Hip-Hop Rumors: The Roots & John Legend Make Entry, Eminem, Trey and BEP Stay Selling!

ChartWatch for September 29, 2010 By DeVaughn Douglas It’s another week of ChartWatch, where we look at Hip Hop artists in the top 50, I show you new albums coming out this week, and (as always) I get to make fun of your favorite rapper.  This week I have good news and bad news.  Let’s […]

ChartWatch for September 29, 2010

By DeVaughn Douglas

It’s another week of ChartWatch, where we look at Hip Hop

artists in the top 50, I show you new albums coming out this week, and (as

always) I get to make fun of your favorite rapper.  This week I have good news and bad news.  Let’s start with the bad news first. 

There are only six Hip Hop albums in the top 50…and one of

them is the Black Eyed Peas (I know….I know. 

They are still selling.  I don’t

know who’s still buying….but they’re still selling.  Take a breath.  I told you there was good news as well.)

The good news is there are a lot of albums coming out this

week….and none of them are by the Black Eyed Peas.

Eminem leads the pack at number 5 with his latest album Recovery.  The Detroit rapper’s return-to-form moves

another 64,425 copies bringing his total to 2,671,626.

Directly behind him at number 6 is Trey Songz with his new

album Passion, Pain & Pleasure.  (I know he’s not Hip Hop but we throw in some

R&B if they crack the top 10). 

Songz moves 62,534 copies this week and has sold 306,637 copies since

his release two weeks ago.

The next album is a combination of R&B and Hip Hop.  G.O.O.D Music artist John Legend collaborates

with The Roots to create Wake Up, an

album with social themes inspired by soul music from the 60’s and 70’s.  Wake Up holds the number 8 spot this week

selling 59,760 copies.

Drake’s Thank Me Later

drops from 15 to 19 but still sells 15,367 copies.  So far the Canadian MC has sold a total of 1,098,607.

Rick Ross falls 8 spots to 32 by selling 10,112 copies of

his fourth album Teflon Don.  So far, Ross has sold a total of 405,315

copies.

B.o.B claims the 46th spot with his debut album The Adventures of Bobby Ray.  The Atlanta rappers album has sold a total of

389,601.

Finally, The Black Eyed Peas’ latest album The E.N.D rests

at number 50 selling 7,308 copies bringing the albums total sales to 2,772,805.

Dropping This Week

I know it was a boring column last week but nothing was

really hitting the stores.  That’s

definitely not the case this week. 

I’ll start this week with the incarcerated rappers.  Lil Wayne (Happy beleated bday) drops I Am Not A Human Being an EP being

digitally released this week.  This album

is a prelude to his Tha Carter IV

which is to be recorded and released after the Louisiana rapper is released

from prison.  The album features Drake,

Nicki Minaj, T-Streets, Lil Twist & Jay Sean with bonus tracks featuring

Gudda Gudda, Jae Millz, Tyga and Lil Chuckee. 

Those bonus tracks are not going to be on the digital album but will be

on the physical release that comes out in about a month. 

Next up is Lil Boosie who releases his latest album entitled

Incarcerated.  I guess the irony here is that Lil Boosie is

actually battling charges that could incarcerate him for life and may even

possible result in him receiving the death penalty.  Boosie hasn’t been to shy about using his

charges to promote his rap career (a statement that is so ignorant I don’t even

have enough time to address it in this column) so if you’re a fan of Boosie (or

prison) pick it up.  The album features Webbie,

Big Head, Mouse, Foxx, Lil’ Trill, Lil’ Phat, K.T., and Shell.

Brothers Daniel and David Garcia make up the rap duo Kane

and Abel.  After releasing two albums

with No Limit records the duo enrolled in school and started their own record

label.  When they refused to testify

against their record label’s financial backer, the incarcerated Richard Pena,

the brothers were sentenced to three years in prison.  Well they are out now and still making

music.  The New Orleans rappers (via the

Bronx) drop their ninth album this week, Back

On Money.  Their last release was six

years ago so fans should look forward to hearing from the group again.

He’s not in jail (now), yet I feel like he fits in with the

last group of rappers.  After releasing Back To The Trap House and The State v. Radric Davis, Gucci Mane

returns with his third studio album The

Appeal: Georgia’s Most Wanted.  The

new album features Bun B, Swizz Beatz, Ray J, Nicki Minaj, Pharrell, Wyclef

Jean and Estelle.  Hopefully Gucci will

be out long enough to tour and promote this album.  We’ll see….

