Album Chart: 50 Cent comes out swinging
Rapper 50 Cent will likely have a few quarters to spare now that his new album, “Get Rich or Die Tryin’,” is debuting in the top slot on the Billboard 200 album chart.
Rapper 50 Cent will likely have a few quarters to spare now that his new album, “Get Rich or Die Tryin’,” is debuting in the top slot on the Billboard 200 album chart.
Despite Interscope’s fear that sales of “Get Rich of Die Tryin’” would soften due to widespread Internet piracy of the set, the album sold more than 872,000 copies, according to industry sources.
Making the feat more impressive is the fact that, because of the label’s piracy concerns, the album--originally scheduled to hit stores on Tuesday (2/11)--was instead released on Thursday, Feb. 6. Thus, its sales total was accomplished over four days rather than the standard seven.
The album easily bested the rest of the titles in the Top 10; in fact, it sold more copies than the remaining nine albums’ combined sales total.
The Dixie Chicks’ “Home,” which sold about 114,000 copies, gives up the No. 1 mantle and drops to second place, followed by Kid Rock’s “Cocky,” which moved about 103,000 copies. The latter album, which surfaced in November of 2001, has gotten its second wind thanks to its crossover hit, “Picture.”
Norah Jones’ “Come Away With Me” drops two spots to No. 4, while Avril Lavigne’s “Let Go” slips a notch to No. 5. The “Chicago” soundtrack, which just scored an Academy Award nomination for the track “I Moved On,” stays put at No. 6, and is followed by Jennifer Lopez’s “This Is Me ... Then,” which is down two spots to No. 7.
Country singer Blake Shelton’s “The Dreamer” is the only other newcomer to land in the Top 10 this week; the album, which sold about 76,000 copies, debuts at No. 8.
Making an impressive return to the Top 10 is LL Cool J’s “10,” which makes a one-week leap from No. 84 to No. 9. The album likely got a boost from LL’s recent round of promotional appearances in support of his recently released film, “Deliver Us from Eva.”
Closing things out is Missy “Misdemeanor” Elliot’s “Under Construction,” which is down one notch to No. 10.
The soundtrack for the forthcoming flick “Daredevil"--featuring a new track that pairs Rob Zombie with the surviving members of Drowning Pool--just misses a Top-10 debut to land at No. 11, and is followed closely by Alabama’s “In the Mood: Love Songs,” which checks in at No. 15.
Other albums logging on this week include Lionel Richie’s “Definitive Collection” best-of set; Jars of Clay’s “Furthermore: From the Studio, From the Stage” at No. 64, the Juliana Theory’s “Love” at No. 71; and Keith Sweat’s “Live” at No. 86.
Next entry: Terror fears keep Kelly Osbourne away from London
Previous entry: Hip-hop watchdogs back off on Pepsi boycott