Would you pay $8,050 for an album?

That’s the questionBrinkz is asking. The Tampa producer has put his new album, Gold Sluggs Beat Tape Collection, online for free. But if you want a physical copy, of which only 100 have been made, you’ll need to pony up that eight-thousand bucks.

Dozens of people already have. When I get on the phone with Brinkz, a week after his initial release, he’s sold 45 copies, and is in a very good mood.

“It surprises me,” he says. “As much as I believe in it. Every time I get a transaction, I thank God, I get a text, and I’ve been hitting them back. The support and the connection I have with these people help me understand the psychology of the person paying $8,050 for some beats that, realistically, you could download for free-use.”

And what he is learning about that psychology? Who are these people spending a good portion of money on an album?

Brinkz doesn’t hesitate before answering. Not even for a second. “The highest human act is to inspire,” he says. “Money is a tool – it’s the means, not the end. [Inspiration is] the metric that dictates whether or not a project is a success. It’s more realistic than trying to aim for radio play, or trying to satisfy an A&R, or the other gatekeepers on these platforms. I don’t care to create with those things in mind. Besides staying independent is right for me, I’m making more money than signed acts and major artists already. But if you tell me the goal is to inspire? That gets me excited and makes my job a lot easier.”

Brinkz won’t reveal what the contents of the Tape package are – that, he says, is for paying customers to discover – but a does purchase comes with an 128gb Cassette Tape & a merit of other items he won’t reveal. (Rumored that the tape package content includes state of the art recording equipment from Solid State Logic & MSI Laptops?) He will not deny nor confirm this. His sales tactics would mean nothing if his albums sucked, but Gold Sluggs is proof that you can make a profit with good music. Brinkz laid-back southern drawl and excellent taste in beats make Gold Sluggs a must-listen album.

Brinkz isn’t the only one experimenting with unorthodox sales strategies. The Wu-Tang Clan recently sent the lone copy of their album Once Upon a Time in Shaolin to auction – they had previously received an offer of $5m from an unknown source. And yet, this sort of experimentation is largely the domain of independent artists; and Nipsey Hussle’s sold 100 units of the Mailbox Money album for $1000.

“The labels aren’t letting us live,” he says. “They’re not letting artists own anything! We’re going to end up 60 years old without a pot to piss in – no catalogue, no money, no residuals. Don’t believe me go check Kanye West twitter feed. Masters are the ownership and money that’s why I won’t sign to a label. I used to idolize Kanye. He is an artistic genius and great business mind but when I found out he has a Billy but no masters it hurt me. Artistic ownership = True artistic expression that is everything. I don’t want some middle aged white guy pushing 50 approving my songs for syncs and cuffing 85% of the cash Jeff can shove it. I won’t be another pawn in their ponzi scheme business model. When you hear 85/15 deals, don’t be fooled the label is 85% and artist is 15%. And they take your masters. Its modern day slavery literally.

“We’re supposed to be in control. It’s YOUR birthright to own this shit. Unless you don’t have the mental capacity to do so, but that doesn’t apply to me.”

Follow Brinkz on instagram @brinkzthishard and Listen to the album at brinkzthishard.com