Hip Hop Album Sales: The Week Ending 9/5/2010

Hip Hop Album Sales: The Week Ending 9/5/2010


by J-23



posted September 08, 2010 03:34:00 PM CDT

Shady rules. Eminem stays number 3 with Recovery and remains top 100 with Relapse and top 200 with Curtain Call



Eminem continues to dominate the charts with 3 entries in the Top 200. He failed to regain the top spot with releases from Disturbed and Now 35 taking the top spots. But Mr. Mathers still holds down the 3, 87, and 137 spots. While Usher lost ground on both his entries, Drake moved up a couple spots to 16.



Top 200 Album Sales (Top 5 Hip Hop/R&B)



Rank Artist Album This Week Est. Total

3

Eminem

Recovery 92514 2420354



13

Usher

Versus 22450



68379



16

Drake

Thank Me Later 19849

1033575



16

Rick Ross

Teflon Don

16106

368746



30

Usher

Raymond v. Raymond

13866

1051181



Fabolous debuted on the charts this week, his official Def Jam mixtape debuting at the 32 spot. Outkast's Big Boi fell from the Top 50 to #62. Meanwhile his southern counterpart Bun B fell 11 spots as he approaches 100,000 for Trill O.G.



Rank Artist Album This Week Est. Total

68

Big Boi Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty 6447

160918



66

Bun B

Trill O.G.

6541

82773



119

Mike Posner

31 Minutes To Takeoff

3954

48098



131

Ludacris

Battle of the Sexes

3744

528575



145

The Roots

How I Got Over

3474

139994



Kill Devil Hills, the acclaimed collaboration between DJ Muggs and Ill Bill failed to crack the Top 200. Tune in next week to see how releases from Young Buck, Dorrough and Q-Unique perform.

From HipHopDX.com
 
http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/news/id.12168/title.hip-hop-album-sales-the-week-ending-9-5-2010

Hip Hop Album Sales: The Week Ending 6/20/2010

Hip Hop Album Sales: The Week Ending 6/20/2010

June 23, 2010 08:00:00 AM CDT

by Allen Jacobs

As many experts predicted, Drake is the latest Rap artist to achieve a #1 debut. The Young Money/Cash Money rapper's "official" first album, Thank Me Later edged out Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers' latest by a margin of over 320,000 units. The Toronto born rapper's album was just over 50,000 short of a gold debut, as predicted by HitsDailyDouble.com. Thank Me Later features appearances by Jay-Z, Kanye West, Lil Wayne, Nicki Minaj, T.I. and Young Jeezy. The bulk of the album's production is handled by Drake's longtime producer Boi-1da, who may get back-to-back #1's, with next week's Eminem Recovery album.


Usher's Raymond v. Raymond fell one spot to #13. The veteran Pop entertainer's "divorce album" is marching its way to a platinum plaque for Mr. Raymond and his longtime backer, LaFace Records.



Spots #17 through #19 were taken by B.o.B., Plies and The Black Eyed Peas respectively. The Adventures of Bobby Ray will be officially over halfway to a gold plaque next week, while the year-old E.N.D. aims at possibly reaching triple platinum. Goon Affiliated pushes its way towards 100,000 sold for the Florida sensation.


* 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

1

Drake

Thank Me Later

447,000

447,000



13

Usher Raymond v. Raymond

29,000

850,000



17

B.o.B. Presents The Adventures of Bobby Ray 20,000

249,000



18

Plies

Goon Affiliated

20,000

76,000



19

Black Eyed Peas The E.N.D. 19,000

2,609,000



Damian Marley & Nas' Distant Relatives slid to #37. The Universal Republic/Def Jam Records collaborative release has garnered huge critical acclaim in the Rap community for its rich commentary on the parallel relationship between Hip Hop and Reggae. Lil Wayne, K'Naan, Dennis Brown and Joss Stone appear on the work produced by Damian and brother Stephen. Meanwhile, Ludacris gained two notches with Battle of the Sexes.


One of the bigger surprises for the week was Gorillaz' Plastic Beach. Having been out nearly four months, the Virgin Records release climbed 59 spots on the chart. The surge is perhaps due to the third single "Rhinstone Eyes" reaching Rock radio rotation. The album includes appearances by Mos Def, De La Soul and Snoop Dogg. Drake also gained 18 spots with his retail mixtape, So Far Gone. The 2009 free mixtape-turned-album sits 15,000 away from gold certification, making Drake likely to receive two plaques in the same month.
Lil Jon fell another 50-plus spots with his Crunk Rock. After a poor debut week, the So So Def deejay-turned-Crunk star's album delays may have impacted his popularity, as well as a label change to Universal Republic.




Rank Artist Album This Week Est. Total

37

Nas & Damian Marley

Distant Relatives

11,000

125,000



39

Ludacris

Battle of the Sexes

11,000

462,000



51

Gorillaz Plastic Beach

7,800

282,000



76

Drake

So Far Gone

6,100

485,000



112

Lil Jon

Crunk Rock

4,700

14,000



From HipHopDX.com

http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/news/id.11539/title.hip-hop-album-sales-the-week-ending-6-20-2010

Hip Hop Album Sales: The Week Ending 6/13/2010

Hip Hop Album Sales: The Week Ending 6/13/2010
June 16, 2010 08:57:00 AM CDT

by Allen Jacobs

Four of the Top 5 charting releases last week were debuts. More Glee and Twilight fanfare topped the charts, while Christina Aguilera's latest album, Bionic came in at #3. While the Pittsburgh Pop songstress worked with Gang Starr's DJ Premier and Kwamé on her 2006 album, this one features board work from Polow Da Don and Dr. Dre's Aftermath protege Focus... At #5 came Plies, with his fourth album in three years, Goon Affiliated. The 33 year-old Florida rapper's latest sold less than half first week units of what his 2008 album, Da REAList did. Goon Affiliated features Def Jam stars Young Jeezy and Fabolous, and production from popular deejay/radio personality, Clinton Sparks.







Usher's Raymond v. Raymond fell out of the Top 10 to #12. The veteran Pop entertainer's "divorce album" is marching its way to a platinum plaque for Mr. Raymond and his longtime backer, LaFace Records. Just behind, The Black Eyed Peas and their nearly year-old E.N.D. were at #15, gaining two spots, and remain a potential consistent climber in this sales drought.



B.o.B. Presents The Adventures of Bobby Ray fell eight spots to #21. The Rebel Rock sensation inches to 250,000 units, making him the most successful Atlantic Records Rap release in over six months, including label vet Plies.



Travie McCoy (once known as "Travis") of Gym Class Heroes received a Top 30 debut. His album, taken from his middle name, Lazarus, was released through his own Fueled By Ramen imprint. The 12-track collection features two appearances by T-Pain, as well as DXnext alum Colin Munroe and Cee-Lo.





* 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

5

Plies

Goon Affiliated

56,000

56,000



12

Usher Raymond v. Raymond

30,000

821,000



15

Black Eyed Peas The E.N.D. 21,000

2,590,000



21

B.o.B. Presents

The Adventures of Bobby Ray

17,000

228,000



27

Travie McCoy

Lazarus 15,000

15,000



Damian Marley & Nas' Distant Relatives fell 14 spots to #32. The Universal Republic/Def Jam Records collaborative release has garnered huge critical acclaim in the Rap community for its rich commentary on the parallel relationship between Hip Hop and Reggae. Lil Wayne, K'Naan, Dennis Brown and Joss Stone appear on the work produced by Damian and brother Stephen.



Ludacris slid nine spots to #41 with Battle of the Sexes. Earlier this week, Def Jam confirmed the album had achieved a gold plaque, though the 500,000 mark is still well short domestically.





One of the week's bigger surprises came courtesy of Lil Jon's Crunk Rock. Now a label-mate with Distant Relatives at Universal Republic, the king of Crunk failed to crack the 10,000 units sold mark, barely cracking the Top 50. The album, nearly four years in the making, features Ice Cube, Game, Soulja Boy and Pitbull. The performance comes after a very long dispute Jon had with former label, TVT.







Having remixed tracks by Notorious B.I.G., Young Buck and Anti-Pop Consortium, Brooklyn duo Ratatat may be best known for Kid Cudi's "Pursuit of Happiness" appearance and production. The duo's aptly-titled fourth album, LP4. The XL Recordings release features no guests.



Lastly, Strange Music's Kutt Calhoun cracked the charts with his Raw and Un-Kut album. The Kansas City Rap veteran's third album features Too Short, Joe Budden and E-40, as well as label-mates Tech N9ne and Brotha Lynch Hung.



