Streams for YG and Nipsey Hussle’s “FDT” Jump Over 300% on Election Day
Written by SOURCE on November 7, 2020
If Mariah Carey is the reoccurring Ghost of Christmas Present, then Nipsey Hussle and YG have become the political equivalent for Donald Trump‘s current nightmare.
The Compton native’s anti-Trump anthem “FDT (Fuck Donald Trump),” featuring the late, great Nipsey Hussle, has become the rallying cry as Joe Biden nears closer to winning the presidential race. According to Nielsen Music/MRC Data via Billboard, the single saw a massive increase in sales and streams on the day of the election. The track reportedly experienced a 221% jump in sales compared to the day before the polls closed. Streams increased from 240,000 to 1,050,000, a 338% climb.
Like most Black Americans, YG and Nip saw the writing on the wall ahead of Trump winning the 2016 election, moving them to create the track. The song was originally a loosie uploaded to SoundCloud that gained a lot of attention. In fact, “FDT” became so popular that the Secret Service deemed it potentially dangerous, forcing the pair to censor some of the lyrics. After slight modifications, the underground single was added to YG’s sophomore album, Still Brazy, and peaked at No. 50 on Billboard‘s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.
As Donald Trump’s presidency continued to unravel, “FDT” proved to be more prophetic than critics initially thought. As a result, Billboard named “FDT” as one of the 100 songs that defined the decade. It was also used throughout Trump’s presidency to combat his radical supporters and attempt to quiet his boisterous rallies.
