Hip Hop Album Sales: The Week Ending 8/15/2010

RecoveryHip Hop Album Sales: The Week Ending 8/15/2010


by Allen Jacobs



posted August 18, 2010 at 6:08AM MST


Eminem's "Recovery" gets to two million sold, but does it take back #1? Mike Posner and Street Sweeper Social Club debut on the charts, and Fat Joe hangs on.



Eminem's Recovery returned to #1, again. The Aftermath release beat last week's #1 Arcade Fire's, by close to 80,000 units. In doing so, Eminem became to first emcee to garner a multi-platinum 2010 release, as Recovery now is in the two million jurisdiction.



Rick Ross also joined the 300,000 club with Teflon Don. This feat puts the Miami rapper in an elite 2010 club with Drake, Em, B.o.B., Ludacris and Lil Wayne. The Def Jam rapper's fourth official album features work from veterans such as No I.D., DJ Clark Kent and Cee-Lo. Speaking of, Drake's Thank Me Later fell to #11. There is a strong possiblity that the Cash Money/Young Money release will meet the million mark next week, if sales are up.



Former Underground Report artist Mike Posner garnered a Top 10 debut with 31 Minutes To Takeoff. Now signed to J Records, the Duke University alum and Michigan native balanced singing and raps with an album that features Travis Barker, backed by single "Cooler Than Me."







One of this year's true surprises came courtesy of UGK's Bun B. Trill O.G. maintained a Top 20 performance after last week's #4 debut. Bun's album is the first since moving his Rap-A-Lot Records distribution from Asylum to Universal Fontana. The third in the "Trill" series features appearances from Drake, Gucci Mane and posthumous verses from 2Pac and Pimp C, while production is handled by DJ Premier, Boi-1da and veteran UGK producer Steve Below. In two weeks, Trill O.G. crossed the 50,000 mark as an independent release.





* 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

Eminem


Recovery
133,000

2,113,000



7

Rick Ross


Teflon Don
30,000

309,000



8

Mike Posner

31 Minutes To Takeoff

29,000

29,000



11

Drake


Thank Me Later
24,000

970,000



17

Bun B

Trill O.G.

16,000

57,000



Outkast's Big Boi shuffled to #44. His critically-acclaimed Def Jam debut, Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty features artists such as T.I., Gucci Mane and Too Short, with production from Organized Noize, Scott Storch and Lil Jon. The Roots' acclaimed How I Got Over is 31 spots behind Big Boi. This other Def Jam release features extended Roots family Dice Raw, Truck North and others, in addition to Blu, Phonte and Peedi Peedi.







Another acclaimed release, Damian Marley & Nas' Distant Relatives fell just outside of the Top 100. The Universal Republic/Def Jam release sits just below 175,000 units. The duo has toured extensively, and Marley hosted a UStream chat on Monday night. Another debut this week came courtesy of Street Sweeper Social Club's Ghetto Blaster EP. The Rap/Rock duo of Boots Riley (The Coup) and Tom Morello (Rage Against The Machine/Audioslave) made covers of such tunes as LL Cool J's 1991 hit "Mama Said Knock You Out" and M.I.A.'s "Paper Planes." Debuting at #144, the seven-song EP released through Warner Brothers distribution cleared over 3,000 units.



Fat Joe holds onto the Top 200 The Darkside Volume 1 at #192 . The release marks Joe's debut with E1 Entertainment, and features work with DJ Premier, Just Blaze and Too Short. The darker-themed album has critics comparing it to Joe's first three albums. Despite the strong praises, the work's sales have become an object of ridicule from Joe's nemesis, 50 Cent.