Rank Artist Album This Week Est. Total

32

Nas & Damian Marley

Distant Relatives

13,000

113,000



41

Ludacris

Battle of the Sexes

11,000

452,000



48

Lil Jon Crunk Rock

8,900

8,900



66

Ratatat

LP4

6,600

6,700



145

Kutt Calhoun

Raw and Un-Kut

3,500

3,500

From HipHopDX.com
 
http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/news/id.11493/title.hip-hop-album-sales-the-week-ending-6-13-2010

Hip Hop Album Sales: The Week Ending 6/6/2010

Hip Hop Album Sales: The Week Ending 6/6/2010
June 09, 2010 11:07:00 PM CDT

by Allen Jacobs

There were no new Rap releases entering the Top 200 this past week. If anything, last week's numbers were nearly repeated, though some of the rankings shifted. The top of the charts were held by singer/songwriter Jack Johnson and his To The Sea album. Hip Hop fans may know Johnson from his work with Prince Paul and Dan The Automator's second Handsome Boy Modeling School album, White People. Usher's Raymond v. Raymond held the #5 spot for a second straight week. The veteran Pop entertainer's "divorce album" is marching its way to a platinum plaque for Mr. Raymond and his longtime backer, LaFace Records.





B.o.B. Presents The Adventures of Bobby Ray returned to its #13 spot from two weeks ago. The Rebel Rock sensation cleared 200,000 units, making him the most successful Atlantic Records Rap release in over six months. Damian Marley & Nas' Distant Relatives fell nine spots to #18. The Universal Republic/Def Jam Records collaborative release has garnered huge critical acclaim in the Rap community for its rich commentary on the parallel relationship between Hip Hop and Reggae. Lil Wayne, K'Naan, Dennis Brown and Joss Stone appear on the work produced by Damian and brother Stephen.







Just ahead of Nas and Jr. Gong, The Black Eyed Peas and their nearly year-old E.N.D. were at #17, and remain a potential consistent climber in this sales drought. Another 2009 release, Alicia Keys' Element of Freedom was included with the top five Rap/R&B sellers at #29. It was announced last week that the songstress and Swizz Beatz will be having their first child.



* 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

5

Usher

Raymond v. Raymond

35,000

791,000



13

B.o.B. Presents The Adventures of Bobby Ray 20,000

210,000



17

Black Eyed Peas The E.N.D. 17,000

2,569,000



18

Damian Marley & Nas

Distant Relatives

17,000

100,000



25

Alicia Keys

Element of Freedom

13,000

1,305,00



Ludacris climbed four spots to #32 with Battle of the Sexes. The DTP/Def Jam album remains the imprint's most successful 2010 album to date, and carries itself towards a gold plaque, possibly due by mid-summer. With Thank Me Later coming to the charts in two weeks, it's to be noted that Drake's mixtape-turned-retail album So Far Gone is on the cusp of going gold. With artists like T.I. and Lupe Fiasco having catalog album sales climb during new releases, Drake may garner two gold plaques this summer.





Trina's Pop-inspired album, Amazin' sold less than 5,000 units last week, still remaining in the top half of the charts. The Diamond Princess' independent release boasts backing by EMI Records, similar to releases by Raekwon and Twista last year. Talib Kweli & Hi-Tek as Reflection Eternal's Revolutions Per Minute fell to #104 in its third week on shelves. Despite some high critical praise, the decade-anticipated reunion album still sits short of 35,000 units sold.







Rank Artist Album This Week Est. Total

28

Ludacris

Battle of the Sexes

12,000

441,000



82

Drake

So Far Gone

5,000

474,000



97

Trina Amazin'

4,700

59,000



104

Reflection Eternal

Revolutions Per Minute

4,700

33,000



162

Gucci Mane

The State vs. Radric Davis

2,900

369,000

 
From HipHopDX.com
 
http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/news/id.11433/title.hip-hop-album-sales-the-week-ending-6-6-2010

Hip Hop Album Sales: The Week Ending 5/30/2010

Hip Hop Album Sales: The Week Ending 5/30/2010
June 02, 2010 09:45:00 AM CDT

by Allen Jacobs

After last week's surprising debuts for two of Rap's most anticipated collaborative projects, the dust settled a bit. Usher's Raymond v. Raymond advanced to #5 from a #7 position last week. The veteran Pop entertainer's "divorce album" is marching its way to a platinum plaque for Mr. Raymond and his longtime backer, LaFace Records.
Damian Marley & Nas' Distant Relatives maintained a Top 10 spot, but fell five spots to #9. The Universal Republic/Def Jam Records collaborative release has garnered huge critical acclaim in the Rap community for its rich commentary on the parallel relationship between Hip Hop and Reggae. Lil Wayne, K'Naan, Dennis Brown and Joss Stone appear on the work produced by Damian and brother Stephen.
B.o.B. Presents The Adventures of Bobby Ray fell just two notches to #15. The Rebel Rock sensation has the strongest commercial debut in Rap thus far in 2010, and will likely clear 200,000 units next week, as last year's Kid Cudi and Drake sit in the 300,000 and 400,000 units sold categories at present.
Will all the downward movement, The Black Eyed Peas and their nearly year-old E.N.D. release cleared the 2.5 million mark. The Interscope Records release remains a benchmark for its digital sales, and the label's success in this economic climate. Another 2009 release, Alicia Keys' Element of Freedom was included with the top five Rap/R&B sellers at #29. It was announced last week that the songstress and Swizz Beatz will be having their first child.

* 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

5

Usher

Raymond v. Raymond

35,000

757,000



9

Damian Marley & Nas Distant Relatives 25,000

83,000



15

B.o.B. Presents

The Adventures of Bobby Ray

20,000

190,000



21

Black Eyed Peas

The E.N.D.

17,000

2,552,000



29

Alicia Keys

Element of Freedom

12,000

1,292,00



Ludacris adjusted to #32 with Battle of the Sexes. The DTP/Def Jam album remains the imprint's most successful 2010 album to date, and carries itself towards a gold plaque, possibly due by mid-summer.



Talib Kweli & Hi-Tek as Reflection Eternal's Revolutions Per Minute fell to #62 in its second week on shelves. With co-executive production by Sha Money XL, R.P.M. features appearances from Bun B, J. Cole, Mos Def and Jay Electronica, among an assortment of Pop/R&B appearances.



Trina's Pop-inspired album, Amazin' cleared 50,000 units sold, as expected. The Diamond Princess' independent release boasts backing by EMI Records, similar to releases by Raekwon and Twista last year. Speaking of southern veterans, 8Ball & MJG bumped to #123 with Ten Toes Down. Distributed through E1 Entertainment, the Grand Hustle project is executive produced by T.I., and features an extensive guest-list of contemporaries and newer artists influenced by the Memphis mainstays.
The lone new release to the charts is Cam'ron & The U.N.'s Heat In Here Volume 1. The Warner Brothers/Asylum-backed project is very similar to Gucci Mane's The Burrrprint [2] HD release, which also charted. Cam's latest crew includes Vado and Byrd Lady, among others.

Rank Artist Album This Week Est. Total

32

Ludacris

Battle of the Sexes

12,000

429,000



62

Reflection Eternal

Revolutions Per Minute

6,800

28,000



85

Trina Amazin'

5,400

54,000



123

8Ball & MJG Ten Toes Down 4,200

33,000



133

Cam'ron & The U.N. Present...

Heat In Here Volume 1

3,700

3,800

From HipHopDX.com
 
http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/news/id.11376/title.hip-hop-album-sales-the-week-ending-5-30-2010

Hip Hop Album Sales: The Week Ending 5/23/2010

Hip Hop Album Sales: The Week Ending 5/23/2010
May 26, 2010 08:05:00 AM CDT

by Allen Jacobs

Hopeful for a #1 debut, Damian Marley & Nas' Distant Relatives project began its run on the charts at #4. The Universal Republic/Def Jam Records collaborative release fell behind The Black Keys, Justin Bieber and a new addition of Glee music. The Africa-inspired project did clear 50,000 units, with its rich commentary on the parallel relationship between Hip Hop and Reggae. Lil Wayne, K'Naan, Dennis Brown and Joss Stone appear on the work produced by Damian and brother Stephen.
The other major debut was the anticipated reunion album of Talib Kweli & Hi-Tek as Reflection Eternal. A decade after their acclaimed and commercially successful Rawkus Records debut, Train of Thought, Revolutions Per Minute has been met with a new dose of rave reviews, as the duo finds themselves on Warner Brothers/Asylum Records. With co-executive production by Sha Money XL, R.P.M. features appearances from Bun B, J. Cole, Mos Def and Jay Electronica, among an assortment of Pop/R&B appearances. The album debuted at #17, moving over 20,000 first-week units.
As usual of late, Usher's Raymond v. Raymond maintained its #7 place. B.o.B. Presents The Adventures of Bobby Ray also held at #13, as the Rebel Rock sensation has the strongest commercial debut in Rap thus far in 2010. Another genre-bending Georgia talent, DXnext alum, Janelle Monae's sophomore album, The Archandroid debuted at #16. With strong cosigns from both Big Boi and Diddy, the Bad Boy/Atlantic Records starlet furthers her ascent to the mainstream.



