"Drew Raffe"

I FUCKING LOVE THIS GUY. NO ONE DESERVES THIS SUCCESS MORE. CONGRATS! 

astronautalis:

Last night, as i was wrapping up my work for the day, i got a text from that just read: “you’ll be charting on Billboard tomorrow. FYI”.  They didn’t know the number, they didn’t know any details, they just knew that.  Shortly there after, i got an email that said, “you debuted on the CMJ Hip Hop Charts at #3“.  Naturally, the first thing i did was text my momma!  Then, i got to thinking…

I have been making rap music for a long time, it has been my lively-hood for the last 3 years, and just when i think i can not be surprised anymore, things like this happen.  I know this has been the story i have been harping on since the release, but WE did this, no, we are DOING this, with no ad campaign, with no marketing department, with a team of 5 people working day an night pushing “This Is Our Science” to any radio station that will play it, any magazine that will review it, and any person that will take the time to listen.  All while a guy named Sparky is covered in tape and shipping invoices in a garage in Connecticut, frantically packing up and shipping out the orders that never stop coming in.

I have never made it on to the Billboard charts…and we debuted at #41 on Hip Hop albums, and #43 on the Heatseekers chart (a chart for new artists…new in the eyes of billboard of course).  While i have made it on to CMJ charts before…i have never debuted at such a high number.  we landed at #3 on the hip hop radio charts this week!  Getting up to #9 on itunes was a total shattering of my expectations…this has just blown my mind.

A lot of people are often confused by how often slip back and forth between the pronouns “I” & “we” when talking about my career, and i would like to explain that, and bring up my final thought about all of this magic that is happening right now:

When i start on a record, it is just me, with my laptop, some nerdy books, and my imagination.  However, as the process moves forward, more and more people get added to the equation.  Musicians start throwing tracks my way, my producer and i start plotting directions, i run song ideas by friends, i meet with artists to discuss the packaging, homies come into the studio and lay down session work, Congleton engineers everything, a mastering engineer brings it all together, and my manager drives the bus and keeps this whole funny machine running on time.  I just counted, and before the album is even released, there almost 50 people that have a direct hand in some aspect of this record.  Then you guys get a hold of it…the fans.

You blast in your cars, you plaster it on twitter, like it on facebook, post it on your blog, you play it over the system at your job, you put songs on mixes for the girl you like, and sometimes you just tell someone you love to sit down, shut up, and listen.  Once the record is shrink wrapped and in stores, it is out of my hands, it is your record then…and the way you guys have been handling it, is one of the most affirming, inspiring, and exciting things that has ever happened to me.

I made the songs, but my friends helped me make it an album.  The label made it available, but you guys made it a success.  So forgive me when i use the word “we” when i am talking about my career, but it is very hard to feel like I did this alone, when there are literally thousands of people standing beside me to prove that WE did this together.

WE debuted at #41 on the Billboard Hip Hop Charts
WE debuted at #43 on the Billboard Heatseekers Charts
WE debuted at #03 on the CMJ Hip Hop Charts
WE debuted at #09 on the iTunes Hip Hop Charts
WE debuted at #12 on Amazon.com Hip Hop Charts

With no ads, no marketing, no giant pr blitz, no pitchfork, no rolling stone, just word of mouth, hard work and love.
This is not MY science.
This is OUR Science.
Thank you for being my fans, and thank you for being a part of this record.