Tha Carter III* last year both had first-week sales over 900,000 copies.
Eminem, T.I., and Chris Brown had all seen first-week sales above 600,000 copies for their new albums.
Compared to these artists, Jay-Z felt a significant drop in his industry influence and appeal, which made him uncomfortable.
"I heard Link will be participating in the World Swimming Championships in Berlin next week. If he wins a few more gold medals, his album sales could very well surpass ours. Do you have any suggestions?" Jay-Z asked.
Kanye, one of the producers for *The Blueprint 3*, who worked on ten tracks and provided vocals, would also benefit from the album's success.
Kanye thought for a moment. Since Link would be competing against top international swimmers and could win more gold medals, it was inevitable that the media would heavily cover him. This increased media exposure would draw more attention to his new album and potentially boost its sales.
With *Keep On Movin'* just 30,000 copies short of *The Blueprint 3* this week, if this trend continued, Link's album might surpass Jay-Z's next week and take the top spot on the album sales chart.
Media focus was on the chart competition between Link and Jay-Z. If Link surpassed Jay-Z next week, it would be a significant blow to Jay-Z's reputation.
Kanye struggled to come up with a good countermeasure.
"Should we hold more signing events and bring in some celebrity guests to perform?" Kanye suggested.
Jay-Z waved his hand dismissively. As a major figure in the rap world with a net worth of several hundred million dollars, he wasn't willing to sit around all day signing albums. It was something he had done in his younger years, but now it was not feasible.
Seeing Lil Wayne, T.I., and Chris Brown, Jay-Z motioned for them to come over, explaining the situation and asking for their input.
Lil Wayne stroked his chin thoughtfully and chuckled, "It's simple. We should stir up controversy about Link being racist. If fans attack him, his album will definitely not sell well."
"That won't work!" Jay-Z shook his head. Washington had already given the green light for industry competition but had explicitly stated that racial issues were off-limits.
Link was an Olympic champion, a world boxing champion, a popular singer, a well-known swimmer, and a youth idol with a large fan base in the U.S. Accusing him of racism without solid evidence would have severe consequences and cause trouble for everyone involved.
"Why not exploit his scandals? Link is very concerned about his reputation and public image, which is why his fans support him. If we expose his scandals and tarnish his image, the young fans might turn away, and his album sales could suffer," T.I. suggested.
"That's a good idea," Jay-Z's eyes lit up.
Analysis had shown that Link's rapid rise in popularity over the past year was largely due to his excellent public image. He came from humble beginnings, worked his way up to become a world champion, and was a symbol of the American Dream.
He was hardworking and continued to study even after becoming a millionaire, setting a good example for young people. He was a musical talent, a pop idol, and an enthusiastic participant in sports, bringing honor to his country.
Aside from some minor issues before he turned 18, he was almost a perfect idol. If his good image could be shattered, his fans might become disillusioned, and his album sales could drop.
"Scandals? What scandals does Link have?" Kanye asked.
Jay-Z looked at T.I., who had suggested the idea. T.I. hesitated, "I heard that guy is particularly wild in that aspect. His private life must be chaotic, maybe dozens of women a night."
"Who told you that? Do you have any photos?" Kanye asked curiously.
"I'm just guessing. I think he might be that kind of person."
"No evidence, no use. Think of other scandals," Jay-Z waved his hand, urging everyone to think of black material on Link.
Kanye and others tried hard but couldn't find any scandals. Link didn't do drugs or drink excessively, wasn't involved in prostitution or gambling, and although he had a few rumored girlfriends in recent years, he didn't have multiple partners at the same time.
Overall, he had no significant scandals in his private life.
"Impossible!" Jay-Z didn't believe there was a perfect idol in the entertainment industry. He knew from his own experience how difficult it was to rise from the bottom and that many seemingly glamorous celebrities had dirty secrets.
Link must be the same.
Lil Wayne's eyes lit up. "How about we arrange for someone to plant some drugs in his car and then call the police?"
Jay-Z considered it but dismissed the idea. Link was a millionaire with many lawyers, had connections with the Duwa and Thompkins families, and was a respected elite athlete. Such a setup wouldn't affect him.
Seeing that no one could come up with any scandals, Jay-Z, frustrated, tossed his cigar aside and stomped on it, turning to his music agent. "Invest another 5 million in promotion. Contact more media. I want to retain the number one spot next week."
Everyone agreed. Jay-Z's fan base was large, and the album was of good quality. Increasing the promotional efforts might help secure the top spot for another week.
As long as they could keep Link off the number one spot for one more week, other new releases would likely push Link out of contention for the top spot in the third week.
If Link's album couldn't reach number one, they would win this chart battle.
In the second week after Link's album *Keep On Movin'* was released, Jay-Z's Roc Nation, along with Epic Records, Kanye's GOOD Music, and Lil Wayne's Young Money, invested millions in promoting *The Blueprint 3* through various channels.
Jay-Z also organized several charity concerts under the name of the "Sean Carter Foundation" in New York, Los Angeles, and Las Vegas, donating to underprivileged black families and inviting numerous celebrities and athletes to participate.
At the New York concert, Jay-Z personally donated $500,000, which caused a sensation.
The concerts were broadcast live on MTV, with viewership peaking at over 15 million.
On the same day, there was good news from the World Swimming Championships in Berlin, Germany.
Athlete Link Beck won two gold medals in the 100m and 200m freestyle events, defeating French swimmer Bernard and Korean swimmer Park Tae-hwan.
When the news reached the U.S., major American media covered it extensively, and ESPN's entertainment sports program broadcasted the championships live via satellite.
In the following days, the label behind *The Blueprint 3* poured substantial funds into promoting the album across the U.S., aiming to maintain its top position.
Meanwhile, Link continued his impressive performance at the Berlin Olympic Swimming Center, winning a total of seven gold medals, including in the 100m/200m/400m/1500m freestyle, 100m/200m breaststroke, and the 4x100m freestyle relay.
He broke two swimming records and is currently the holder of four FINA swimming records.
The only regret was that American swimming legend Michael Phelps, who was scheduled to compete in the 100m breaststroke, accidentally slipped and injured his knee before the event and had to withdraw, so Link didn't face him directly.
After the competition, Link and the U.S. swim team returned to Los Angeles.
(End of Chapter)
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