* 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

4

Damian Marley & Nas

Distant Relatives

57,000

58,000



7

Usher

Raymond v. Raymond

41,000

721,000



13

B.o.B. Presents

The Adventures of Bobby Ray

23,000

170,000



16

Janelle Monae

The Archandroid

21,000

21,000



17

Reflection Eternal

Revolutions Per Minute

21,000

21,000



Ludacris fell to #30 with Battle of the Sexes. The DTP/Def Jam album remains the imprint's most successful 2010 album to date, and carries itself towards a gold plaque, possibly due by mid-summer. Trina's Pop-inspired album, Amazin' sits on the cusp of 50,000 units sold. The Diamond Princess' independent release boasts backing by EMI Records, similar to releases by Raekwon and Twista last year.



Another Warner Rap release, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony's Uni5: The World's Enemy slipped to #82. The radio-friendly album features a reunited cast of Bone brothers, who have shot an assortment of videos to support the DJ U-Neek-produced effort.

Once kin to the same Ruthless Records family that spawned Bone Thugs, 8Ball & MJG remained in the Top 100 with Ten Toes Down. Distributed through E1 Entertainment, the Grand Hustle project is executive produced by T.I., and features an extensive guest-list of contemporaries and newer artists influenced by the Memphis mainstays.



Another comeback act, Cypress Hill, may be bidding the Top 200 farewell, with their Rise Up. The Priority Records release features production by Pete Rock and Alchemist, as well as high-profile appearances from Tom Morello and Pitbull. The reunion of B-Real, Sen Dog and DJ Muggs has yet to pass the 40,000 mark, though it remains close.



Rank Artist Album This Week Est. Total

30

Ludacris

Battle of the Sexes

13,000

417,000



59

Trina

Amazin'

6,700

49,000



82

Bone Thugs-N-Harmony Uni5: The World's Enemy

5,700

45,000



89

8Ball & MJG Ten Toes Down 5,300

29,000



191

Cypress Hill

Rise Up 2,500

37,000

From HipHopDX.com
 
http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/news/id.11334/title.hip-hop-album-sales-the-week-ending-5-23-2010

Hip Hop Album Sales: The Week Ending 5/16/2010

Hip Hop Album Sales: The Week Ending 5/16/2010
May 19, 2010 11:05:00 PM CDT

by Allen Jacobs

Urban music made it back into the Top 10 last week, as Usher's Raymond v. Raymond crept back up for a #7 appearance. Pop sensation Justin Bieber, Country-Poppers Lady Antebellum and Indie Rock outfit The National held down the Top 3 respectively.
B.o.B. Presents The Adventures of Bobby Ray went to #13, still keeping the top of the charts dominated by Georgia talent. The Black Eyed Peas climbed back into the Top 20 with The E.N.D. as they have time and time again throughout the last year. The Interscope release has now cleared 2.5 million copies sold.
Ludacris and Monica returned to the Top 40, both neck-in-neck as they've been throughout their album campaigns with Battle of the Sexes and Still Standing respectively. Both efforts stand a chance at gold within the next couple months, as both just cleared the often-challenging 400,000 milestone

* 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

7

Usher

Raymond v. Raymond

43,000

680,000



13

B.o.B. Presents

The Adventures of Bobby Ray

27,000

148,000



19

Black Eyed Peas

The E.N.D.

19,000

2,518,000



29

Ludacris

Battle of the Sexes

14,000

405,000



32

Monica

Still Standing

13,000

406,000
Trina's Pop-inspired album, Amazin' and Bone Thugs-N-Harmony's Uni5: The World's Enemy closed out the Top 50. The Slip-N-Slide princess cleared 40,000 overall units, while a seemingly reunited Bone Thugs (complete with a freed Flesh-N-Bone and a semi-supportive Bizzy Bone) sit just under the mark. Both releases feature major label distribution, from EMI and Warner Brothers respectively.
Memphis veteran duo 8Ball & MJG went from working on Diddy's Bad Boy label to working on T.I.'s Grand Hustle imprint with Ten Toes Down. Distributed through E1 Entertainment, the group's first official album in three years features Slim Thug, Soulja Boy, Bun B and of course T.I. The work sits just under 25,000 as their label-mate, B.o.B., reigns near the top of the charts.

One of B.o.B.'s album sidekicks, Bruno Mars, debuted at #99 with his EP It's Better If You Don't Understand. The Atlantic Records hopeful gained a lot of exposure through the hit of "Nothin' On You." Providence, Rhode Island's Sage Francis made a Top 200 debut with L(i)fe. Released on Anti Records (who works with The Coup and Busdriver), the release sees the former Anticon/Non-Prophets affiliate combine his dense, lyrical songwriting with musical backdrops courtesy of members of bands, Death Cab For Cutie, Granddaddy, DeVotchKa and others.


Rank Artist Album This Week Est. Total

48

Bone Thugs-N-Harmony

Uni5: The World's Enemy

9,400

39,000



49

Trina

Amazin'

9,400

42,000



62

8Ball & MJG

Ten Toes Down

7,300

23,000



99

Bruno Mars

It's Better If You Don't Understand

5,400

5,400



137

Sage Francis L(i)fe 3,900

3,900

From HipHopDX.com
 
http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/news/id.11284/title.hip-hop-album-sales-the-week-ending-5-16-2010

Hip Hop Album Sales: The Week Ending 5/3/2010

Hip Hop Album Sales: The Week Ending 5/3/2010
May 05, 2010 08:05:00 AM CDT | by Allen Jacobs

A new Rap release finally reclaimed the #1 spot last week. Albeit a strongly Pop-influenced album, B.o.B. Presents The Adventures of Bobby Ray marks the eclipse of a five-year journey for the Georgia emcee, singer and songwriter. His Grand Hustle/Atlantic Records album features a broad spectrum of influence, genre and guests ranging from Eminem to Lupe Fiasco to Playboy Tre. The 21 year-old's debut sold an impressive 80,000 units, and places the onetime Jim Jonsin protege in the spotlight among his peers.



Further down the charts, Usher, Monica and Ludacris also repped hard for the '90s Atlanta alumni. Respectively, Raymond v. Raymond, Still Standing and Battle of the Sexes ranged between the #6 and #20 spot, as they've done for well over a month.

The Black Eyed Peas and The E.N.D. owned the #16 spot yet again. This week, the group took the crown for all-time single digital sales, with this album's cut, "I Gotta Feeling," a popular 2009 hit.

* 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
1
B.o.B.
The Adventures of Bobby Ray
84,000
85,000

6
Usher
Raymond v. Raymond
48,000
586,000

16
Black Eyed Peas
The E.N.D.
20,000
2,476,000

19
Monica
Still Standing
18,000
374,000

20
Ludacris
Battle of the Sexes
17,000
373,000


Cypress Hill's first group album in six years, Rise Up, fell over 50 places from last week's Top 20 debut. The trio (along with percussionist Eric Bobo) released the album on the revamped Priority Records, boasting collaboration with Pete Rock and Pitbull.

Gucci Mane's retail mixtape, Burrrprint [2] HD cracked 30,000 units sold. The DJ Holiday-hosted, Brick Squad 1017 release made a Top 20 debut last week, and features Nicki Minaj, Yo Gotti, Rocko and OJ Da Juiceman. This release marks Gucci's departure from his former business team and original So Icey Entertainment imprint.

Wu-Tang Clan member trio Ghostface Killah, Method Man & Raekwon's Wu-Massacre slipped to #156. The critically-praised collaboration was released on the Def Jam imprint, and boasts production from Scram Jones and RZA. Another Rap veteran, E-40, still maintained two releases on the Top 200 (at #190 and #191) respectively, with his EMI-released Revenue Retrievin' companion set.



Devin The Dude's first album with E1 Entertainment, Suite #420, hung on at #198, still short of 10,000 units sold. The HipHopDX-acclaimed release features various members of Devin's Odd Squad and Coughee Brothaz, as well as some production from longtime Rap-A-Lot Records-era collaborator Mike Dean.

