Trap Star Daily News: Hip Hop Album Sales: The Week Ending 3/21/2010

Hip Hop Album Sales: The Week Ending 3/21/2010
March 24, 2010 10:03:00 AM CDT | by Allen Jacobs

The second week of March was a quiet one for both Rap and R&B. No releases debuted in the Top 200, but the movement and milestones approaching made it interesting nonetheless. Ludacris fell two spots, from a #1 debut last week. Battle of the Sexes fell behind Pop Country outfit Lady Antebellum and Michigan Gospel singer Marvin Sapp respectively. Luda's latest album has not been met with many warm reviews, but the Atlanta/Def Jam mainstay nearly cleared 200,000 within two weeks. The album, which looks at gender relations, features such artists as Nicki Minaj, Trina, Eve and Lil Kim.

The Gorillaz' Plastic Beach fell seven spots in its second week. The multi-platinum crew's third effort, and first in five years, features Rap acts such as Mos Def, Snoop Dogg and previous Gorillaz collaborators, De La Soul.

Sade's Soldier Of Love held the #6 spot for another week. After several projections, the singer did not reach her platinum milestone last week, but will definitely meet her million next week. The Black Eyed Peas gained a spot with The E.N.D., as they have throughout many weeks in the last nine months. Lil Wayne's Rebirth fell five spots to #17. The incarcerated rapper has two releases in the Top 50, joining Lady Gaga, whose releases are both in the Top 10.

* Please note: figures below approximated to nearest thousandth.
Top 200 Album Sales (Top 5 Hip Hop/R&B)

Rank Artist Album This Week Est. Total
3
Ludacris
Battle of the Sexes
61,000
198,000

6 Sade
Soldier of Love
40,000
992,000

8
Black Eyed Peas
The E.N.D.
39,000
2,309,000

9
Gorillaz
Plastic Beach
38,000
150,000

17
Lil Wayne
Rebirth
24,000
445,000

Jay-Z's Blueprint 3 remains in the Top 60, coming in at #59. Eminem's Relapse inches closer to two million, falling to #76. Having just signed Lil Twist, a featured artist on the We Are Young Money compilation, Young Money fast approaches 400,000 units.

DJ Khaled's Victory fell 23 more spots, slowing the momentum of the respectable debut week sales. The release remains short of 40,000 units sold upon hitting shelves. 50 Cent's Before I Self Destruct fell just two spots, after losing plenty of ground in the last two weeks. The rapper, believed to be departing from his Interscope Records family, is at work on Black Magic and directing a video for Tony Yayo's "Obama."

A popular story from last week is still ongoing. Suburban Boston rapper Sam Adams released his debut EP Boston's Boy, which debuted at #1 on the iTunes Rap charts. The digital album, released through 1st Round Records, shocked the local community as the relatively unknown college-aged emcee shocked the charts. Reports arose that Adams and his label had purchased the units themselves, but those reports have been vehemently denied.

Rank Artist Album This Week Est. Total
31
Young Money
We Are Young Money
16,000
391,000

76
Eminem Relapse
7,200
1,891,000

88
DJ Khaled
Victory
5,700
42,000

120
50 Cent
Before I Self Destruct
4,300
426,000

199
Sam Adams
Boston's Boy EP
2,500
15,000