Rank Artist Album This Week Est. Total

44

Big Boi


Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty
8,000

138,000



75

The Roots

How I Got Over

5,300

125,000



103

Nas & Damian Marley

Distant Relatives

4,100

174,000



144

Street Sweeper Social Club

Ghetto Blaster EP 3,100

3,200



192

Fat Joe

The Darkside Volume 1

2,400

19,000

From HipHopDX.com
 
http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/news/id.11986/title.hip-hop-album-sales-the-week-ending-8-15-2010

Hip Hop Album Sales: The Week Ending 7/25/2010

Hip Hop Album Sales: The Week Ending 7/25/2010

July 28, 2010 08:12:00 AM CDT

by Jake Paine

Eminem's Recovery just will not budge from #1. Rick Ross gave Slim Shady a run for the money however. The Miami rapper debuted at #2 with the praised Teflon Don release. Scanning just under 177,000 units, the Def Jam rapper's fourth official album features work from veterans such as No I.D., DJ Clark Kent and Cee-Lo. Drake's Thank Me Later fell to #4, as Sheryl Crow's latest album debuted at #3. The Toronto rapper still motions towards its million-mark.











Usher's Raymond v. Raymond climbed an impressive nine spots. The veteran Pop entertainer's "divorce album" is marching its way to a platinum plaque for Mr. Raymond and his longtime backer, LaFace Records. The album will feature two deluxe/additional material releases next month. Outkast's Big Boi bumped one spot to #15. The Atlanta Hip Hop pioneer is 10,000+ units shy of the six-figure mark with his critically-acclaimed Def Jam debut, Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty. The release features artists such as T.I., Gucci Mane and Too Short, with production from Organized Noize, Scott Storch and Lil Jon.





* 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

Eminem

Recovery

187,000

1,670,000



2

Rick Ross

Teflon Don

176,000

177,000



4

Drake

Thank Me Later

47,000

880,000



11

Usher

Raymond v. Raymond 21,000

956,000



15

Big Boi

Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty

18,000

107,000



The Roots' acclaimed How I Got Over release crossed the 100,000 mark. The Def Jam release features extended Roots family Dice Raw, Truck North and others, in addition to Blu, Phonte and Peedi Peedi. Damian Marley & Nas' Distant Relatives album remains a Top 75 album, working its way to 200,000 units.







Former Young Money and No Limit Records artist Curren$y slid to #86 debut with his Def Jam-distributed Pilot Talk. Produced by Reasonable Doubt architect Ski Beatz, and featuring Mos Def and Jay Electronica, the New Orleans emcee cleared over 10,000 first week units.



Paul Wall's latest, Heart of A Champion moved to #124. The Swishahouse/Warner Brothers/Asylum release featured surprise collaborations courtesy of Jay Electronica, Raekwon and Kid Sister. The release fell just shy of a Top 50 debut. Meanwhile, despite critical acclaim and plenty of anticipation, Capone-N-Noreaga's War Report 2 is in the last 15 spots of the charts. Executive produced by Raekwon, the EMI-distributed project features Nas, Busta Rhymes and several personnel carry-overs from CNN's acclaimed 1997 first War Report.







Rank Artist Album This Week Est. Total

47

The Roots

How I Got Over

8,700

106,000



72

Damian Marley & Nas

Distant Relatives 5,800

159,000



86

Curren$y

Pilot Talk

5,100

16,000



124

Paul Wall Heart of A Champion 3,800

11,000



187

Capone-N-Noreaga The War Report 2 2,500

7,200

From HipHopDX.com
 
http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/news/id.11806/title.hip-hop-album-sales-the-week-ending-7-25-2010

Nas Co-Signs Kanye's New Album; Kanye To Work With Nas On New LP

Nas Co-Signs Kanye's New Album; Kanye To Work With Nas On New LP


Tuesday, July 27, 2010 11:26 AM

By Jake Crates

(AllHipHop News) In recent interview with Tim Westwood, rapper Nas spoke about his upcoming work with super producer Kanye West.



After reminiscing about his beef with Jay-Z, working with Damien Marley and his visit to England, Nas described his work ethic and his upcoming solo project.



“I am definitely looking at my solo project as one of the most important records of my life, you know what I mean?” Nas told Tim Westwood. “I’m happy to be here, I love the state of the game.”



According to Nas, the new album will feature production from Kanye West, who contacted the Queens-rapper about working on the new record.



“Its going to be magic. I feel a magic thing happening and brewing. I keep calling it a magic moment, that’s what it’s going to be. I feel it, the stuff I’m writing down,” Nas continued.