Rank Artist Album This Week Est. Total
72
Cypress Hill
Rise Up
6,800
25,000

88
Gucci Mane
Burrrprint [2] HD
5,800
34,000

156
Method Man, Ghostface Killah & Raekwon Wu Massacre 3,400
64,000

190
E-40
Revenue Retrievin: Night Shift
2,600
26,000

198
Devin The Dude
Suite #420
2,500
8,700

From HipHopDX.com

http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/news/id.11182/title.hip-hop-album-sales-the-week-ending-5-3-2010

Hip Hop Album Sales: The Week Ending 4/25/2010

Hip Hop Album Sales: The Week Ending 4/25/2010
April 28, 2010 09:04:00 AM CDT | by Jake Paine

The top of the charts this past week were not in much favor of Hip Hop. As the Glee cast and Justin Beiber dominate scans, urban music's biggest stars of the week where veterans Usher and Monica. The former's Raymond v. Raymond crossed the gold benchmark, and proves to be yet another success for the former teen sensation. He was the only Top 10 urban appearance this week. The latter Still Standing heads towards 400,000.

After several weeks removed from the top of the charts, The Black Eyed Peas return with their The E.N.D., which soon will celebrate its one-year birthday. Ludacris was a place behind with Battle of the Sexes, which is a thousand units behind Monica in attempting to reach gold.



Cypress Hill's first group album in six years, Rise Up garnered a Top 20 debut. Released on the Snoop Dogg-cosigned Priority Records/EMI, the Los Angeles veteran trio has an album that features appearances and production from Pete Rock, Evidence, Alchemist, Everlast, Tom Morello and Pitbull. The warmly-received album revives the group after Sen Dog nearly died due to a heart attack two years ago.

* 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
5
Usher
Raymond v. Raymond 52,000
538,000

15
Monica
Still Standing
23,000
357,000

16
Black Eyed Peas
The E.N.D.
21,000
2,456,000

17
Ludacris
Battle of the Sexes 21,000
356,000

19
Cypress Hill
Rise Up
18,000
18,000


Gucci Mane's retail mixtape, Burrrprint [2] HD cleared another 8,000 units. The DJ Holiday-hosted, Brick Squad 1017 release made a Top 20 debut last week, and features Nicki Minaj, Yo Gotti, Rocko and OJ Da Juiceman.

Devin The Dude's first album with E1 Entertainment, Suite #420, debuted with 6,000 units sold. The HipHopDX-acclaimed release features various members of Devin's Odd Squad and Coughee Brothaz, as well as some production from longtime Rap-A-Lot Records-era collaborator Mike Dean.

Wu-Tang Clan member trio Ghostface Killah, Method Man & Raekwon's Wu-Massacre fell out of the Top 100 last week. The critically-praised collaboration was released on the Def Jam imprint, and boasts production from Scram Jones and RZA.



There were two additional debut chart appearances. Little Brother's farewell album LeftBack scanned over 4,500 total units. This is Phonte and Rapper Big Pooh's first release without ABB Records' involvement, after three celebrated albums. Instead, this album, which features Torae, Khrysis and Young RJ, was released on the Justus League's own Hall of Justus imprint. The group also announced select tour dates before the final "curtain call," and both pursue solo careers and other group interests.

Dogg Pound emcee Kurupt also cracked the charts. Young Gotti's album, Street Lights, largely produced by Snoop Dogg protege Terrace Martin hit the charts. The Universal Fontana release also has work from Pete Rock and Lil Jon.

Rank Artist Album This Week Est. Total
58
Gucci Mane
Burrrprint [2] HD
8,600
28,000

85
Devin The Dude
Suite #420
6,100
6,200

110
Method Man, Ghostface Killah & Raekwon Wu Massacre 4,900
60,000

128
Little Brother
LeftBack
4,400
4,600

183
Kurupt
Street Lights
2,900
2,900

From HipHopDX.com

http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/news/id.11129/title.hip-hop-album-sales-the-week-ending-4-25-2010

Hip Hop Album Sales: The Week Ending 4/18/2010

Hip Hop Album Sales: The Week Ending 4/18/2010
April 21, 2010 01:04:00 PM CDT | by Allen Jacobs

Sony's Electro-Pop duo MGMT were surprise chart climbers on their last album. However, the Brooklyn-based group that's worked with Kid Cudi and Jim Jones saw Congratulations debut at #2 behind Justin Bieber. Usher and his divorce ode Raymond v. Raymond fell to #4, making the LaFace release a prime suspect to cross the gold 500,000 unit mark next week.



Monica slid to #9 with her Still Standing. The J Records artist maintained a Top 10 position with an album that features production from Missy Elliott and Jim Jonsin. Monica's Atlanta neighbor Ludacris, who appears on Still Standing, went to #13 with Battle of the Sexes.

Sade bounced back in a major way. The Epic Records release shot back to #12, having already taken a platinum tour through the charts with her latest album, Soldier of Love.

* 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
2
MGMT
Congratulations
66,000
67,000

4
Usher
Raymond v. Raymond
64,000
486,000

9
Monica
Still Standing
30,000
334,000

12
Sade
Soldier of Love
25,000
1,100,000

13
Ludacris
Battle of the Sexes
25,000
335,000


Gucci Mane's retail mixtape, Burrrprint [2] HD sold just under 20,000 units for Warner Brothers/Asylum. The Brick Squad 1017 release made a Top 20 debut, giving the incarcerated Atlanta rapper two charted album, with his State vs. Radric Davis also at #89.

Wu-Tang Clan member trio Ghostface Killah, Method Man & Raekwon's Wu-Massacre skidded 30 more spots to #67. As predicted, the Def Jam album did cross the 50,000 unit mark. The warmly-received project features special packaging and production from RZA and Mathematics.

With their fourth installment together, Fornever, Murs & 9th Wonder exceeded the 5,000 mark. Debuting at #84, this release through SMC Recordings was made in Los Angeles, featuring native sons such as Kurupt, Suga Free and Sick Jacken.



E-40 crossed the 20,000 mark individually with both Revenue Retrievin' Night Shift and Revenue Retrievin' Day Shift. With the latter pulling ahead, 40 Water's first album with EMI Records proves to be a success when looked at collectively.

Lastly, Snoop Dogg's leftovers/companion release to Malice N' Wonderland, More Malice inches towards 50,000. The Priority/EMI Records release features Jay-Z, Soulja Boy and Bun B.

Rank Artist Album This Week Est. Total
19
Gucci Mane
Burrrprint [2] HD
19,000
20,000

67
Method Man, Ghostface Killah & Raekwon Wu Massacre
6,600
56,000

84
Murs & 9th Wonder
Fornever
5,400
5,500

126
E-40
Revenue Retrievin': Day Shift
3,700
21,000

142
Snoop Dogg
More Malice
3,400
34,000

From HipHopDX.com

http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/news/id.11085/title.hip-hop-album-sales-the-week-ending-4-18-2010

Hip Hop Album Sales: The Week Ending 4/11/2010

Hip Hop Album Sales: The Week Ending 4/11/2010
April 14, 2010 10:04:00 AM CDT | by Allen Jacobs

After the first week of April shaking up the charts, last week was more about releases settling into place. Usher gave up his #1 to Justin Bieber, as divorce ode Raymond v. Raymond adjusted comfortably at #2, losing by a margin of 10,000. The LaFace Records project could likely touch gold next Wednesday, with a strong third week outing.



Monica held #6 for a third straight week with her Still Standing. The J Records artist crossed the 250,000 mark, with an album that features production from Missy Elliott and Jim Jonsin. Monica's Atlanta neighbor Ludacris, who appears on Still Standing, also crossed the 250,000 mark Battle of the Sexes. The DTP/Def Jam release also held his #11 spot from the week before.

Erykah Badu slid five spots to #9 with her acclaimed "part two" release in her New Amerykah series. The championed follow-up maintains her production roster Hip Hop-based luminaries such as 9th Wonder, Madlib, Sa-Ra Creative Partners, Georgia Anne Muldrow and the late J. Dilla.

The Black Eyed Peas budged to the #13 spot with The E.N.D. The release is soon to turn a year old, having already found double-platinum domestic status for the veteran Interscope Records group.

* 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
2
Usher
Raymond v. Raymond
92,000
422,000

6
Monica
Still Standing
38,000
304,000

9
Erykah Badu
New Amerykah Part Two
30,000
140,000

11
Ludacris
Battle of the Sexes
26,000
310,000

13
Black Eyed Peas
The E.N.D.
25,000
2,411,000


Lil Wayne took his Rebirth to gold this past week. The experimental Auto-Tune-heavy release crossed the 500,000 unit mark domestically, making it a rapper's first 2010 release to do so. Currently serving on Rikers Island in New York, Wayne has yet to release a statement on the benchmark.

