Eminem’s Recovery officially outsold Relapse this week. Although Recovery‘s critical response and awards have far exceded the emcee/producer’s 2009 return album, the numbers now suggest the same. Earlier this week, Eminem spoke to The New York Post about the two releases, noting his own disapproval of some of Relapse‘s deliveries. Recovery came in at #2 this week, behind singer-songwriter Sara Bareilles’ Kaleidoscope Heart. The Aftermath/Interscope release has now cleared 2.5 million units.
Drake’s Thank Me Later sat at #13 last week, three units higher than the previous. The Toronto emcee, along with Eminem, B.o.B. and Kanye West was among Rap’s performers at Sunday night’s MTV 2010 Video Music Awards. TML‘s “Fancy,” featuring Mary J Blige and Swizz Beatz was Drake’s song of choice.
Usher‘s EP, Versus held the #15 spot. The supplementary release to this year’s Raymond v. Raymond fell just two spots. Drumma Boy, Polow Da Don and Jim Jonsin are amoung the producers on the EP, which cleared 85,000 units. Another R&B star, Lyfe Jennings has released his final album in I Still Believe. The Toledo, Ohio singer’s latest release from Warner Brothers/Asylum Records features Anthony Hamilton. Jennings has previously indicated he will leave music after this year, after a meaningful-yet-short six-year career.
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Rick Ross approaches 400,000 units sold with Teflon Don. The Def Jam rapper’s fourth official album features work from veterans such as No I.D., DJ Clark Kent and Cee-Lo. The Miami, Florida rapper also made a brief cameo at the MTV VMA’s this past week, in a sketch with host Chelsea Handler.
* 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 |
| 2 | Eminem | Recovery | 81,000 | 2,501,000 |
| 13 | Drake | Thank Me Later | 18,000 | 1,051,000 |
| 15 | Usher | Versus | 17,000 | 85,000 |
| 22 | Lyfe Jennings | I Still Believe | 14,000 | 50,000 |
| 24 | Rick Ross | Teflon Don | 13,000 | 382,000 |
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New releases dominated the 35-100 place of the charts.
Veteran Minneapolis, Minnesota duo Atmosphere released a digital-exclusive 12-track collection called To All My Friends, Blood Makes The Blade Holy. Released on their own Rhymesayers Entertainment imprint, the work is billed as a double EP. The work sold nearly 10,000 first week units, despite little marketing, further solidifying the RSE strength with fans.
New material from Young Buck surfaced in Rehab. Released on Real Talk Entertainment, and distributed my Fontana, the collection of songs have been officially licensed by the onetime G-Unit member, however sources close to the Nashville, Tennessee star assert that this is not to be considered his third album, after two previous big budget releases through Interscope. Veteran Bad Azz and Bizzy Bone producer Big Hollis handled a bulk of the beats for this collection of songs that sold over 6,000 first week units.
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The latest in the retail mixtape movement, Brooklyn, New York star Fabolous released There Is No Competition 2: The Grieving Mixtape through Def Jam Records. The Street Fam head’s EP release features Cam’ron, Red Cafe, Vado and production from Ryan Leslie. After two weeks on the charts, the sequel to Fab’s acclaimed No Competition installement has sold nearly 20,000 units.
Dallas, Texas rapper Durrough sold over 5,000 units of his sophomore album, Get Big. The E1 Entertainment homegrown sensation featured label-mates on his release such as Juvenile, Slim Thug and Jim Jones.
| Rank | Artist | Album | This Week | Est. Total |
| 37 | Atmosphere | To All My Friends, Blood Makes The Blade Holy | 9,400 | 9,400 |
| 55 | Young Buck | The Rehab | 6,400 | 6,400 |
| 61 | Fabolous | There Is No Competition 2: The Grieving Mixtape | 5,700 | 18,000 |
| 67 | Durrough | Get Big | 5,500 | 5,500 |
| 86 | Eminem | Relapse | 4,600 | 2,049,000 |
Can Black Milk’s Album of the Year get some evidence of being so from the charts? Will Trey Songz get a shot at that #1 spot? Stay tuned to HipHopDX to find out.