In fact Nas revealed that he was really inspired when Toronto rapper Drake, the RZA and Kanye reached out to him for his upcoming project.



“Kanye West hit me up and said ‘I want to do the album,’ and the RZA,” Nas revealed. “I heard Kanye’s album and its crazy. The new album is crazy. So I was just listening to Drake’s stuff and I was inspired by Drake shouting me out on the album. I have been inspired by his mind state for the album and he says my whole name. “Nasir Jones thank you.’ Kanye’s like man… Those dudes really inspire me to go in there and really do what I am supposed to do at this day and age in the game and to deliver.”

From AllHipHop.com
 
http://allhiphop.com/stories/news/archive/2010/07/27/22311645.aspx

Hip Hop Album Sales: The Week Ending 6/27/2010

June 30, 2010 12:00:00 PM CDT

by Allen Jacobs

As predicted, Eminem's Recovery was the strongest Rap debut in nearly two years. The Interscope/Aftermath release sold roughly three quarters of a million units in its first week. Driven by several televised appearances at the BET Awards, The Late Show and others, Marshall Mathers' greatly outsold last year's Relapse opening, by approximately 80,000 units.



This release features appearances by Pop acts such as Rihanna and P!nk, as well as production from Just Blaze, Boi-1da and Mobb Deep's Havoc.







Drake sealed his gold, clearing 600,000 units and standing strong at #2. 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 have had the most successful back-to-back weeks as a Rap producer in years.



The Roots' came in at #6. Their latest release, How I Got Over is their third with Def Jam Records. The album shows the group's first "Jimmy Fallon-era" recordings, garnering critical acclaim. The release features appearances from Blu, Phonte Coleman and longtime affiliate Dice Raw.



Usher's Raymond v. Raymond fell one spot to #14. 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. closed out the Top 20 with The Adventures of Bobby Ray. The Atlantic Records star's rookie release marches towards the 400,000 mark achieved by Drake and Kid Cudi, having already bypassed Wale's sales last year.





* 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

Eminem

Recovery

741,000

744,000



2

Drake Thank Me Later

157,000

604,000



6

The Roots

How I Got Over

51,000

51,000



14

Usher

Raymond v. Raymond

24,000

874,000



20

B.o.B. Presents

The Adventures of Bobby Ray

19,000

268,000



Damian Marley & Nas' Distant Relatives slid to #43. 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.



Eminem and Drake both watched their already-charting previous releases sell - but not to their plaque benchmarks. Drake's mixtape-turned-album, So Far Gone sits 11,000 units short of gold. Meanwhile, Em's Relapse is 14,000 short of double platinum. Both are expected to achieve these marks by early July.







Z-Ro's latest drug-themed album, Heroin, like his others, charted. The Rap-A-Lot Records' unsung hero cleared 4,000 units, despite limited promotion and distribution. 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

43

Nas & Damian Marley

Distant Relatives

8,900

134,000



47

Eminem

Relapse

8,400

1,986,000



112

Drake So Far Gone

4,500

489,000



131

Z-Ro

Heroin

3,900

4,100



179

Lil Jon

Crunk Rock

2,900

17,000

From HipHopDX.com
 
http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/news/id.11599/title.hip-hop-album-sales-the-week-ending-6-27-2010

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

Nas Covers Up Kelis Tattoo, Confirms Marriage Is Over

Nas Covers Up Kelis Tattoo, Confirms Marriage Is Over
June 03, 2010 12:02:00 AM CDT
| by Slava Kuperstein

In his first step towards moving on from ex-wife Kelis, Nas has begun to cover up his tattoo of the R&B singer.

"I was going through it," said Nas at the end of his interview with radio host Bootleg Kev. The tattoo, which originally had a topless Kelis in jeans now has a lion's head on top of her body.

The tattoo in question was a topic of scorn from rapper 50 Cent, who famously called Nas (among other rappers) out in his 2005 diss track, "Piggy Bank": "Kelis said her milkshake bring all the boys to the yard/Then Nas went and tattooed the bitch on his arm."

