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Exit polls are good enough for presidential races, so why not album showdowns? Rock Daily caught up with proud new owners of
Graduation and
Curtis — and the fence-riders who bought both Kanye West and 50 Cent’s new albums on their release day — as they exited Union Square's Virgin Records today in New York.
The results after one-hour of polling:
Kanye West’s
Graduation: 31 copies
50 Cent’s
Curtis: 14 copies
(Keep reading to find out more about the New Yorkers who grabbed up Curtis
and Graduation
, and their take on hip-hop’s day in the spotlight.)
The lonely purchasers of
Curtis included Brooklyn native Will Green, a 28-year-old aspiring rapper who’s inspired by 50 Cent. Also, Phoebe Mcginn, a music student at Baruch, insists only
Curtis gets her amped, saying, “I do like Kanye but I think lately he's become too commercial. And I think it's more about his Louis Vuitton than his music.”
But most customers were fiercely proud of their Kanye allegiance, calling 50 Cent's efforts since his first album repetitive and lyrically inferior. Professional hip-hop dancer AV Ayoung bought Kanye's
Graduation and was heading straight to his studio to freestyle to it. “I've been a fan since the beginning. Kanye is unmatched in the game and the fack that he's a top-notch producer, and holds down the fort period. I have a feeling it's going to get me going, get the juices flowing,” said Ayoung. “As far as 50 is concerned as an artist he's saturated the game so much that people are tired of hearing him.”
Borough of Manhattan Community College liberal arts student Jashiem Wiggins walked out of the store with both
Curtis and
Graduation, but one was for his mother. Which one? “I bought both because my mother likes 50 Cent. I can't stand him. I don't feel like his music is anything refreshing or original. It's just repetitive shoot ‘em up bang bang.”
Wiggins wasn't the only patron with a two-disc faceoff inside his Virgin bag. NYU film student Matt Mitchener walked to Virgin with the plan of buying two
Graduations but left with one of each. “I wanted to just support the cause and to call Fifty out on his bluff. But I caved and bought both – it's kind of a guilty pleasure.”
Regardless of who comes out on top, the hip-hop fans at Virgin universally saw the rivalry as beneficial for both the quality of hip-hop and industry sales. Mitchener, 18, learned the extent of the showdown's fame on his way to buy
Graduation. “I just talked to my Mom on the phone as I was walking to Virgin and she knew about 50 Cent and Kanye dropping their albums at the same time. My mom — who is a 40-year-old white woman — knows that 50 Cent and Kanye West have albums dropping today. I think that shows something. It's kind of a world event.”
“I think it's a great thing for hip-hop. It's safe in the way it's competitive. It's not violent,” said Ayoung. “I mean they presented an award together at the VMAs and stood onstage while Tommy Lee was getting knocked in the face by Kid Rock. So we know it's not going to be one of those gun-toting battles.”
Not to say the competition was not heartfelt. Oni Jordan, a sophomore at New York's High School for Environmental Studies, headed straight to the record store from school, decked in West's bright colors, to convince any undecided wandering the aisles to opt for Kanye. “I promoted him today,” Jordan said while her friend shouted “G-Unit” behind her. “I think he's a music genius. I actually had an argument today on AOL about Kanye and 50.” Then pointing to the
Curtis supporter behind her without turning around, said defeatedly, “He's still a 50 fan.”
All of the New-Yorkers today doubted that 50 cent will actually retire, as promised, if Kanye's sales top him. “I don't think 50 will retire regardless,” said Mitchener. “He likes money way too much. Or maybe he'll just put out some more Vitamin Water.”
While the SoundScan numbers keep climbing, one customer who bought both albums thinks most of the hype is off the mark. “We all know Kenny Chesney is going to win,” said Latrice Blakely, 24, of Queens. “C'mon, country music is the number one selling music in the United States. So let's be real – they're fighting for number two and three right now.”
More... 
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50 Cent or Kanye West? An Unscientific Record-Store Exit Poll
New Music Tuesdays: 50 Cent Vs. Kanye West