Two new Hip Hop releases debuted on the charts this past week. One was from an artist who has succeeded in the independent/underground grind for over a year. The other is the epitome of underground success right now, and achieving commercial recognition through digital-only release. Both works feature an array of high-profile artists, and are driving conversation online.
Yo Gotti’s Live From The Kitchen Nearly Gets A Top 10 Debut
Veteran Memphis, Tennessee emcee Yo Gotti‘s major label debut Live From The Kitchen nearly cracked the Top 10, with a #12 debut. The Polo Grounds/RCA Records release finds Gotti after a tenure a decade ago with TVT Records. His new release includes contributions from Big K.R.I.T., Wiz Khalifa and one of the artists who he helped premier at a mainstream level, Nicki Minaj. Gotti sold over 15,000 first-week units in a quiet January.
Schoolboy Q’s Habits & Contradictions Hits The Charts In Two Days
Black Hippy emcee Schoolboy Q’s second digital release Habits & Contradictions released Saturday, January 14. With only two days at retail the Top Dawg Entertainment release scanned nearly 4,000 units to crack the Top 100 – without any marketing or advertising. This is the second time Q has done this, after last year’s Setbacks accomplished a similar a feat almost a year to the day from January 14. Habits & Contradictions features involvement from The Alchemist, ASAP Rocky and Curren$y, in addition to appearances from Black Hippy cohorts Jay Rock and Kendrick Lamar.
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Hip Hop Album Sales: The Week Ending 1/8/2012
#4. Drake – Take Care – 32,000 (1,321,000)
#6. Young Jeezy – TM 103: Hustler’s Ambition – 24,000 (361,000)
#7. Rihanna –Talk That Talk – 22,000 (563,000)
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#11. LMFAO – Sorry For Party Rocking – 16,000 (566,000)
#12. Yo Gotti – Live From The Kitchen – 16,000 (16,000)
#25. Jay-Z & Kanye West – Watch The Throne – 13,000 (1,261,000)
#28. Lil Wayne – Tha Carter IV – 12,000 (1,947,000)
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#37. Common – The Dreamer / The Believer – 8,500 (106,000)
#57. Wale – Ambition – 6,100 (339,000)
#98. Schoolboy Q – Habits & Contradictions– 3,900 (3,900)
* data comes from Nielsen Soundscan, rounded to nearest thousandth for units above 10,000, nearest hundredth for units below 10,000. Each week, HipHopDX presents top albums in Hip Hop/related, and five notables.
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Can both new additions sustain on the charts for at least another week? Stay tuned to HipHopDX.