Wu-Tang Clan member trio Ghostface Killah, Method Man & Raekwon's Wu-Massacre fell 25 places to #37. Crossing the 50,000 unit mark next week, the warmly-received project features special packaging and production from RZA and Mathematics.

E-40 had three chart entries last week. The double-packaging of Revenue Retrievin' left the Top 200 this week, and Revenue Retrievin' Night Shift pulled in front of Revenue Retrievin' Day Shift , the inverse of last week's results. Between both releases (at #100 and #108 respectively), the Vallejo veteran sold nearly 10,000 units last week.



On their descent from the charts, two former adversaries almost shared chart real estate last week. In his Interscope departure, 50 Cent's Before I Self Destruct is stretching to reach gold. The G-Unit release came in at #188, while Terror Squad deejay, Khaled carried his E1 release Victory past the 50,000 mark. The release has cracked radio with the Snoop Dogg-assisted southern anthem "All I Do Is Win."

The 18th album from Too Short, Still Blowin', did not crack the Top 200.

Rank Artist Album This Week Est. Total
25
Lil Wayne
Rebirth
15,000
505,000

37
Method Man, Ghostface Killah & Raekwon Wu Massacre
11,000
49,000

100
E-40
Revenue Retrievin': Night Shift
5,000
17,000

188
50 Cent
Before I Self Destruct
2,500
436,000

194
DJ Khaled
Victory
2,400
52,000

From HipHopDX.com

http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/news/id.11035/title.hip-hop-album-sales-the-week-ending-4-11-2010

Tuesday Rap Release Dates: 8Ball & MJG, Reflection Eternal, Game

Tuesday Rap Release Dates: 8Ball & MJG, Reflection Eternal, Game
March 02, 2010 10:03:00 AM CST | by Mitchell Hanna

While Nas and Damian Marley’s Distant Relatives and Capone-N-Noreaga’s The War Report II have relocated to May 25 and June 15, respectively, Reflection Eternal will now fill their void on April 20. The following is the release schedule for March and April:



March 2
B. Dolan Fallen House, Sunken City
DJ Khaled Victory
Eric Lau Kilawatt V2
Jason Derulo Jason Derulo
K. Sparks A Day In The Life
Keak Da Sneak & Benner The ALLinner Album
Raheem DeVaughn The Love & War Masterpeace
SMC Recordings A Taste Of Dopeness
T-Rock (Formerly of Hypnotize Minds) Life Lessons: The Burning Book: Chapter II





March 9
Ayatollah Jaxx (of Good Company) Hello, Hip Hop
Blacastan The Master Of Reality
Broken Bells (Danger Mouse & James Mercer) Broken Bells
DaVinci The Day The Turf Stood Still
Gorillaz Plastic Beach
Kidz In The Hall (of Duck Down Records) Land Of Make Believe
Ludacris Battle Of The Sexes
Soulcrate Music The Heartland Panic
U-N-I & Ro Blvd. A Love Supreme 2.0

March 16
Amp Live (of Zion I) Murder At The Discotech
Flobots Survival Story
Guce & Matt Blaque A Gangsta & A Gentleman
LMNO fOnk garden
Main Flow (of Mood) Return Of The Castle
Moka Only (as Ron Contour) Rontario
Pastor Troy (of D.S.G.B.) G.I. Troy: Strictly 4 My Soldiers
Swollen Members Greatest Hits: Ten Years Of Turmoil
X-Raided Block Bizniz
X-Raided The Unforgiven 2.5: Assisted Suicide (Collector’s Edition)

March 23
Brotha Lynch Hung Dinner And A Movie
Dashah Rap Burglar 3: The Final Apprentice
Donwill (of Tanya Morgan) Don Cusack In High Fidelity
Fashawn Boy Meets World (Deluxe Edition)
Inspectah Deck (of Wu-Tang Clan) Manifesto
J-Kwon J-Kwon
Madlib Madlib Medicine Show No. 3: Beat Konducta In Africa
Marco Polo & Ruste Juxx (of Duck Down Records) The eXXecution
Moka Only (as Ron Contour) & Factor Saffron
Monica Still Standing
Sadat X (of Brand Nubian) Wild Cowboys II
Snoop Dogg More Malice
TQ Kind Of Blue

March 30
Army Of The Pharaohs The Unholy Terror
Curren$y Pilot Talk
E-40 Revenue Retrievin’: Day Shift
E-40 Revenue Retrievin’: Night Shift
Erykah Badu New Amerykah Pt. 2 (Return Of The Ankh)
Masta Killa (of Wu-Tang Clan) Live
Meth-Ghost-Rae (of Wu-Tang Clan) Wu-Massacre
Mulatu Astatke Mulatu Steps Ahead
Murs & 9th Wonder Fornever
Redman Reggie
Tech N9ne (of Strange Music Records) The Lost Scripts Of K.O.D.
Usher Raymond V. Raymond
Wordsmith Vintage Experience

April 6
8Ball & MJG Ten Toes Down
BLESTeNATION Welcome To MBugout City
Chief Kamachi The Clock Of Destiny
Chosen Few New World Symphony
Cypress Hill Rise Up
Diabolic Liar & A Thief
Insane Clown Posse Bang! Pow! Boom! (Nuclear Version)
Madlib (as Young Jazz Rebels) Slave Riot
Solomon Burke Nothing’s Impossible
Too $hort Still Blowin’
Vivian Green Beautiful

April 13
Flying Lotus DJ Kicks
MGMT Congratulations
Spectac & Amiri (of HiPNOTT Records) Almost Famous
yU (of Diamond District) Before Taxes

April 20
Andre Nickatina Khan! The Me Generation
Bizzy Bone (of Bone Thugs-N-Harmony) Crossroads 2010
Brisco Street Medicine
Cognito (of Strange Music Records) Automatic
Danny Boy (Formerly of Death Row Records) It’s About Time
Devin The Dude (Formerly of Rap-A-Lot Records) Suite #420
Game (Formerly of G-Unit) The R.E.D. Album
Georgia Anne Muldrow Turiya’s Smile
Goldtoes N Berner R All N Ur Pockets: The Soundtrack
Kottonmouth Kings Long Live The Kings
Kurupt (of Tha Dogg Pound) Streetlights
Little Brother LeftBack
Messy Marv The Shooting Range
Reflection Eternal (Talib Kweli & Hi-Tek) Revolutions Per Minute
Roc Marciano (Formerly of Flipmode Squad) Marcberg
Roc Marciano (Formerly of Flipmode Squad) Marcberg 12” EP
Sleepy D (of Town Thizzness Records) Sleep Deprivation
TRUTHLiVE Patience

April 27
B.o.B. (a.k.a. Bobby Ray) The Adventures Of Bobby Ray
Bone Thugs-N-Harmony Uni5: The World’s Enemy
D. Woods (of Dannity Kane) My Favorite Color
J-Hood (Formerly of D-Block) $orry I Made You Wait
One Be Lo (of Binary Star) B.A.B.Y. (Being A Black Youth)
Yo Gotti Live From The Kitchen

Looking further out, Common’s The Best Of Common: Go!, Roscoe Dash’s Ready Set Go!, and Keith Sweat’s Ridin’ Solo are slated for May 4, May 11, and May 25, respectively. Meanwhile, Joell Ortiz’s Free Agent, Nappy Roots’ The Pursuit To Nappyness, Cam’ron and The U.N.’s Gunz N’ Butta, and Three 6 Mafia’s Laws Of Power have been pushed back until May 18, June 8, June 29, June 29, in that order

From HipHopDX.com

http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/news/id.10744/title.tuesday-rap-release-dates-8ball-mjg-reflection-eternal-game

Lil Kim, Nicki Minaj, Trina, Eve On Ludacris' "Battle Of The Sexes"

Lil Kim, Nicki Minaj, Trina, Eve On Ludacris' "Battle Of The Sexes"
February 20, 2010 09:52:00 PM CST | by Allen Jacobs

While longtime-but-former Disturbing Tha Peace artist Shawnna is notably absent, Ludacris has enlisted some of the biggest female emcee talent from the last three decades of his forthcoming Battle Of The Sexes album. While the project first was introduced to the public as featuring Shawnna, the March 9th album instead features female talent including Lil Kim, Trina, Eve, Lil Mo, Crime Mob's Diamond and DXnext alum Nicki Minaj.

For male assistance, Luda's enlisted Trey Songz, Gucci Mane and Flo Rida for his March 9th DTP/Def Jam album.

