Why is Watch the Throne vinyl so expensive? The short answer is exclusivity, but that doesn’t really tell us anything. Does it?

When it comes to Watch the Throne vinyl, there are more than just price increases at play. The album was released after a period of tension between Kanye West and Jay-Z’s wife Beyoncé. Plus, the intricate golden design of the record jacket was designed by well-renowned Italian designer Riccardo Tisci.

Today, I’m going to give you all the details about why this vinyl is so expensive. For starters, did you know that it was written about in The Washington Post?

Why Is Watch the Throne Vinyl so Expensive?

If you want to buy Watch the Throne on vinyl, maybe consider getting a second job! The reasons for its high price are many, and each one is more interesting than the last.

Among those reasons are the exploding vinyl market, how successful the album was, and the gorgeous artwork you’ll receive once you get your hands on that vinyl.

5 Reasons Why Watch the Throne Vinyl Is so Expensive

 Let me go into the small details behind each of these points.

1. Vinyl Prices Going Up

Vinyl prices are going up, up, and I’m not just talking about the Watch the Throne vinyl. In fact, according to the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), it’s been going up for a while.

Vinyl sales are at an all-time high, but it’s not uncommon to see people paying hundreds of dollars for records that were originally released decades ago.

The vinyl industry has seen a 30% increase in sales over 2020, and that’s despite the fact that prices for records have gone up a bit in the past few years. While this might seem like bad news for collectors and audiophiles alike, it’s actually great news for us consumers!

Why is that? Because It means that more people are buying vinyl than ever before, and there’s going to be more of it to go around!

2. The Album Was a Great Success

It takes a lot to be seen as a classic, but Watch the Throne pulled it off. That is, it was seen as one of the best albums of its year.

That’s not just some hipster opinion, Watch the Throne was one of the top-ranked albums in most year-end lists by music critics and publications.

It was voted by various publications, like the Washington Post and Time, as one of the best albums of 2011. Moreover, Watch the Throne was named the second-best album in 2011 by Rolling Stone.

That’s because Watch the Throne is consistently good across different genres. You couldn’t ask for a better mix of songs that go from hard-hitting tracks like “No Church In The Wild” and “Otis” to slower but equally powerful songs like “Who Gon Stop Me?”

And on top of that, each track features two extremely talented artists who work well together: Jay-Z and Kanye West. If you won’t take my word for it; you can listen to Watch The Throne yourself!

Related Posts:
– Why is Reputation vinyl so expensive?
– Reasons why Luv Is Rage 2 vinyl is overpriced
– Why is Blonde vinyl that expensive?

3. Rumors Surrounding the Artists

It’s no surprise this album was so expensive, considering it was released after a time when Jay-Z and Kanye West were going through a tense period. In fact, this scandal is the stuff of hip-hop legend!

Jay-Z and Ye have known each other for a long time before their collaboration on this album. However, in 2009, Kanye West stirred up some tension around him.

During Taylor Swift’s speech at the 2009 VMAs, Kanye West stormed the stage, cutting her off mid-sentence, to proclaim that Beyoncé’s video was the greatest. Hence, he embarrassed himself, Beyoncé, and Taylor Swift all at once.

This caused great disturbance to both songstresses, who were seen crying later. In the wake of the stage invasion, the public began to speculate about tensions between the rappers and wondered if their friendship was on the rocks.

Before the album dropped, rumors and tension between the two artists were still in the air. However, when the announcement hit the news; the fans prepared their wallets almost immediately.

4. The Stunning Artwork

When you purchase the vinyl, you aren’t simply getting the songs, but a stunning art piece.

The artwork for the album was created by Riccardo Tisci, currently the chief creative officer of Burberry.

In his design, Tisci used fierce bold colors with sharp lines to build a grand image. When asked about his design, Tisci stated that the idea behind it was to capture and represents the “masculinity of two of the most iconic rap figures of our time.”

When you open the record, the first thing you’ll notice is the flag of the United States in shining colors. This relates to Tisci’s principle of cultural identity, which often explores multiple textures.

The next part of the vinyl jacket reveals a surprise: a beautiful picture of a couple of seemingly fallen angels. This reinforces Tisci’s recognizable motifs with surreal religious iconography and adds a sense of magic to the design.

The final touches are found on the two vinyl records. Each one of the LPs features a picture of Kanye and Jay-Z morphed into animals; linking them back to Tisci’s design principles. However, the two vinyls are actually inside a simple black sleeve.

You’ll also get a poster inside the jacket with a captivating design and all the credits on its back.

5. Loads of Paying Fans

As you already know, this album was recorded by two of the biggest names in hip-hop. Jay-Z and Kanye West have been around for more than ten years before the album even dropped. But what you may not know is that they had a huge fanbase even back in 2011.

According to Spotify, Kanye has around 50 million monthly listeners on his account. Plus, some of his albums have over a billion streams. On the other hand, Jay-Z has more than 25 million monthly listeners on his account.

Looking back in 2011, Jay-Z and Kanye’s fans were still huge in numbers. Actually, if you cut the current amount in half, you’d still have a massive digit in front of you.

In numbers that significant, you’re bound to find some fans willing to pay a premium for the vinyl. Now, they can truly call themselves hard-core fans!