The projections were accurate. 50 Cent‘s potential last album from Interscope did not debut at #1. Instead, Before I Self Destruct, which included two bonus DVDs and an extra week on iTunes, sold 160,000 units. The G-Unit general featured Eminem on his album, as well as production from Havoc, Dr. Dre and Rockwilder.
Michael Jackson looks platinum-plausible after three weeks of the This Is It soundtrack,
Michael‘s sister Janet brought her #1’s collection to the Top 20 for a debut. The double disc collection features hits assisted by Q-Tip, Busta Rhymes and Nelly.
Speaking of, The Black EyedPeas went to #25 with The E.N.D. The Electro-Pop work may be a departure from even the group’s more recent two albums, but the
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Jay-Z slid to #30 for the first time with Blueprint 3. The Atlantic Records-distributed effort is within 100,000 units ofBlack Eyed Peas, for overall 2009 sales. After that, all that remains is another 100,000-plus units in Eminem‘s Relapse as 2009’s top-selling Rap album.
* Please note: figures below approximated to nearest thousandeth.
Top 200 Album Sales (Top 5 Hip Hop/R&B)
| Rank | Artist | Album | This Week | Est. Total |
| 5 | 50 Cent | Before I Self Destruct | 160,000 | 161,000 |
| 7 | Michael Jackson’s | This Is It | 96,000 | 782,000 |
| 20 | Janet Jackson | #1’s (2CD) | 37,000 | 38,000 |
| 25 | The Black Eyed Peas | E.N.D. | 31,000 | 1,387,000 |
| 30 | Jay-Z | Blueprint 3 | 29,000 | 1,300,000 |
After over a decade, the legendary Rakim returned with at #61, with The Seventh Seal. The album, released through Bay Area’s SMC Records, featured an appearance from Maino, and production from Jake One, Nottz and longtime affiliate Nick Wiz.
DXnext alum Walemaintained Top 100 with his Attention : Deficit. Last week the album sold under 30,000 units, as the rapper’s management claimed the label under-shipped the album considerably, limiting sales. The rapper may surpass 50,000 units next week, with a strong Black Friday showing.
Veteran independent Rap titans Slugand Murs (as Felt) returned for a third tributary album, this one to famed ’80s and ’90s Puerto Rican actress Rosie Perez. This released, produced entirely by Aesop Rock, is the duo’s first charting Felt release.Tech N9ne crossed the 50,000 benchmark with his K.O.D.release. The album has been one of the best-selling independent Rap releases of 2009, put out through the Kansas City veteran’s Strange Music. In one of the last slots on the Top 200, Lil Boosie scanned another 3,000 of one of Warner Brothers‘ most successful Rap outings since the Asylum merger in Superbad: The Return Of Boosie Bad Azz.
| Rank | Artist | Album | This Week | Est. Total |
| 61 | Rakim | The Seventh Seal | 11,000 | 12,000 |
| 88 | Wale | Attention : Deficit | 8,700 | 37,000 |
| 111 | Felt | Felt 3: A Tribute To Rosie Perez | 7,000 | 7,000 |
| 148 | Tech N9ne | K.O.D. | 4,500 | 51,000 |
| 199 | Lil Boosie | Superbad: The Return Of Boosie Bad Azz | 3,000 | 110,000 |
Will Rihanna get a #1? Will Birdman continue Cash Money‘s chart-assault? Stay tuned to HipHopDX to find out.