The following is a tentative tracklisting:

1. Intro [Prod. by Xcel (for The Beatbangers)]
2. How Low [Prod. by T-Minus]
3. My Chick Bad (feat. Nicki Minaj) [Prod. by The Legendary Traxster]
4. Everybody Drunk (feat. Lil Scrappy) [Prod. by DJ Montay]
5. I Do It All Night (feat. Shawnna) [Prod. by B-Crucial & Tony Dinero]
6. Sex Room (feat. Trey Songz) [Prod. by Kajun]
7. I Know You Got A Man (feat. Flo Rida) [Prod. by Infinity]
8. Hey Ho (feat. Lil’ Kim & Lil’ Fate) [Prod. by Khao]
9. Party No Mo’ (feat. Gucci Mane) [Prod. by Bangladesh]
10. B.O.T.S. Radio (feat. Shawnna & I-20) [Prod. by The Runners]
11. Can’t Live With You (feat. Monica) [Prod. by Khao]
12. Feelin’ So Sexy (feat. Shawnna) [Prod. by Gaggie]
13. Tell Me A Secret (feat. Ne-Yo) [Prod. by Swizz Beatz]
14. My Chick Bad (Remix) (feat. Diamond, Trina & Eve) [Prod. by The Legendary Traxster]
15. Sexting (Bonus Track) [Prod. by The Neptunes]
16. How Low (Remix) (Deluxe Version Bonus Track) (feat. Ciara & Pitbull) [Prod. by T-Minus]
17. Rollercoaster (Deluxe Version Bonus Track) (feat. Shawnna & Dru Hill) [Prod. by Bangladesh]

From HipHopDX.com

http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/news/id.10667/title.lil-kim-nicki-minaj-trina-eve-on-ludacris-battle-of-the-sexes

Ludacris Speaks On Hosting New MTV2 Docu-Series

Ludacris Speaks On Hosting New MTV2 Docu-Series
February 03, 2010 02:02:00 PM CST | by Danielle Harling

Atlanta-based rapper Ludacris is already having quite the year. His album Battle Of The Sexes will be released next month, his tour with the Black Eyed Peas kicks off in Atlanta this week, and he’s also the host of MTV2’s latest docu-series Sprite Step Off.

Sprite Step Off will follow six college step teams, representing both fraternities and sororities, as they compete for an impressive grand prize of $100,000 in scholarships for each winning team.

“You kinda get the behind the scenes and get to see what goes into all of the strategic and creative thinking when it comes to the world of stepping which of course has been around for quite some time,” Ludacris told HipHopDX. “It’s a culture and it’s a phenomenon that has been going on for so long but I don’t feel like anybody’s ever got a glimpse into what goes on behind the scenes in terms of what’s with these fraternities and sororities and the camaraderie that happens between all of them.”

Lasting 30-minutes per episode Sprite Step Off will document each team as they prepare and compete in the regional competitions.

“Stepping was always something that I was actually fascinated by even though I never did it myself, but [I wanted] to be involved with it because I feel like in television today I would like to show, especially when it comes to students and education and things of that nature, people that are using creative thinking,” Ludacris explained to DX.

With a new album, a U.S. tour with one of the world’s biggest groups, and the release of his liquor Conjure Cognac it seems hard to believe that Ludacris is still managing to keep his head above water.

“Man I have no idea,” said Ludacris when asked how he’s coping with so many projects. “You hear my voice right now, it’s about to go out. It’s like I’m taking it one hour at a time. I’m definitely doing a lot right now, but I’m extremely blessed and I’m happy about everything and passionate about what’s going on.”

Sprite Step Off premiered on Sunday, January 31 and will continue to air at 3 p.m. EST on Sunday’s on MTV2.

From HipHopDX.com

http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/news/id.10561/title.ludacris-speaks-on-hosting-new-mtv2-docu-series

Rap Release Dates: Tony Yayo, Mariah Carey, Ludacris

Rap Release Dates: Tony Yayo, Mariah Carey, Ludacris
February 01, 2010 12:02:00 PM CST | by Mitchell Hanna

Several artists recently announced the February release of their upcoming mixtapes including B.o.B., Bun B, Cassidy, Chris Brown, Curren$y, Joell Ortiz and Novel, Juelz Santana, Kuniva, OJ Da Juiceman, Styles P, and Wordsmith. While Tony Yayo has been advertising that his Gunpowder Guru: The LP album prequel will hit iTunes on February 9, it appears that the project has sprung an early leak today thanks to Amazon.com. Just three weeks after his release of Prenuptial Agreement, J. Stalin will release his follow-up entitled The Annulment. Speaking of follow-ups, Sadat X has revealed the delay of his forthcoming Wild Cowboys II album until March 23. As mentioned in last week’s edition of Rap Release Dates, Sadat X will tide fans over with the Wild Cowboys II EP, slated for the album’s original February 23 release date. The following is a listing of what to expect from February:



February 1
B.o.B. (a.k.a. Bobby Ray), DJ Drama, & DJ Sense May 25th
Bun B (of UGK) No Mixtape
OJ Da Juiceman & DJ Drama O.R.A.N.G.E.
Ques RAP2K10
Tony Yayo Gunpowder Guru: The LP

February 2
Big Noyd Queens Chronicle
Chamillionaire Major Pain
Cunninlynguists Dirty Acres (Deluxe Edition)
J. Stalin The Annulment
Lil Wayne Rebirth
Madlib Madlib Medicine Show No. 1: Before The Verdict
Maino Unstoppable
Statik Selektah 100 Proof (The Hangover)
Styles P (of The L.O.X.) & DJ Green Lantern The Green Ghost Project
Styles P & DJ O.P 02.02.10

February 4
Cassidy, DJ Thoro & Big Mike Apply Pressure 2

February 5
Joell Ortiz & Novel Denying The Unpredictable

February 7
Curren$y & Don Cannon Smokey Robinson

February 9
Bekay The Hunger Pains Remix EP
Canibus Melatonin Magik
Donnis Gone EP
DJ Kay Slay More Than Just A DJ
Georgia Anne Muldrow Kings Ballad
Gil Scott-Heron I’m New Here
Jaheim Another Round
Kuniva Retribution: The Mixtape
Kurupt Down And Dirty
Sade Soldier Of Love

February 14
Chris Brown & DJ Drama In My Zone
Johnny Polygon & DJ Green Lantern Rebel Without Applause
Juelz Santana & DJ Clue Reagan Era

February 16
Big Rich & Ya Boy Guns & Roses: The EP
Freeway & Jake One The Stimulus Package
LMNO Push That Work
Mathematics Return Of The Wu And Friends
The Jacka Dre Area Vol. 2

February 23
DJ Babu The Beat Tape Vol. 2
General Steele Amerikkka’s Nightmare Part 2: Children Of War
Georgia Anne Muldrow & Declaime (a.k.a. Dudley Perkins) SomeOthaShip
k-os Yes!
Madlib Madlib Medicine Show No. 2: Flight To Brazil
Madlib (as The Last Electro-Acoustic Space Jazz & Percussion Ensemble) Miles Away
Oddisee Traveling Man
Planet Asia & Gold Chain Military Chain Of Command
Rob Swift The Architect
Sadat X Wild Cowboys II EP
Snoop Dogg The West Coast Blueprint
Tha Chill Chillafornia
Wordsmith The Vintage Vault Mixtape

This week, Murs and 9th Wonder proclaimed to the masses that their next collaborative project, entitled ForNever, will hit stores on March 30. Other key movement for the month includes Ludacris pushing Battle Of The Sexes forward a week and both Mariah Carey’s Angels Advocate and Usher’s Raymond V. Raymond being moved to March 30. The following is what March will bring to the table:



March 2
B. Dolan Fallen House, Sunken City
Bun B Trill O.G.
DJ Khaled Victory
Jason Derulo Jason Derulo
K. Sparks A Day In The Life
Main Flow Return Of The Castle
Raheem DeVaughn The Love & War Masterpeace

March 9
Bertell Goin’ Hard
Broken Bells (Danger Mouse & James Mercer) Broken Bells
Gorillaz Plastic Beach
Juice The Gift
Kidz In The Hall Land Of Make Believe
Ludacris Battle Of The Sexes
Reks R.E.K.S.
U-N-I & Ro Blvd. A Love Supreme 2.0

March 16
Amp Live Murder At The Discotech
Andre Nickatina Khan! The Me Generation
Black Sheep From The Black Pool Of Genius
Swollen Members Greatest Hits
Yukmouth Free At Last