O’Shea Jackson b.k.a Ice Cube drops his ninth studio album

this week entitled I Am The West.  It has been two decades since Cube released

his debut Amerikkka’s Most Wanted  (Although I know some out there would

disagree.  Hey, if the music is good then

it’s all right with me.  That being

said….Has anyone heard this?  Is the music

good?).  I Am The West features Jayo Felony (what?! Jayo still rapping?! I

can give it to you but what you gon’ do wit it! 

I just a lost all of our younger readers), WC, Young Maylay, Doughboy,

OMG, JIGG, and Butch Cassidy.  If you

like Ice Cube, go support.  If you don’t

like him don’t even worry about picking up an album.  I’m pretty sure there’s an Are We There Yet 3 in the making.  Cube will be all right. so

the fact that he can still put out albums is a testament to his skills.

Group Home released their debut Livin’ Proof in 1995 and now they return with their sophomore album

on Babygrande Records entitled Gifted

Unlimited Rhymes Universal.   The

album features Jeru the Damaja, Young Luchiano, Lord Jamar, and, the album’s

namesake, a posthumous Guru.  Guru is

actually featured on a few tracks on the album. 

Lil Dap and Melachi, the duo that make up Group Home, first appeared on

a compilation album by Guru entiteled Guru

Presents III Kids Records

Therefore, it is fitting that they get to honor their mentor with this

latest album.

Madlib continues his Medicine Show series with Medicine Show No. 9: High Fi Sounds for

Smokers and Drinkers Featuring Frank Nitti

Madlib has been putting out a bunch of work since the beginning of this

year and it has all been of high quality. 

Do yourself a favor and pick this one up.

Mark Ronson releases his third studio album, Record Collection, this week.  His last album, Version, was like a hipster’s

tour of Hip Hop (meaning he puts something like an ODB sample with an Amy

Winehouse hook and non-Hip Hop listeners call it genius.  I’m not hating…just saying) so this should be

more of the same.  Even though I

criticize, I liked elements of the last album, so, if you’re a fan, pick up a

copy.  Record Collection features Q-Tip, MNDR, Ghostface Killah, Alex

Greenwald, Boy George, D’ Angelo, Pill, the London Gay Men’s Chorus, Wiley,

Kyle Falconer, and Simon Le Bon.

I asked myself the other day, “What the hell is 9th

Wonder up to?”  Apparently he has been

working with Big Remo.  9th

has made classic albums with artists like Murs, Jean Grae, Sean Price, Skyzoo,

and his former group Little Brother (make up already you guys).  This week he and Big Remo drop 9th Wonder presents Big Remo:

Entrapment.  The album features Khrysis,

9thematic, David Banner, Colin Munroe, Robert Alred, Ricky Ruckus, and Tyler

Woods.  The album is produced mostly by 9th

Wonder but also features work from The J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League, Young Guru, AMP,

and others. 

I have written in this column about the next artist’s work on

his 4th album with Blue Sky Black Death.  Now Hell Razah returns with his sixth solo

studio album Heaven Razah.  The album features R.A. The Rugged Man,

Shabazz the Disciple, Darnell McClain, Timbo King, and Darnell McClain. 

Fans of Westcoast rappers Yukmouth and C-Bo should look

forward to their newest album. 

Collaborating under the name Thug Lordz the duo releases Thug Money.  Besides not having the most imaginative of

title the album features Ampichino, The Jacka, Mr. Probz, Mike-D, D-Golder,

Trae, Eastwood, Dyson, Bo-Roc, and Tha Realest.

J-Bo, of the Young Bloodz, releases his second solo album, Herringbone Jones.  I’ll be real…I didn’t know he had a first solo album.  You would have to be a fan of the Young

Bloodz to know this one was dropping.

Finally, in the

I’m-From-Houston-So-I’m-Going-To-Be-Biased-And-Put-A-Houston-Artist-In-The-Column

section, Trae the Truth drops his latest Can’t

Ban Tha Truth

….officially…..this week.   Take a look at the AllHipHop review of the

album here.

That’s it for ChartWatch. 

We’ll see if any of the artists dropping this week make the charts next

week.

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