Independent rapper LaRussell is challenging the music industry after claiming his latest album sold enough units to land Top 5 on the Billboard 200.

So why didn’t it chart?

According to LaRussell, the sales happened direct-to-consumer, outside the traditional system used by Luminate, the data provider that tracks numbers for Billboard.

In this video we break down:

• How the Billboard chart system actually counts album sales • Why some independent sales may not qualify • LaRussell’s direct-to-fan strategy and backyard concert model • The history of artists challenging the chart system • Whether the industry punishes independent innovation

As more artists move away from labels and sell directly to their audiences, the question becomes bigger than one r ...