It's unclear whether Nas plans to continue the tattoo's alteration, though he has confirmed the end of the marriage, saying "Oh my God, I'm single."

From HipHopDX.com

http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/news/id.11383/title.nas-covers-up-kelis-tattoo-confirms-marriage-is-over

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

Nas Buries "Greatest Rapper Of All-Time" Debate, "There Is No Best MC"

News: Nas Buries "Greatest Rapper Of All-Time" Debate, "There Is No Best MC"


Friday, May 21, 2010 5:14PM

Written by Cyrus Langhorne

Rap veteran Nas has taken on the popular "Greatest Rapper of All Time" debate and said no emcee is worthy of being credited as the best.
From Nas' perspective, there will always be "greats", not just one G.O.A.T.
"There is no best or greatest MC. Should never happen, doesn't make sense," he said in a blog post. "It makes sense temporarily when you're striving to be number one. It makes sense for [the fans] to see that, but you have a long run to be the greatest. To me, people already felt like they were [the greatest] in more ways than they should have and I think that hurt them. There is no greatest of all time. We won't know that until we're 60 years old. I think there will be like four to five great ones at the end of the day, but there will be none that's greater than the other. Impossible...[Jay-Z] is the one that smacks everybody in the face that's out there and wanted to say what he wasn't and what he couldn't do. The challenge is that people always count you out and even when you have a hit record and put out a hit album, you're gonna have people dissing you. I think he's showing you: I won't be stopped ever. And that's motivation for everyone else." (VIBE)

Last year, rap vet Rakim shared his thoughts on Jay-Z being a candidate for G.O.A.T. honors.
"I think it's only right that these new names and some of these other cats is gon' get mentioned in that circle," Rakim explained in an interview. "What I did and that feeling that I gave the game when I was at that forefront was then. The same feeling that I gave to certain people is a feeling that Jay is giving to certain people today. I gotta understand that the era calls for a different time where different people get the spotlight. My thing is, I just hope that what I did do is strong enough to last a few more years to keep my name in that loop for a few more years." (BET)

Artists like Mos Def have questioned Hov's "Greatest Rapper Alive" title in the past and compared him to Rakim's lyrical talent.

"My response was to me seeing an article where Jay-Z was referred to, with trade marks following it, as the 'Greatest Rapper Alive,'" Mos explained in an interview over the summer. "Now that don't have nothin' to do with me, but if you saying that, that's a trade claim...If you saying that, you saying you better than Slick Rick, whose still very alive and well? You saying you better than Rakim? You saying you better than Black Thought? People making that claim have never been in a position to defend that in an open forum. I'm not talking about making a diss record or trying to go in on somebody's girl...When people start coming out and making claims they're gonna have to defend, like, who have you had to defend them against? It's certainly been with people not on your level." ("The Angie Martinez Show")

Jay recently explained why he calls himself the "Best Rapper Alive."
"But when I say I'm the best, I don't say that outta my a**," Jay said in an interview. "I say that with all my stats behind me. I put that against anybody. I mean anybody. I really believe that...I believe in a lot of things. I believe that 'SportsCenter' is the best thing on TV. I shouldn't have to prove it. But I do have these stats to prove it. I'm talking about real run. I'm not talking about years off. I'm talking about straight--boom, boom, boom--back to back. We're not talking about heritage acts either. We're not talking about respect what I've done. I'm talking No. 1 [albums] 10 times. The Beatles is the only one [to have more No. 1 albums]. They got 19, and if I get a surge of creativity, I could make nine albums next year." (XXL Magazine)
 
 
From SOHH.com
 
http://www.sohh.com/2010/05/nas_buries_greatest_rapper_of_all-time_d.html

Nas To Pursue His High School Diploma

Nas To Pursue His High School Diploma
March 16, 2010 11:03:00 AM CDT | by Danielle Harling

Earlier this week, rapper Nas revealed to a group of high school students that getting his high school diploma is one of his goals right now. He also expressed his resent for dropping out of school at a young age.

