Sade soldiered through with her Soldier Of Love. The 51 year-old Nigerian singer not only debuted at #1, but she scanned over 500,000 first week domestic units. The Sony release, her first album in a decade shocked the charts this week, as Sade is still getting radio adds and doing limited press. The Soul/Jazz vocalist is said to be appearing on Drake’s Thank Me Later later this year, her first Rap album appearance since 2001’s “Hard Time Hustlin'” with Krayzie Bone.
Split between bumped Country/Pop act Lady Antebellum, another R&B star debuted at #3. Atlantic Records’ Jaheim’s Another Round performed strongly, selling over 100,000 copies. The 31 year-old New Jersey native’s album features Jadakiss on the “Ain’t Leavin’ Without You (Remix)”
from his fifth album.
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Lil Wayne‘s Rebirth sold under 100,000 second-week units. The Cash Money/Universal Motown artist will remain a free man from a postponed sentencing to Riker’s Island Correctional Facility, but Wayne’s limited in marketing the Rock-inspired album largely produced by Cool & Dre.
The Black Eyed Peas are officially double platinum. The E.N.D. just introduced a new single, “Imma Be Rocking That Body,” as Interscope may find a new one-two punch to go along with Eminem in Rap/Pop sales. Alicia Keys‘ Element Of Freedom also officially crossed the platinum mark, which all three of her previous albums have done.
* Please note: figures below approximated to nearest thousandeth.
Top 200 Album Sales (Top 5 Hip Hop/R&B)
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| Rank | Artist | Album | This Week | Est. Total |
| 1 | Sade | Soldier Of Love | 502,000 | 503,000 |
| 3 | Jaheim | Another Round | 112,000 | 112,000 |
| 4 | Lil Wayne | Rebirth | 89,000 | 265,000 |
| 8 | Black Eyed Peas | The E.N.D. | 67,000 | 2,066,000 |
| 12 | Alicia Keys | Element of Freedom | 40,000 | 1,039,000 |
Lil Wayne and teammates’ We Are Young Money crossed the 300,000 line. The album, along with Rebirth, will likely remain on the charts through to Drake’s Thank Me Later, presently due in April or May.
Jay-Z‘s Blueprint 3 and Eminem’s Relapse both remained in the Top 50. Both releases have double-platinum aspirations, particularly Jay-Z’s one-album distribution deal with Atlantic Records, who’s biggest star, T.I., was unable to release a 2009 album due to his jail sentence.
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Two Rap-related releases cracked the charts last week. New Orleans Funk/Jazz outfit Galactic’s eighth album Ya Ka May debuted at #152. The Anti Records group has frequently worked with The Coup, and may have a full-length on the way with a Jurassic 5 member. HipHopDX will report more on that this month. Poet/singer and Rap pioneer Gil Scott-Heron’s I’m New Here sold just under 4,000 debut week units. The XL Records album features Kanye West soundbeds, as well as some public support from Mos Def.
| Rank | Artist | Album | This Week | Est. Total |
| 41 | Young Money | We Are Young Money | 20,000 | 311,000 |
| 43 | Jay-Z | Blueprint 3 | 19,000 | 1,615,000 |
| 48 | Eminem | Relapse | 16,000 | 1,840,000 |
| 142 | Galactic | Ya-Ka-May | 4,900 | 5,100 |
| 181 | Gil Scott-Heron | I’m New Here | 3,700 | 3,900 |
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Can Freeway & Jake One live up to the Rhymesayers Entertainment Top 10 factor? Stay tuned.
