Lil Uzi Vert's breakout track 'XO Tour Llif3' has gone double platinum. It's also propelled his debut album Luv is Rage 2 to the top of the Billboard charts during its opening week.
The song has been especially popular as a stream. Which is appropriate given Uzi came up as a Soundcloud rapper.
"Streaming has definitely made me money,” Uzi told New York Magazine's Vulture. “It’s a whole other way to put your music out there.”But how much money? Vulture asked Tuma Basa, the company's global programming head of Hip Hop, what Uzi's made so far on 'XO Tour Llif3'.
According to Basa, the track has been streamed 1.3 billion times across all audio and video platforms. Industries sources suggest Uzi's take on those streams is a little over $900,000. His label, Atlantic, takes in another $3.5 million.
[Related: Lil Uzi Vert keeps devil worship controversy alive with ‘XO Tour Llif3’ video]
In the same article, legendary (and notorious) record exec Lyor Cohen, who's currently YouTube's head of global music, spoke on the ease which the new school can now get their music out on streaming services.
“Hip Hop artists have liberated themselves from the shackles of the album,” Cohen, explained. “The album is far less important than just putting out music.”However, if you take a look at Atlantic's take on 'XO Tour Llif3' vs. Uzi's take, you would have to conclude that streaming still hasn't allowed Hip Hop artists to liberate themselves from their labels.