Hip Hop Album Sales: Week Ending 04/06/2014

This week, the three highest-charting albums affiliated with Rap on the Billboard Top 200 albums chart are projects by Pharrell, YG and Rick Ross. Pharrell’s G I R L has continued chart success as the “Happy” producer-singer-rapper maintains a slot in the week’s Top 10. Meanwhile, YG’s My Krazy Life and Rick Ross’s Mastermind remain in the Top 20.

Pharrell’s G I R L Remains In Top 10

Pharrell’s G I R L is the highest charting album this week by an artists affiliated with Rap. While Pharrell has rapped throughout his career, and while a bulk of his work as a producer has been in Rap, the Virginia producer takes a different approach at times on this album, choosing to sing more than he chooses to rap on G I R L. Nevertheless, the album’s placement on the chart this week (#9) is an indication of his recent success. The album sold 24,808 copies this week, a two percent drop from last week’s 25,308. That 2 percent drop also helped Pharrell fall from #5 last week to #9 this week. Overall, G I R L has sold 242,133 units. G I R L earned Pharrell a 3.5 out of 5 in the album’s HipHopDX review. “While G I R L is too surface-level at times, it hits the target it’s aimed for,” HipHopDX said at the time. “Pharrell wants summertime airplay, and any of these songs could survive on the radio. It’s also a nice tribute to feminine vigor, adding another notch to Pharrell’s ever-growing list of achievements. He has plenty to be happy about these days.”

YG’s My Krazy Life Falls To #16

YG’s My Krazy Life, in its third week of availability, earned the #16 spot on the charts this week after selling 16,437 units. My Krazy Life, the highest charting Rap album this week, experienced a 28 percent decrease from last week’s placement at #7. Overall, the album, which debuted at #2, has sold 100,288 copies. The album earned a 3 out of 5 in its HipHopDX review. “With the exception of [the song] ‘Me & My Bitch’ (a tale of two way infidelity) wedged in between a festive midsection, the Pushaz Ink crew has pieced together a well sequenced and cohesive package with My Krazy Life, but this aspect and his street credibility aren’t enough to win over naysayers expecting an overall greater performance,” HipHopDX said in its review of the album.

Rick Ross’s Mastermind Remains In Top 20

Rick Ross’s Mastermind album is the second-highest charting Rap album this week. Its position at #18 is a 19 percent drop from its placement at #11 on last week’s chart. Mastermind, which sold 15,336 copies this week, has sold 289,925 units overall in five weeks of availability. Like YG’s My Krazy Life, Rick Ross’s Mastermind earned a 3 out of 5 in its HipHopDX review. “There isn’t anything really compelling about Rick Ross’ fictional tale anymore,” HipHopDX said at the time of its review. “It has become stale.”

Mobb Deep’s The Infamous Mobb Deep Debuts At #49

Mobb Deep’s The Infamous Mobb Deep, one of this week’s Rap debuts, lands at #49 in its first week of availability. The project sold 7,074 copies this week, just enough to land in the Top 50. The project recently earned the duo a 4 out of 5 in its HipHopDX review. “There are no fun and games here,” HipHopDX said in its review of the project. “Just business. Havoc and Prodigy are as dialed in as ever. The Infamous Mobb Deep is a return to the roots of their artistic consciousness, substantiated almost 20 years ago, and with fine precision. With an all-star cast of guest lyricists and a gang of producers, The Infamous Mobb Deep is a loud wake-up call for Hip Hop. The Rap game is survival of the fittest, and Mobb Deep still roams among the strong.”