Grammy-winning L.A. rapper Baby Keem started gaining buzz in the industry with his sleeper hit single "Orange Soda" in 2019. Two years later, his debut album, “The Melodic Blue,” peaked at number 5 in the US Billboard 200 chart. It was also a critical and commercial success, earning a platinum certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
The album was supported by four singles, which include "durag activity" (stylized in all lower case) with six-time Grammy-nominated artist Travis Scott. This track marks the first time Keem has included a guest feature on any of his songs. The song was released under Kendrick Lamar and Dave Free’s pgLang, in partnership with Columbia Records.
Calling the track a “hybrid of ‘Orange Soda,’” he shared during an interview with Billboard, “I just want to make sure I’m always giving people something new — maybe not what they want to hear, but what they need to hear. If it was up to some people, I’d just make a bunch of ‘Orange Soda’s and call it a day.”
The artist has come a long way after trying to penetrate the industry while he was in high school.
Back then, he sent emails to music bloggers and even asked his friends to do the same to get him noticed. Majority of them did not reply except for one that finally gave him the attention that he needed. He shared, “If I thought about [ignored emails] I probably wouldn’t be here now. There was probably only one person who ever replied — his name is Naji, he was at Rap Radar. It was a moment of [relief], like ‘finally!’”
Royalty Earnings Performance
Royalty Exchange’s "durag activity" listing is one of the most interesting investment deals this year.
The investor who initially purchased this catalog in May 2023 for $20,500 achieved an impressive ROI, selling it for $36,000 after just a year. That’s good for an ROI of 90.3% in just over a year! Initially, the listing was available at a lower price due to its recent release and typical early decline in earnings, which is a common trend for new songs. This early phase often sees earnings decay before stabilizing as the songs establish a consistent listenership base. The catalog demonstrated this pattern, with earnings bottoming out in Q1 2023.
Since then, there has been a slight but steady increase that indicates the catalog has found its floor and is beginning to show growth potential. This recovery and growth most likely influenced the new buyer's decision to invest, since there’s a lot of reasons to anticipate stable future returns as the catalog continues to mature.
The catalog earned $6,671 in 2023, more than double its earnings two years prior at just $3,148. It should also be noted that it has already earned $1,547 in Q1 2024 alone, so it’s most likely to perform well in the coming months.
Streaming is the top source of earnings for the listing with $3,543 in the last 12 months, which accounts for 52% of all earnings. “durag activity” has almost 149 million streams on Spotify.
Among music users, Spotify tops the list of their favorite platforms to stream the music with $1,454 in earnings in the last 12 months, followed by Apple Music with $1,285.
Interested in Investing?
Check out this listing on Royalty Exchange today to learn how the investor has made a wise choice on this asset.
Royalty Exchange also offers other catalogs with different genres (including your favorite rap and hip-hop hits) that are up for auction today, so sign up as an investor to get started.
If you’re new to royalty investing, Royalty Exchange has prepared this guide on Royalty Investing Made Easy. Discover why so many investors today are actively searching for the next best deals.