March 23
Big Boi Sir Luscious Left Foot: Son Of Chico Dusty
Brotha Lynch Hung Dinner And A Movie
Cam’ron Presents The U.N. Gunz N’ Butta
Donwill Don Cusack In High Fidelity
Game The R.E.D. Album
J-Kwon J-Kwon
Madlib Madlib Medicine Show No. 3: Beat Konducta In Africa And India
Marco Polo & Ruste Juxx The eXXecution
Memphis Bleek The Process
Monica Still Standing
Plies Goon Affiliated
Redman Reggie Noble 9½
Sadat X Wild Cowboys II
Snoop Dogg Malice N Wonderland: More Malice
Three 6 Mafia Laws Of Power
Yo Gotti Live From The Kitchen

March 30
Bone Thugs-N-Harmony Uni5: The World’s Enemy
Drake Thank Me Later
E-40 Revenue Retrievin’: Day Shift
E-40 Revenue Retrievin’: Night Shift
Erykah Badu New Amerykah Pt. 2 (Return Of The Ankh)
Mariah Carey Angels Advocate
Murs & 9th Wonder ForNever
Spice 1 Home Street Home
T-Pain RevolveЯ
Usher Raymond V. Raymond
Wordsmith Vintage Experience
yU Before Taxes

Looking further out, 8Ball & MJG, Krayzie Bone, Lil Jon, Little Brother, Macy Gray, Pastor Troy, and Reflection Eternal have all pegged release dates for their forthcoming projects. In addition, Trina revealed that her Amazin’ album would hit the streets a month sooner, while Chamillionaire, Jamie Foxx, and Joell Ortiz are making fans wait a little bit longer for their next albums.

From HipHopDX.com

http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/news/id.10546/title.rap-release-dates-tony-yayo-mariah-carey-ludacris

Ludacris Hosts Sprite Step Off Docu-Series

Ludacris Hosts Sprite Step Off Docu-Series
Thursday, January 28, 2010 2:04 PM
By Chris Richburg

The nationwide Sprite Step Off competition will be the focus of a new docu-series hosted by rapper/actor Ludacris.

The six-part series, titled Sprite Step Off, will follow six step teams from fraternities and sororities across the country as they prepare for the regional rounds of the Sprite Step Off competition while learning steps and beats as well as juggling round-the-clock rehearsals and family, friends and school demands.

Each team will compete for a chance to win one of two $100,000 scholarships at the event’s national final. The Sprite Step Off is regarded as the largest national step team competition in history as it celebrates the creativity and originality of the multicultural college experience through stepping, scholarship and service.

The combined prize pool of the Sprite-sponsored event amounts to $1.5 million in scholarships. In addition to the competition, the Sprite Step Off competition promotes a national program called the Sprite Step Off Challenge, an effort designed to inspire youth nationwide to help their communities by donating a collective total of 1.5 million hours of volunteerism and service between September 12, 2009 and September 12, 2010.

For Ludacris, the chance to showcase teams in the Step Off as well as the merits of stepping provides a win-win situation for viewers and step enthusiasts.

"I love that MTV2 and Sprite are giving a Step competition national exposure and introducing this creative dance form to an audience outside of the urban college landscape," the entertainer said about the half-hour series, which was shot on location at college campuses around the country. "The teams competing on the show are not only dedicated but diverse and will take Step competitions to a new level."

Fraternities and sororities featured on Sprite Step-Off include Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc.; Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.; Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc.; Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.; Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.; and Zeta Tau Alpha.

“We are thrilled to be partnering with Sprite to bring these student performances to television as part of our new original series lineup for MTV2 and to provide a platform for the rich and historic tradition of college stepping," added Chris McCarthy, senior vice president of Strategic Development and Digital TV Networks, MTV.

The Sprite Step Off docu-series featuring Ludacris will premiere Sunday (Jan. 31) on MTV2.

From AllHipHop.com

http://allhiphop.com/stories/news/archive/2010/01/28/22110102.aspx

Ludacris’ Battle Of The Sexes Lives On After Shawnna

Ludacris’ Battle Of The Sexes Lives On After Shawnna
January 25, 2010 01:01:00 PM CST | by Danielle Harling

Atlanta rapper Ludacris will be waging a war against the sexes with his latest album entitled Battle Of The Sexes. The album, which will be released on March 16, 2010, is Ludacris’ seventh.

The first single off of Battle Of The Sexes, “How Low,” has already sold over half a million in digital download sales and has made it to the number one spot on the iTunes Hip Hop chart.

On Battle Of The Sexes, Ludacris will face off against several well-known female rappers including Nicki Minaj, Lil’ Kim, Eve, and Trina.

“There’s never really been an album with a male rapper and a female rapper together going head-to-head on different issues, mostly relationship issues,” Ludacris explained to Rap-Up.com last year.

Battle Of The Sexes initially consisted of Ludacris and former DTP member Shawnna battling on the album, but it was recently revealed that Shawnna will not be featured on the album at all. No other details regarding Shawnna’s departure were revealed.

From HipHopDX.com

http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/news/id.10506/title.ludacris-battle-of-the-sexes-lives-on-after-shawnna

Rap Release Dates: Chamillionaire, Ludacris, Canibus & More

Rap Release Dates: Chamillionaire, Ludacris, Canibus & More
January 25, 2010 09:01:00 AM CST | by Mitchell Hanna

This week, February gained new releases from Bekay, LMNO, Madlib, Maino, and Sadat X. As Erykah Badu, Ludacris, and Snoop Dogg experienced intra-month shifting, March picked up upcoming projects by Juice, Madlib, and Main Flow. In addition, Brisco, One Be Lo, and Rhymefest have called the second quarter home, while Soulja Boy has prepped for a third quarter release.

January 26.

Featured Release: Reminiscent of notable up-and-comers like Blu and Tanya Morgan, L.A.’s CookBook and UNO Mas are back again on January 26 with their sixth release (C&U Music Factory), including guest spots from Evidence and DJ Rhettmatic.

Featured Release: Known for his production on NYOIL’s Hood Treason, Vancouver-based beatsmith Rel!g!on will drop his debut album (Revelationz I) via digital outlets on the same day, featuring appearances by Chuck D, Donny Goines, NYOIL, Planet Asia, and Shyheim.

Additional Releases: Bushwick Bill (My Testimony Of Redemption), Corinne Bailey Rae (The Sea), Cymarshall Law (Creators Kid EP), DJ K.O. (Living Out A State Of Mind Vol. 3), Fabolous (Funeral Service: There Is No Competition 2), Georgia Anne Muldrow (Doobie Down EP), K-Murdock (Piano-rama), Mitchy Slick and affiliates Tha Wrongkind (Yellow Tape), Oddisee (Traveling Man digital version), Raekwon (Only Built 4 Cuban Linx...Pt. II; purple vinyl), and Strong Arm Steady (In Search Of Stoney Jackson; physical version).

February 2.

Featured Release: Having opened for Jay-Z and The Notorious B.I.G., Haitian rapper Ques will unveil his fourth album (RAP2K10) via online retailers on February 1, with assistance from The-Dream. In addition to being released via flash drive, the Internet sensation will donate the proceeds to the Red Cross and Wyclef Jean’s Yele organization.

Featured Release: The following day, Maino will drop a digital four-track EP (Unstoppable) via Atlantic Records, featuring his ode to Tiger Woods (“Get Em Tiger”).

Additional Releases: Big Noyd (Queens Chronicle; physical version), Chamillionaire (Major Pain), Lil Wayne (Rebirth), Madlib (Medicine Show No. 1: Before The Verdict; physical version), Statik Selektah (100 Proof (The Hangover)), and Styles P and DJ Green Lantern (The Green Ghost Project).

February 9.

Featured Release: Bekay will follow-up his 2009 LP (Hunger Pains) with The Hunger Pains Remix EP on February 9, a three-track digital EP featuring a guest spot by Dilated Peoples. Featured Release: On the same day, Brooklyn producer DJ Center is set to release his debut album (Everything In Time), fueled by the Oddisee-assisted single “Leave The City Outside.”

Featured Release: Also slated for February 9 is Kuniva of D-12’s upcoming mixtape (Retribution: The Mixtape), which includes collaborations with Royce Da 5’9” and his Dirty Dozen cohorts Bizarre, Mr. Porter, and Swifty McVay.

Additional Releases: Canibus (Melatonin Magik), DJ Kay Slay (More Than Just A DJ), Georgia Anne Muldrow (Kings Ballad), Gil Scott-Heron (I’m New Here), Jaheim (Another Round), Kurupt (Down And Dirty), and Sade (Soldier Of Love).

February 16.



Featured Release: Featured in this week’s installment of Court Dunn and HipHopDX’s 16 Bars series, Johnny Polygon will release his full-length album (Rebel Without Applause), presented by DJ Green Lantern, on Valentine’s Day (February 14).

