Hip Hop Album Sales: The Week Ending 12/13/2009
12.16.09
by Allen Jacobs
Despite crying "blackball" (and then deleting records
of
it) last week, Pop/R&B sensation led the urban charts last week.
Coming in
at #7, his warmly-received Graffiti
has been the second Jive/Sony Records chart-topper, following last week's
peak
performance from R. Kelly in Untitled.One
of the biggest comebacks of 2009 has been Gucci
Mane. Although he spent his release date behind bars, the Warner/Asylum
star
gained a lot of momentum this year through mixtapes like Guccimania and Writing's On The Wall. His collaboration heavy comeback
album, The
State Vs. Radric Davis is already gaining critical praise as his best
major
label work. The release sold just under six figures, and was the
top-selling Rap
album in the country. Meanwhile, the King of Pop got his
posthumous platinum
plaque, and certainly not his first. Michael Jackson's
This Is It soundtrack
gave Epic Records another toast off of the pride of
Gary, Indiana. The Black
Eyed Peas remained at #20 on the charts, their comfort area for almost
two
months. Fergie, will.i.am and company tail Eminem's Relapse by 50,000 units
for top-selling Rap album of 2009 with the continued push of The E.N.D.Resurrecting
the sacred gangsta Rap imprint Priority Records via EMI Records, Snoop Dogg and his Malice
N' Wonderland garnered a Top 25 debut. The release, assisted by a
Poppier,
more R&B crowd than most Doggfather releases, has been
challenged by
critics. The release has gained first week momentum through an
$8 sales
promotion with Amazon, countless media appearances and
endorsements, and the
emerging hit "I Wanna
Rock" .* Please note: figures below approximated to
nearest
thousandeth.
Top 200 Album Sales (Top 5 Hip
Hop/R&B)
Rank
Artist
Album
This Week
Est.
Total
7
Chris
Brown
Graffiti
102,000
102,000
10
Gucci
Mane
The State Vs.
Radric Davis
90,000
90,000
12
Michael
Jackson's
This Is
It
83,000
1,048,000
20
The Black Eyed
Peas
E.N.D.
63,000
1,554,000
21
Snoop Dogg
Malice N
Wonderland
59,000
59,000
Virginia Hip Hop returned to the charts
this
week. Veteran super-producer Timbaland is another Rap act that is
currently in
critical crossfire for going too Pop. Shock
Value 2 is a follow-up to Tim's hugely-successful 2007 comeback album,
but
features Shakira and Miley Cyrus. The album sold just under 40,000 first
week.
The
Clipse came in less than 10 spots behind with their Columbia Records
debut Till
The Casket Drops. After two championed albums, the release has been a
critical departure for the duo. The album remains praised for its singles "Popular Demand
(Popeye's)" and "Kinda Like A Big Deal" with Kanye West.
50 Cent slid past
#50 with Before
I Self Destruct. The album is already projected that it will not reach
gold
status within a year of release, something that peers Jay-Z and Eminem
both
accomplished quickly with their respective 2009 releases.
The Cash
Money
Records family of yesterday and today joined arms on the charts again
last week
- with new faces.
Juvenile's Cocky
& Confident fell 92 places to #135. The release sees Juvy use his
major
label distribution at Atlantic with marketing done by E1
Entertainment. Fellow
Hot Boy B.G. debuted at #65 with Too
Hood 2 Be Hollywood. Executive produced by T.I.,
this project was also an E1/Atlantic collaboration. Moreover, Gizzle
reunited
with Mannie Fresh as well as Juvenile and Lil
Wayne on his release. It's been rumored for over a year, that the trio
(with
Turk if available) will give Cash Money another group album -
something that
reportedly may have already been paid
for.
Rank
Artist
Album
This
Week
Est.
Total
32
Timbaland
Shock Value
2
39,000
40,000
41
Clipse
Til The Casket
Drops
31,000
32,000
57
50 Cent
Before I Self
Destruct
23,000
279,000
65
B.G.
Too Hood 2 Be
Hollywood
19,000
19,000
135
Juvenile
Cocky N'
Confident
8,200
31,000
From HipHopDX.com
http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/news/id.10290/title.hip-hop-album-sales-the-week-ending-12-13-2009
