Pop star Rihanna did not debut Top 3. Behind feel-good story of the year, Susan Boyle and controversial dancer Adam Lambert, Ri-Ri‘s Rated R premiered at #4, selling a tad under 200,000 units. The dark Def Jam relationship-rebound release has been met with mixed reviews, from one of the label’s biggest stars.

Michael Jackson could be platinum after next week. The This Is It collection includes Jackson hits like the 

Hip Hop favorite “Human Nature” various demo and single versions of other hits 
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throughout the last three decades. The work fell two places to #4 from last week.

50 Cent‘s potential last album from Interscope remained in the Top 20 for its second (charted) week. Before I Self Destructboasts two bonus films, and some of the best critically-received work the Queens superstar has delivered since The Massacre.

Speaking of, The Black EyedPeas climbed four spots 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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Good Life-birthed outfit remains an underground Hip Hop success story.

Jay-Z bounced back into the chart-twenties again 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)

RankArtistAlbumThis WeekEst. Total
4RihannaRated R
181,000181,000
11Michael Jackson’sThis Is It
108,000890,000
1950 CentBefore I Self Destruct
66,000227,000
21The Black Eyed PeasE.N.D.54,0001,441,000
28Jay-ZBlueprint 337,0001,337,000

Cash Money Records loves Black Friday. Birdman and Jay Sean both debuted within five places of each other, collectively scanning over 60,000 units. The young Pop star nearly topped the label co-founder, as both are stars of radio in 2009.

Another label founder, Damon Dash, found success in BlakRoc. With only three days on charts, the self-titled project from The Black Keys that found Hip Hop guests including Jim Jones, M.O.P. and Mos Def debuted at #125. This may be the most successful Dame Dash project since Beanie Sigel‘s The B.Coming.

Rakim slid to #147 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. The effort is SMC’s most successful project this year, who also released projects from Capone-N-Noreaga and The Jacka.

Pittsburgh’s Wiz Khalifa, a DXnext alum, made it to the Soundscan charts for the first time in his career. Deal Or No Deal, released on iHipHop/Rostrum Records, scanned just under 6,000 units. The project features former Young Money star Curren$y, and marks Wiz‘s first nationally-distributed album.

RankArtistAlbumThis WeekEst. Total
29BirdmanPricele$$
36,00036,000
33Jay SeanAll Or Nothing
31,00031,000
125BlakRocBlakRoc
7,5007,500
147RakimThe Seventh Seal5,90018,000
148Wiz KhalifaDeal Or No Deal
5,9005,900

Will Rihanna get a #1? Will Birdman continue Cash Money‘s chart-assault? Stay tuned to HipHopDX to find out.