Featured Release: Two days later, AccessHipHop.com is reporting that Sadat X will put out a 12” EP on February 16, in anticipation for his Wild Cowboys II album (February 23).

Featured Release: On the same day, LMNO of Visionaries will drop Push That Work, his first of 10 planned 2010 albums.

Additional Releases: Freeway and Jake One (The Stimulus Package), Mathematics (Return Of The Wu And Friends), Slum Village (Fantastic Vol. 2.10; physical version), and The Jacka (Dre Area Vol. 2).

February 23.

Featured Release: Equally ambitious, Madlib is scheduled to unleash two albums on February 23 (Miles Away and Madlib Medicine Show No. 2: Flight To Brazil). One month later, the Grammy-nominated producer will drop the third chapter in his Madlib Medicine Show series (Madlib Medicine Show No. 3: Beat Konducta In Africa and India) on March 23.

Featured Release: Nominated for the 2009 San Diego Music Awards’ Best Hip Hop category, up-and-coming artist Jimmy Powers will drop his debut album (The Califoreigner) on February 23, featuring assistance by Blame One, Copywrite, and La Coka Nostra’s Slaine.

Additional Releases: DJ Babu (The Beat Tape Vol. 2), Elusive (District 2 District), General Steele (Amerikka’s Nightmare Part 2: Children Of War), Georgia Anne Muldrow and Declaime (SomeOthaShip), K. Sparks (A Day In The Life), k-os (Yes!), Oddisee (Traveling Man; physical version), Planet Asia and Gold Chain Military (Chain Of Command), Rob Swift (The Architect), Sadat X (Wild Cowboys II), Snoop Dogg (The West Coast Blueprint), and U-N-I and Ro Blvd. (A Love Supreme 2.0).

March 2.

Featured Release: After a six-year hiatus, Main Flow of Mood will return with his third album (Return Of The Castle) on March 2, featuring guest spots by Jurassic 5’s Chali 2na, Esoteric, and The Grouch.

Additional Releases: Bun B (Trill O.G.), DJ Khaled (Victory), Jason Derulo (Jason Derulo), Lil Flip (Ahead Of My Time), Missy Elliott (Block Party), Raheem DeVaughn (The Love & War MasterPeace), and Usher (Raymond V. Raymond).

March 9.

Featured Release: Freestyle legend Juice will drop his sixth album (The Gift) on March 9. The project comes after a four-year self-imposed break, feeling as though his talent was being unappreciated by fans.

Additional Releases: Kidz In The Hall (Land Of Make Believe), Mariah Carey (Angels Advocate), and Reks (R.E.K.S.).



March 16.

Featured Release: On March 16, Ludacris will unleash his upcoming project (Battle Of The Sexes), featuring Lil Kim, Nicki Minaj and Trina.

Featured Release: Scheduled for the same day, Zion I producer Amp Live will present his Electronic and Hip Hop-fused record (Murder At The Discotech), boasting appearances by Eligh, Fashawn, Mickey Factz, The Grouch, Trackademicks, and Zumbi of Zion I.

Additional Releases: Andre Nickatina (Khan!! The Me Generation), Chamillionaire (Venom), and Yukmouth (Free At Last).

March 23.

Featured Release: Following up his 2009 LP (Malice N Wonderland), Snoop Dogg will re-release the project (Malice N Wonderland: More Malice) on March 23, with newfound assistance by Bun B, Butch Cassidy, Jay-Z, Kid Cudi, and Mac Lucci.

Additional Releases: Big Boi of Outkast (Sir Luscious Left Foot: Son Of Chico Dusty), Brotha Lynch Hung (Dinner And A Movie), Cam’ron affiliates The U.N. (Gunz N’ Butta), Donwill of Tanya Morgan (Don Cusack In High Fidelity), Game (The R.E.D. Album), J-Kwon, Jamie Foxx (Body), Joell Ortiz of Slaughterhouse (Free Agent), Madlib (Medicine Show No. 3: Beat Konducta In Africa And India), Marco Polo and Ruste Juxx (The eXXecution), Memphis Bleek (The Process), Monica (Still Standing), Plies (Goon Affiliated), Redman (Reggie Noble 9½), Three 6 Mafia (Laws Of Power), TQ (Kind Of Blue), and Yo Gotti (Live From The Kitchen).

March 30.

Featured Releases: Rounding out the month are newly announced releases by Erykah Badu (New Amerykah Pt. 2 (Return Of The Ankh)) and Wordsmith (Vintage Experience) on March 30.

Additional Releases: Bone Thugs-N-Harmony (Uni-5: The World’s Enemy), Drake (Thank Me Later), E-40 (Revenue Retrievin’: Day Shift and Revenue Retrievin’: Night Shift), T-Pain (RevolveЯ), and yU (Before Taxes; physical version).

April 6.

Featured Release: The Oakland trio Chosen Few will drop their debut album (New World Symphony) on April 6, kicking off an assortment of 2010 releases from their Hieroglyphics camp.

Additional Releases: BLESTeNATION (Welcome To MBugout City) and Cypress Hill (RISE UP).

April 13.

Featured Release: Fueled by their single “Love MD,” Dru Hill will return with their first album in eight years (InDRUpendence Day) on April 13. The project also marks the group’s first release with new group member Tao.

Additional Releases: Flying Lotus (DJ Kicks) and Jennifer Lopez (Love?).

April 20 and 27.

Featured Release: After causing a commotion this week with his response (“Waka Blacka”) to Gucci Mane’s diss (“Heavy”), Cash Money/Poe Boy artist Brisco is eyeing an April 20 release for his debut album (Street Medicine).

Featured Release: Also slated for April, One Be Lo of Binary Star will release his first album in three years (B.A.B.Y. (Being A Black Youth)), with appearances by Black Milk, Devin The Dude, Freeway, Guilty Simpson, Jean Grae, Kam Moye, Phonte of Little Brother, Royce Da 5’9”, and Zion I.

Additional Releases: Apollo Brown (Reset), Bizzy Bone, Capone-N-Noreaga (The War Report II), D. Woods of Dannity Kane (My Favorite Color), Devin The Dude (Suite #420), Flying Lotus (Cosmogramma), Georgia Anne Muldrow (Turiya’s Smile), J. Hood ($orry I Made You Wait), Nappy Roots (The Pursuit To Nappyness), and Nas and Damian Marley (Distant Relatives).

May 2010.

Featured Releases: Slated for May are releases by G-Unit producer Nick Speed (This Side Of The Speaker), Rhymefest (El Che), and The-Dream (Love King).

Additional Releases: Trek Life (Everything Changed Nothing) on May 4, Evidence (Cats & Dogs) on May 11, Jagged Edge (The Remedy) on May 18, and B.o.B. (The Adventures Of Bobby Ray), Nelly Furtado, and Trek Life on May 25.

Summer 2010.

Featured Releases: Additional release dates announcements this week were for Soulja Boy (The DeAndre Way) on July 29 and Philthy Rich (Funk Season 2) on August 3.

Additional Releases: Ja Rule (Venni Vetti Vecci 2010) on June 1, Kutt Calhoun (Raw & Unkutt) and Trina (Amazin’) on June 8, and 2Pac (Shakurspeare) on June 16.

On The Horizon: Fans should also be on the lookout for upcoming collaboration albums by The Four Horsemen, B.G. and Lil Boosie (Bad Azz & Gizzle), Get Busy Committee (Uzi Did It), Goodie Mob, and KRS-ONE and True Master (Meta-Historical).

From HipHopDX.com

http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/news/id.10504/title.rap-release-dates-chamillionaire-ludacris-canibus-more

News Bits: Ludacris, Omarion

DX News Bits: Ludacris, Omarion
January 22, 2010 12:09:00 AM CST | by Slava Kuperstein

Ludacris recently revealed that his highly-anticipated duet album with Shawnna, Battle of the Sexes, will be dropping March 16.

In an interview with radio DJs and media, the Atlanta, GA rapper said that the album would include guest spots from Nicki Minaj, Lil Kim and Trina.

In other news, Omarion has landed the job as the new judge for "America's Best Dance Crew," which is set to premiere its new season on Thursday (Jan. 28).

The R&B singer replaces Shane Sparks, who was arrested on eight counts of child molestation in December.

"I'm so excited to be a judge on MTV's 'America's Best Dance Crew'," said the singer. "Dancing and performing is what I do and being a judge on this show will allow me to give creative feedback to the newest and hottest dancers on the rise."

In addition, Omarion has released is third album, Ollusion, which entered the charts at no. 19 on the Billboard 200 this week.

From HipHopDX.com

http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/news/id.10489/title.dx-news-bits-ludacris-omarion