City Girls are back in the spotlight with their latest album, RAW. Anticipation for this release has been building for a number of reasons. First, the album stands for “Real A$$ Wh0res” and has been very controversial. Personally, I find it so low frequency that I think it may have bit them in their butts.
At the time of this writing, the duo is set to move 6,000 to 8,000 units, which is pretty low considering they just came off a lot of press and a BET Hip-Hop Award performance. What went wrong?
City Girls—Yung Miami and JT—have risen to prominence since their debut. They have Girl Code and City on Lock, both commercial successes. Girl Code (2018) splashed down at No. 55 on the Billboard 200 chart and was certified gold by the RIAA. City on Lock did even better when it was released in 2020.
The City Girls’ chart performance reflected a growing influence and popularity within rap. These recent RAW first-week sales numbers aren’t in the same league as their past work. RAW was expected to be another big addition to the City Girls’ discography. The album’s title suggests an unfiltered and genuine expression of their artistry, but the acronym may have backfired. Also, the world has changed. Sexyy Red, GloRilla and others have taken up a lot of space that the City Girls used to occupy. I honestly think these new chicks drove them to have such a wild album title.
While the first-week sales projections for RAW are modest compared to some of the industry’s heavyweights, it doesn’t mean they are over. They still have Diddy in their back pocket, so I’m certain he will continue to help them when like when Caresha, Please won Best Hip-Hop Platform this year (again). They also may get some traction going through platforms like Spotify and Apple Music, which are likely to buoy their efforts. City Girls have a dedicated fan base and I think they will show up over time.
The City Girls have proven time and time again that they are a force to be reckoned with. But what do you think?