Pittsburgh’s the Post-Gazette reports that Nas spoke to the students at the Boys & Girls Club of America's annual National Keystone Conference in Pittsburgh.

"The reality of it is, you need to keep educating yourself, and I wish I had stayed in school," Nas revealed to the group of high school students.

Nas, who dropped out of school in eighth grade, also spoke on leadership and his personal life.

"This is an incredible message, to have someone who succeeded so much in their life, but there is still a void," said Frank Sanchez, the vice president for corporate and partner relationships for the Boys & Girls Clubs of America.

NBA player Bob Lanier and R&B singer/producer Ne-Yo also spoke to student’s at the annual conference.

From HipHopDX.com

http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/news/id.10841/title.nas-to-pursue-his-high-school-diploma

Report: Nas Owes Millions In Taxes

Report: Nas Owes Millions In Taxes
February 19, 2010 02:02:00 AM CST | by Slava Kuperstein

Much like fellow rapper Method Man [click to read], Nas has apparently failed to pay his taxes.

According to a report by TMZ.com, the famed Queensbridge rapper owes $2,584,206.31 for unpaid taxes in 2006 and 2007.

This is the latest financial problem for the rapper, who was recently in the midst of a heated divorce lawsuit with R&B singer Kelis. In the suit, it was alleged that the rapper made nearly $150,000 per month, and spends over $70,000 per month [click to read].

It is unclear whether the two are still embroiled in a legal battle, as the former couple were spotted together last month, acting very amicably towards one another [click to read].

UPDATE: The legal battle is still in effect. This morning, Nas entered a not-guilty plea to contempt of court, according to TMZ.com. Kelis' legal staff has said that Nas has failed to deliver the court-ordered $200,000 child support.

In March the judge will rule on the verdict. If Nas is found guilty, he is at risk of serving jail time.

In related news, Kelis has signed with Interscope Records since the last October hearing.

From HipHopDX.com

http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/news/id.9991/title.report-nas-owes-millions-in-taxes

Prodigy Says He Warned Nas About Jay-Z Beef

Prodigy Says He Warned Nas About Jay-Z Beef
January 28, 2010 12:01:00 AM CST | by Slava Kuperstein

Although Prodigy of Mobb Deep and Nas' relationship is now a strained one, the two Queensbridge emcees were once friends.

Looking back to that time, Prodigy revealed in a just-published, two-part lost interview with PlanetIll.com that he warned Nas that Jay-Z dissed him as early as 1997.

"So now I ain't peep it back then when [it] came out, but down the line when I'm in the studio talking to Nas around that time I peeped it," said Prodigy, speaking about Jay-Z's song "Where I'm From."

"I'm like 'Aww he talking about me in that song, yo, and he bit our shit with the little plastic cups in the hood,' and if you do the research and history of it, Jay-Z was on some speed boat in the Bahamas Versace type of shit."

Prodigy continued, explaining his role in Jay-Z's perceived change in subject matter, and Memphis Bleek's role in the beef. "Then 'Shook Ones' came out, then Jay came with the plastic cups, football jerseys in the projects, taking jabs at us and I was like 'Nas, what we need to do is go at these niggas because number one, his lil' man is trying to shit on you; talking about your life is written and all this shit. That's when Memphis Bleek was trying to take lil jabs at Nas. I was like, 'These niggas is going at us subliminally,' and I was like, "Fuck that, we need to go at those nigga. Let's make a song about them, son."

According to P, Nas didn't see the need to beef at the time. " [Nas] was like, 'Nah nah that nigga ain't nobody to be doing that son.' I'm like, 'Son, I'm telling you it's gonna be a problem,' and he like, 'Nah. I'm like aight cool.' 'Cause in my mind, I'mma address it on my own anyway. I don't give a fuck what this nigga do. I love you Nas but I'mma handle this 'cause you buggin."

Currently, Prodigy is serving time in prison for a weapons possession charge.

Visit PlanetIll.com to read both parts of the '00s interview with Prodigy.

From HipHopDX.com

http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/news/id.10526/title.prodigy-says-he-warned-nas-about-jay-z-beef